Sometimes we meet people we think are stuck up and self-centered,, or maybe pessimistic and hopeless. As humans, we tend to stick a label on people without taking into consideration what turned them into that character in the first place. While reading John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”, Crook’s appears as an “aloof” character full of arrogance. Crook’s, although it is hidden well behind a façade of stubbornness and pride, has the common dream of living off his own land and being treated as a human, instead of a “southern Negro.”
Crooks first wants, in some way, no matter how small and insignificant, to be accepted. When Lennie walks into Crook’s room in the barn, Crooks tries to get rid of Lennie because “[he] ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse” so “[Lennie] ain’t wanted in [Crooks’] room.” But as time progresses, Crooks’ autonomous act fails him and he gives in, allowing Lennie to “come on in and set awhile.” First, Crook’s allowed his general response to come out, but soon, he let down the carefully built walls around his true feelings and allowed Lennie to come in and keep him company. Crooks appears to be rude and stuck up, but he has actually been taught by habit and past experience that life is simpler if you play “tough-guy” and don’t open up.
Ever since his childhood, Crooks has been stripped of his humanity, confidence, and dreams. Crooks discussed with Lennie how “Everybody wants land” and how, as far as he can see, “never a God da** one of [those people] ever gets it.” Although Crooks says this, he later offers “a hand to work for nothing-just his keep.” Crooks has the same dream as all the man on the ranch; he just refuses to admit it. Crooks says that, used to, “the white kids come to play at [their] place” and “sometimes [Crooks] went to play with them” but “[his] ol’ man didn’t like that” and if “[he] says something…it’s just a nigger sayin’ it.” His memories also hold his land back in California where they “had a strawberry patch… an’ an alfalfa patch” and him and his brothers would “set on a fence rail and watch em’.” Even if Crooks doesn’t admit the fact, he had a nice piece of land and a nice childhood at one time, but now he can’t even say something and be taken seriously! Somewhere in the past, he had a dream, but it was ripped from his grasp. He now locks his feelings away to avoid the pain that he felt the first time his dreams were crushed.
A few moments later that same day, Curley’s wife comes into the room and begins taunting Lennie, so Crooks tell her to “get out and get out quick” and threatens to “ast the boss not to ever let [her] come in the barn. Curley’s wife snaps, pointing out her authority by reminding Crooks that she “could get [him] strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny” to which Crooks replies by “[drawing] into himself” and rebuilding the walls around his ambitions. Crooks had finally been let out of his shell by Lennie and Candy. He was finally allowed to dream again, and it was so quickly yanked away, like a toy from a baby. Crooks, behind his powerful mask, is a broken man.
Crooks tries to hide behind a pretense of a heartless, noncaring man, but no one is perfect. When Crooks’ act fails, readers get a glimpse of the real him, a broken man with a big dream.
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