A Portrait of Racism

Chapter 4 in Of Mice and Man, paints a very realistic portrait of racism in the 1930s.  Discuss at least two ways in which racism is explored in this chapter.  Include quotes and your own analysis of key moments in this chapter that clearly demonstrate the racism that existed in the American 1930s.  What do readers understand about racism as a result of reading this chapter?

     Racism is expressed a lot in this chapter as we really get to know Crooks. Crooks is one of the workers who works as a stable buck on the ranch. He is a colored person who by many isn't paid much attention to. Through this character racism is expressed a lot through this chapter. We find out in the beginning that Crooks lives by himself in the harness room. "Crooks, the Negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn." (Steinbeck 66.) Crooks is forced to live by himself, because of segregation. He had to live by in a separate room for colored people, because he wasn't allowed to sleep in the bunkhouse with the rest of the guys. Due to the segregation laws he was forced to live in a separate room with colored people. 

     Another form racism is expressed in the chapter is through the way people talk toward Crooks. For example "Well, you know your place then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny." (Steinbeck 81.) The way Curley's wife talks to Crooks is crude threatening she has the power to kill Crooks. "He said, 'Yes ma'am,' and his voice was toneless." (Steinbeck 81.) Crooks couldn't say anything back, because he was colored and as a colored person he could easily get hung without anyone caring. He couldn't say anything, because he had still not had the freedom to talk back to her. The white race was more superior then the colored race they could force them to do anything. Colored people like Crooks had no power to talk back to her or day anything to her. First, because she was white and had automatically more power. Second, of all because she was married to the bosses son.

     Through this chapter I understood more about racism. I found out that colored people didn't have much power as I thought. They couldn't talk back to a white person so easily as they can now without getting themselves hung. They would have to take the insult not being able to talk back fearing they could go to jail or worse be killed. Almost, everywhere were whites and colored separated like on buses, restaurants, and many more places. Check out more stuff about racism in the 1930s here!