Crooks

To explore the character of Crooks in more detail.

Home Learning Due.

Groups AnalysisYou will now be given a part of a quotation.

You need to discuss the following:

• The language in the quotation:What are the key words?

• What the language tells us:What do these words suggest about the character(s)?

• What we can infer from this language:What do we think these characters’ personalities are like?

You should annotate your extract, focussing on language.

Annotating your Extract

Now transfer your notes onto your extract.

Each group will come to the board and annotate their quotation. You should annotate your own extract as we go along, making

notes on connotations of language, inferences etc.

Crooks possessed several pairs of

shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big

alarm clock and a single-barreled

shotgun. And he had books, too; a

tattered dictionary and a mauled copy

of the California civil code for 1905.

There were battered magazines

and a few dirty books on a special

shelf over his bunk. A pair of large

gold-rimmed spectacles hung from a

nail on the wall above his bed.

This room was swept and fairly neat,

for Crooks was a proud, aloof man. He

kept his distance and demanded that

other people kept theirs.

His body was bent over to the left by his

crooked spine, and his eyes lay deep in his

head, and because of their depth seemed

to glitter with intensity. His lean face was

lined with deep black wrinkles, and he had

thin, pain-tightened lips which were lighter

than his face.

It was Saturday night. Through the open

door that led into the barn came the

sound of moving horses, of feet stirring, of

teeth champing on hay, of the rattle of

halter chains. In the stable buck’s room a

small electric globe threw a meager yellow

light.

Crooks sat on his bunk. His shirt was out of

his jeans in back. In one hand he held a

bottle of liniment, and with the other he

rubbed his spine. Now and then he poured a

few drops of the liniment into his pink-

palmed hand and reached up under his shirt

to rub again. He flexed his muscles against his

back and shivered.

Noiselessly Lennie appeared in the open

doorway and stood there looking in, his

big shoulders nearly filling the opening.

For a moment Crooks did not see him, but

on raising his eyes he stiffened and a scowl

came on his face. His hand came out from

under his shirt.

Lennie smiled helplessly in an attempt to

make friends.

Crooks said sharply, ‘You got no right to

come in my room. This here’s my room.

Nobody got any right in here but me.’

Exam Question

Part A:In this passage, how does Steinbeck present Crooks? Refer closely to the passage in your answer

Part B:In the rest of the novel how does Steinbeck use Crooks to present attitudes to black people at the time the novel is set?

Let’s plan our response using Spring Theory

Model ParagraphIn the passage, Steinbeck presents Crooks as lonely man who doesn’t socialise with the other ranch workers. This is evident when he is described as ‘proud’ and ‘aloof,’ a man who ‘kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs.’ Upon first glance, this suggests that Crooks chooses to live a solitary life as it is he who ‘demanded’ distance. However, we can infer that he only behaves in this way to avoid mistreatment of others; being bossed around on the ranch and branded a ‘nigger’. Whilst this word is extremely offensive to contemporary readers, during the 1930s racism was still very strong and so it would not be considered unusual for the characters to use derogatory terms such as this, although that does not mean that it affected Crooks any less. Therefore, the fact that he is described as ‘proud’ and ‘aloof’ suggests that his isolation is for fear of this mistreatment or worse, being rejected and turned out of the bunk house where the other men reside. Furthermore, the use of the word ‘distance’ highlights not only the physical distance between the characters but also the difference in race, where being a black man resulted in less respect and lower status, not only on the ranch but in society in general. Through the use of such language Steinbeck elicits empathy from readers who can see the extent of Crooks’ isolation and loneliness.

Mini-Essay

Part A PEELA 1&2:• How is Crooks presented?Part B PEELA 3&4:• In the rest of the novel how does Steinbeck use

Crooks to present attitudes to black people at the time the novel is set?

Conclusion:• Give a short overview of how Steinbeck presents

Crooks and uses him to present attitudes to black people.

They have identified key ideas and selected appropriate evidence to support. (Point & Evidence)

They have explained the evidence and what readers can infer from it. (Explanation)

They have analysed language and explained the effect on the reader/the image that is created. (Lang. Analysis)

They have hypothesised about extended/alternative meanings in texts and evaluated the overall significance of language. (Extended/Alternative View)

SOLO Evaluation

Home Learning

Complete a task from the Flavour-Packed Wraps section of your takeaway menu.

Due: Lesson 16