Crooks quotations Flashcards
Whys is Crooks character important in OMAM?
Crooks character is important as his role illustrates the racism and segregation faced by African Americans in 1930s America
How does Steinbeck use Crooks character?
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.
Crooks is … for the other ranch men
Crooks is marginalised from the other ranch men
When Lennie enters crooks room Steinbeck describes his room (books)
“He had books… the Californian Civil Code”
“He had books … the Californian Civil Code” what does this emphasise about Crooks character?
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.
what does crooks having “the Californian Civil Code” illustrate?
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.
When Crooks confesses to Lennie that he is lonely, he says “a guy needs somebody” what does this tell the reader about crooks ?
This inspires the reader with pathos and melancholy for crooks, who is alienated and isolated due to the colour of his skin.
When Crooks says “ a guy NEEDS somebody” what does crooks use of the verb NEED illustrate to the reader
Crooks lacks companionship and Needs somebody
Crooks tells Lennie , when Lennie enters his room, “ You got no right to come into my room” What is Steinbeck telling us about crooks?
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.
“There ain’t a coloured man on this ranch”
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.
ONCE Curley’s wife threatens to have Crooks Strung up on a tree “crooks reduced himself to nothing”
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.
What could Steinbeck be illustrating about America When “crooks reduced himself to nothing”
This could be Steinbecks way of criticizing the segregation and the jim crow laws during America 1930s.
What does Crook’s tattered dictionary and mauled civil code represent?
These items are used as a pathetic fallacy for crooks himself. Pathetic fallacy= the projection of human feelings to non human objects.
When Lennie appeared in crook’s room “a scowl came on his face” why is this?
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.
What physical features make us feel sorry for crooks?
1) He has a crooked spine from his manual labour
2) He had thin, pain-tightened lips
Give 2 quotes which show crooks insisting upon his rights:
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”
Why does crooks get defensive over his room?
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
Why is the light described as meager and yellow in crook’s room?
It is supposed to not have much energy and not feel very inviting.
When crooks starts talking to Lennie “his tone was a little more friendly” why did he change so quickly?
Because he just wants someone to talk to and has no one to tell his sensory experiences to
Crooks insists on telling Lennie he “ain’t a southern negro” and that his “old man had a chicken ranch”. Why is this?
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.
When crooks talked about George not coming back to look after Lennie his “face lighted with please in his torture”. Why?
Because he wants Lennie to suffer and understand what he has suffered.
What two quotations show that crooks is scared of Lennie?
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)
What quote from experience does crooks say to foreshadow that George and Lennie’s dream is not going to happen?
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.
What 2 quotations show that crooks is pessimistic about the dream?
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.
