Preparing for Paper 1 Crooks and Candy Crooks

Preparing for Paper 1: Crooks and Candy

Crooks • Crooks, the black stable-hand, gets his name from his crooked back. • Proud, bitter, and caustically funny, he is isolated from the other men because of the colour of his skin. • Despite himself, Crooks becomes fond of Lennie, and though he derisively claims to have seen countless men following empty dreams of buying their own land, he asks Lennie if he can go with them and hoe in the garden. • Role? To show deeply racism ran at the time

• He has been so beaten down by loneliness and prejudicial treatment of that he is now suspicious of any kindness he receives • Lennie's brief interaction with Crooks reveals the complexity of racial prejudice in the northern California ranch life • Though Crooks was born in California (not like many Southern blacks who had migrated, he implies), he is still always made to feel like an outsider, even in his home state.

• When Crooks begins to pick on Lennie, suggesting George won't come home, we discover the slight mean streak that undoubtedly develops after being alone for so long. • Crooks' little dream of the farm is shattered by Curley's wife's nasty comments, slotting the black man right back into his "place" as inferior to a white woman. • Jolted into that era's reality by Curley's wife harsh treatment, Crooks refuses to say the woman is wrong. Instead, he accepts the fact that he lives with everpresent racial discrimination.

Timeline • • • Crooks comes by the bunkhouse to tell Slim that Lennie is petting the puppies too much. Crooks is in his room rubbing ointment on his injured back when Lennie comes in. Crooks tries to tell Lennie that he shouldn’t be in his room, but Lennie doesn’t understand. When Lennie tries to hang out with Crooks, Crooks thinks about how nice is it to talk to someone, but he also remembers how mistreated he’s been and takes this out on Lennie, an easy target. Crooks cruelly tells Lennie that George might not come back from town. Crooks tries to take this statement back when he sees how big and scary Lennie actually is. Crooks is secretly pleased by Candy’s appearance in his room. Crooks shyly suggests that he would like to live on the dream farm. Crooks is not pleased (secretly or otherwise) by Curley’s wife’s presence in his room. Crooks tells Curley’s wife that she should leave. Crooks retreats when she threatens to have him lynched. Crooks retreats even further when George appears, unhappy about Crooks’ knowledge of the dream farm

Candy • An aging ranch handyman, Candy lost his hand in an accident and worries about his future on the ranch. • Fearing that his age is making him useless, he seizes on George’s description of the farm he and Lennie will have, offering his life’s savings if he can join George and Lennie in owning the land. • The fate of Candy’s ancient dog, which Carlson shoots in the back of the head in an alleged act of mercy, foreshadows the manner of Lennie’s death.

• Candy is actually worse off: unlike his dog, he's emotionally destroyed by the whole business. • We suspect this is the same fear that keeps him from making anything more of his life. He can't stand up for his pet, because he can't stand up for himself. • His attempts at ‘the dream’ are futile • As he tries to help the men attain their dream, he also reminds them of the possibility (and indeed, likelihood) that it's going to fail—symbolized by his failure to kill his own dog. • Candy is left to embody the despair of reaching the end of a long, hard-working life and being no closer to the American dream. • Role? Simply to supply the money for the dream? To signify the hopelessness of most striving for ‘the dream’?

Timeline • • • • Candy meets George and Lennie. Candy tells George all about the people that work on the ranch: who’s who and what’s what and who’s what. Candy is hurt and scared when Carlson suggests shooting his dog, but he has to give in because Slim agrees with this idea. Candy lies on his bunk and Carlson goes outside and shoots Candy’s old, much-loved, and smelly dog. Candy overhears George relating the dream farm story and asks if he can be a part of it. He offers George 300 dollars, which was a lot of cash in those days. Candy goes to Crooks’s room and finds him talking to Lennie. When Curley’s wife shows up and insults the three of them, Candy tells her that they are going to have their own farm. She scoffs and they argue and hurl epithets (a great word for bad names) at each other. Curley’s wife has the final word. Candy finds Curley’s wife in the barn – dead. Candy runs and finds George. Candy and George try to decide what to do about Lennie. Candy thinks Curley’s wife’s death is her own fault. Candy tells the other men about Curley’s wife. Candy is left in the barn, weeping bitterly and alone as the other men go off to find Lennie.