Crooks quotations

Question 1

Whys is Crooks character important in OMAM?

Answer 1

Crooks character is important as his role illustrates the racism and segregation faced by African Americans in 1930s America

Question 2

How does Steinbeck use Crooks character?

Answer 2

Steinbeck uses Crooks character to illustrate and question the system, to show how unjust and unfair the 1930s were in America, by using the ranch as a microcosm of what was happening in wider American Society.

Question 3

Crooks is … for the other ranch men

Answer 3

Crooks is marginalised from the other ranch men

Question 4

When Lennie enters crooks room Steinbeck describes his room (books)

Answer 4

“He had books… the Californian Civil Code”

Question 5

“He had books … the Californian Civil Code” what does this emphasise about Crooks character?

Answer 5

This emphasises that Crooks has an acute awareness of his race and how black people were being historically mistreated, initially as slaves in American Society, however in the book crooks is still segregated from the other ranch men.

Question 6

what does crooks having “the Californian Civil Code” illustrate?

Answer 6

This illustrates that crooks takes an intellectual approach to his understanding his history, whilst empowering himself with the book because he is disempowered in other ways in society as well as the ranch.

Question 7

When Crooks confesses to Lennie that he is lonely, he says “a guy needs somebody” what does this tell the reader about crooks ?

Answer 7

This inspires the reader with pathos and melancholy for crooks, who is alienated and isolated due to the colour of his skin.

Question 8

When Crooks says “ a guy NEEDS somebody” what does crooks use of the verb NEED illustrate to the reader

Answer 8

Crooks lacks companionship and Needs somebody

Question 9

Crooks tells Lennie , when Lennie enters his room, “ You got no right to come into my room” What is Steinbeck telling us about crooks?

Answer 9

Crooks lacks ‘rights’ and is using his understanding of the civil code. Crooks understands he cant be with the other ranch men so he uses his segregation from them and reverses it to Lennie.

Question 10

“There ain’t a coloured man on this ranch”

Answer 10

Crooks is marginalised from the other men . It illustrates how lonely and isolated he feels as no other man is ‘coloured’ on the ranch, crooks is completely alienated.

Question 11

ONCE Curley’s wife threatens to have Crooks Strung up on a tree “crooks reduced himself to nothing”

Answer 11

This shows the layers of protection and reduction African Americans did as a way of coping in the once racist American Society. This quote makes readers feel sympathy for Crooks.

Question 12

What could Steinbeck be illustrating about America When “crooks reduced himself to nothing”

Answer 12

This could be Steinbecks way of criticizing the segregation and the jim crow laws during America 1930s.

Question 13

What does Crook’s tattered dictionary and mauled civil code represent?

Answer 13

These items are used as a pathetic fallacy for crooks himself. Pathetic fallacy= the projection of human feelings to non human objects.

Question 14

When Lennie appeared in crook’s room “a scowl came on his face” why is this?

Answer 14

He has been forced to think that the men on the ranch are unkind: if he has not been allowed in the bunkhouse they should not be allowed in his room.

Question 15

What physical features make us feel sorry for crooks?

Answer 15

1) He has a crooked spine from his manual labour

2) He had thin, pain-tightened lips

Question 16

Give 2 quotes which show crooks insisting upon his rights:

Answer 16

1) “you got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room”
2) “well, I got a right to have a light”

Question 17

Why does crooks get defensive over his room?

Answer 17

1) he has to hold on to the one thing that he has

2) sometimes people who are victimised can be more wary and aggressive towards others - like bullies

Question 18

Why is the light described as meager and yellow in crook’s room?

Answer 18

It is supposed to not have much energy and not feel very inviting.

Question 19

When crooks starts talking to Lennie “his tone was a little more friendly” why did he change so quickly?

Answer 19

Because he just wants someone to talk to and has no one to tell his sensory experiences to

Question 20

Crooks insists on telling Lennie he “ain’t a southern negro” and that his “old man had a chicken ranch”. Why is this?

Answer 20

This means that he is not descended from slaves, which gives him pride, although he is still treated like a slave.

He is telling Lennie he already had what they want now, so they should be treated the same.

Question 21

When crooks talked about George not coming back to look after Lennie his “face lighted with please in his torture”. Why?

Answer 21

Because he wants Lennie to suffer and understand what he has suffered.

Question 22

What two quotations show that crooks is scared of Lennie?

Answer 22

1) “crooks saw the danger as it approached him” - he is nice but wants Lennie to know how he feels so he mentions george.
2) he “removed his glasses and wiped his eyes” - this shows he is scared (wiping his eyes with fear)

Question 23

What quote from experience does crooks say to foreshadow that George and Lennie’s dream is not going to happen?

Answer 23

1“You guys is just kiddin’ yourself”
2“I seen too many guys with land in their head. They never get none under their hand.”
Crooks knows as he has been on the ranch for a while and has probably seen people similar to George and Lennie with a dream.

Question 24

What 2 quotations show that crooks is pessimistic about the dream?

Answer 24

1) “You’re nuts.” X2
2) “I never seen a guy really do it”

At first he doesn’t believe they can do it until he sees they have enough money and tries to get in on it.

Question 25

What happens when curley’s wife starts to talk to crooks?

Answer 25

1) he “seemed to grow smaller”
2) he “reduced himself to nothing”

He can act big but she can ruin his life by saying he raped her. She is low in society, but still more powerful than him.

Question 26

What two things does crooks say after curley’s wife leaves, as he realises what’s happens?

Answer 26

“What she says is true.” -He feels worse than before because he thought he had companionship but then it was dashed.

“I wouldn’ want to go no place like that.” - curley’s wife made him realise he will never be able to be like candy and Lennie because of his status.

Question 27

At the beginning and the end of chapter 4 crooks is rubbing liniment in his back. What is this called and why is it effective?

Answer 27

This is called a circular narrative and it is a smaller version of how the whole book is written. It shows how someone hopes can be raised and then everything goes back to normal.

Question 28

could you say Crooks is “aloof”?

Answer 28

Yes “Crooks was a proud, aloof man.”
Aloof meaning -not very friendly and does not like to spend time with other people.

Question 29

“harness room” “rattling of chains”

Answer 29

the repeated mention of the harness room and the continous rattling of chains symbolizes the lack of freedom crooks has as an African American