Of Mice and Men essay on Crooks - Please mark

Hi everyone,

I would be very grateful if some people could look through this whole text essay for Unit 1 (of mice and men) WJEC. Please offer a grade at which this is at and a mark if possible. Thank you very much!

How does the character Crooks represent society in the 1930s?

The character Crooks represents society in the 1930s as he is the only black character on the ranch and represents the treatment of black people as a whole. During the 1930s there was a huge upsurge of racism against black people, they were treated as second class citizens and were marginalised.

In the novel Of Mice and Men the character Crooks is considered as a ‘nice fella’ but despite that he is casually referred to as a ‘nigger’ as in the 1930s racist language would be consider normal. He has been given ‘hell’ whenever The Boss is angry and is attack as christmas entertainment. He is also called ‘Crooks’ throughout the novel as he has damaged, crooked back and ‘stable buck’ because of his job. We are never actually told his real name which shows that he is consider as nothing on the ranch as black people were considered second class citizens.

Crooks has very little power and turns his vulnerability into a weapon against those weaker than him, like Lennie. He suggests that George, who acts like Lennie's protecter, might never come back which agitates Lennie. But Curly’s wife reminds Crooks of his hopeless situation ‘I can get you strung up on a tree so fast it ain’t even funny’ which he is remind of his inferior status and it revealed how dangerous it was to be a black man in the 1930s. If black people stood up for them self it would of been inflammatory which is why Crooks doesn't fight back. He also admits that black people don't have rights.

Crooks has experienced loneliness the longer than any other character and shows the effects that it can have on a person ‘a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody’. His segregation from the rest of the ranch is shown as Candy tells us that he has been at the ranch ‘a long time’ but its the ‘first time I ever been in his room’. Crooks is rejected because of his skin colour ‘I ain’t wanted because I’m black’ and he isn't allowed in the bunkhouse. As in the 1930 black and white people were segregated. He has a separate place to live as the men thought that they can catch diseases off him. As he lonely he surrounds him see with personal possessions he was a ‘proud, aloof man. He kept his distance and demanded that others kept theirs.’ He felt isolated by the others on the ranch and demanded it himself as he wanted some rights. When Lennie enters Crooks’ room he tries to be angry but he cant help but to enjoy the company ‘he tried to conceal his pleasure with anger.’

Crooks is cynical of George and Lennie’s dream as he has never seen anyone achieve it ‘nobody ever gets no land.’ Although he still ask’s if their is room on the farm that George and Lennie are planning to get for him. What Crooks want most is a sense of belonging and to be treated equally like other men as he knows and wants his civil rights. He would like to enter the bunkhouse with the other men. He also want companionship as he is extremely lonely and desires company ‘guys don't come into a coloured mans room very much.’

Overall, I think Steinbeck has portrayed how black people were treated through Crooks very well as he a lonely and vulnerable character. He shows how black people were excluded from society, treated differently and had no rights. It’s impossible not to feel sorry for him because of all the things that he has been through and faced.

This is a C at a push because you need to develop each argument instead of just making multiple undeveloped arguments.

looks about a d+ grade give more quotes