Of Mice and Men – key quotes and notes – Crooks

Section 2 – page 40 – there is a quote in which Candy talks about the boss taking his anger at George and Lennie not turning up the night before on Crooks – post the quote below – what does this show about attitudes to African-Americans in the 1930s?

Candy – page 40 – ‘Sure.  Ya see the stable buck’s a nigger.’ Candy doesn’t introduce Crooks to George and Lennie using his name.  He just states that he is a ‘nigger’.  Language analysis.

Candy page 41 – ‘Yeah.  Nice fella too.  Got a crooked back where a horse kicked him.  The boss gives him hell when he’s mad.  But the stable buck don’t give a damn about that.  He reads a lot.  Got books in his room.’ – what does Candy’s description reveal about Crooks’ character?

Section 4 – pages 98 & 99 – there are several details in the setting of the scene at the start of section 4 that reveal the nature of Crook’s existence/how he lives/reveal things about his character.  What quotes from these pages are particularly revealing?  Post them below:

Section 4 – Lennie and Crooks – Through Lennie’s childish mentality, Crooks is able to reveal a lot about himself and his life to the reader in section 4.  Where Lennie doesn’t really understand racism and social norms because of his childlike mentality, Crooks has to explain why he isn’t allowed in the bunkhouse and why he lives alone etc… which reveals an awful lot about racist attitudes in the 1930s.  Some key quotes from this section are: ‘Cause I’m black…They say I stink’              ‘The white kids come to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them…’                ‘If I say something, why it’s just a nigger saying it.’                               ‘A guy can talk to you an’ be sure you won’t go blabbin’ – Crooks is lonely and needs to get things off his chest, but he’s worried about getting in trouble.

Section 4 – page 107 – Candy ‘I been here a long time…An’ Crooks been here a long time.  This’s the first time I ever been in his room.’  Crooks said darkly, ‘Guys don’t come into a coloured man’s room very much…’

Section 4 – page 114 – scene between Crooks and Curley’s Wife – ‘Crooks had reduced himself to nothing.  There was no personality, no ego – nothing to arouse either like or dislike…his voice was toneless…’ – Crooks has become a shadow

Section 4 – page 115 – ‘You guys comin in an’ settin made me forget…what she says is true…He fell slowly to rubbing his back?’  Is Crooks’ back pain symbolic of the constant pain caused by society?  Similarities with Candy’s arm???