Crooks Of Mice and Men

George Milton
-” I been mean, ain’t I?” George is a buddy to Lennie. He secures him and does what is needed to keep him out of difficulty. -” If I was alone I could live so easy” Lennie is a problem to George -” I desire you to stick with me, Lennie”– George conveys Georges loneliness

Lennie Small
-” paws” animalistic quality; bear
-” all you can ever keep in mind is them rabbits”– George. Lennie represents idealism and optimism in the American dream.

“bunnies” symbol of liberty and assurance. -” he’s jus’ like a kid”– Slim describes him perfectly -” why do you got to get killed?”– Lennie no understanding of actions or consequences. “its mean here”– Lennie too innocent to handle extreme environment -hallucination of Aunt Clare: main moral figure in his life. Informs him between right and wrong and about effect.

Crooks/Racism
-” scoundrels” label due to injury. Name offered to him by other ranchers supremacy, ownership (slavery) -” California Civil Code for 1905″ had aspirations when of achieving success.

Informed private. (had “books”) 1905 tho! 25 years out of dates shows futility of his circumstance. -” scoundrels was a happy, aloof male” Steinbeck does not aim to victimize/generalize Scoundrels. He’s 3 dimensional; understands his worth. BUT has no power to change his fate. -area of Crooks in ranch (barn) symbolizes his distance the other males. Explicitly: segregation, metaphorically: emotional distance/loneliness -” they’ll connect ya up with a collar, like a dog”- Crooks. When Crooks finally finds someone weaker than him, he feels he should destroy them. Connects to his own injustice. Suffering leads to ruthlessness. -” hard for Scoundrels to conceal his enjoyment with anger” shows his desperation for contact. He has become hardened by his discomfort however lets his guard down at times. -” drew into himself” scoundrels forces to accept his injustice. Helpless in his fate.

Curley’s Wife/Women
-“that glove’s fulla Vaseline”– Candy (Curley’s mark of dominance over his other half; she’s a challenge him, a trophy. AND clear warning to other men) -“Curley’s better half” no name. dehumanization.
-“fingernails were red”  symbol of danger, sexuality, blood, passion. Stoplight! She will be cause of danger later in novel. -“rolled clusters, like sausages” –> childlike, naïve little girl. Contrasts with red. -“heavily made up”  suggest she’s hiding the true here. Underneath surface there is hidden personality: loneliness, desperate, need, kindness. Puts on front of sexuality and flirtatiousness. ALSO conveys men on the ranch only care about sex from women. -“what a tramp” –George  hypocritical view towards women. Has sex with prostitutes but calls her a tart??? da fuq +!! Objectification. Ironic cuz what she really wants is human contact not sex. The men don’t even consider that she could have more complexity other than wanted a man physically. -ranch is a patriarchal environment.

-“I get lonely” –Curley’s wife (mask taken off, complexity revealed)

Candy
-Him and his disability aid in themes of minority, oppression, and loneliness. -“the swamper warmed to his gossip”  he needs a distraction from his own, unsatisfying life.

Friendship
“stayed behind the other”  symbolizes how they always protect each other “we got somebody to talk to” importance of friendship, especially at times of hardship. Human contact takes away loneliness

Loneliness/Isolation
“a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody” –Crooks
“suppose you ain’t got nobody” –Crooks –> almost ironic; Crooks doesn’t realize that everyone is alone in this environment. His pain consumes and blinds him, he isn’t the only one who’s feeling it.

The American Dream
-“you give me a good whore house every time” –> although they want to achieve their dream, they waste their money on prostitutes and booze. Cycle of pain and desperation, a temporary void of loneliness and boredom that has to be filled. -“every damn on of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head” –Crooks –> Crook’s knows reality of American Dream. Faced this for long long time due to racism. -“they left all the weak ones here” –Curley’s wife  themes of novella come full circle. Oppression of minorities.