Throughout the novel Steinbeck explicitly shows the inevitable

loneliness of those living in the 1930s. In America this was the era of
The Great Depression, this was because of the fierce competition for
getting work. In this situation the oppressed become the oppressors in
attempt to not being on the bottom of the work pile. Friendship was
hard to maintain, as they were all vulnerable. Steinbeck mainly shows
these two themes within the character of Crooks. This is due to his
race and disability.
Crooks was been constantly abused and dehumanized due to his race
and disability. Crooks discrimination and abuse takes form of the
derogatory term of nigger this is used to take away Crooks status and
make him sound like he is not a human.Another way in which
Steinbeck made him sound dehumanized is by referring to Crooks as a
negro stable buck this implies his low position on the ranch and his
race. Steinbeck allows the audience to think that if he werent black
he would not be faced with all of the problems, which occur to him in
the novel. His disability is affecting his work, as he cannot do many
things on the ranch. His crooked back is pretty much like his lifestyle.
His back is crooked after a horse kicked him.
Crooks lifestyle is poor, as he has not got a stable living standard. He
doesnt get the luxury of living in the bunkhouses with the other
inmates. A little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn this
symbolizes Crooks to be considered equal to animals and not humans.
As he lives in a little space this highlights the lack of his own space
and how the ranch workers consider him to be an animals and most
animals do not require a lot of space to live in. The word leaning
connotes the state of him being uncared and untended, like a
neglected animal, which crooks just being there and no one looking
after him.Steinbeck showed Crooks to be this particular way to show
the readers how bad racism-affected people during the period of
time.

While reading the description of Crooks room, it is suggested that

he is intelligent. A tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the
California civil code for 1905 This suggest that he would
continuously read them as reading is a human act which once
more suggested he did not want to be dehumanized and wanted
to keep what decency he had left. It also conveys that he wanted
to be part of the society. This shows what little respect black
people were shown in the world at that time. Steinbeck reflected
to the audience even though Crooks was dehumanized by other
people, he knew his rights which he had to stay within.
Crook was so fatigue by the racial discrimination and loneliness
that he now became suspicious of any act of kindness he
received. You got no right to come in my room. Although Crooks
craves a friendship he denies Lennie because demanding distance
from white people was the only right which he had. Crooks felt as
if, if he wasnt allowed to go into their bunkhouse why should
anyone be allowed to come into his.Steinbeck used this
effectively as it shows that Crooks understands where his limits
are towards white people.