" Crooks has his own room , furniture , and books . Hence , he is better off than the other ranch hands . He is NOT a victim of racism . " ( Professor Dr. Richard E. Hart of Bloomfield College ) Agree or Disagree ? Why ? Be sure to use evidence from the book in your paragraph response . Include page numbers if possible .

I disagree with the statement that "Crooks is NOT a victim of racism". This is because, the possession of books, furniture, and having his own room doesn't give him the freedom to mingle with the other ranch hands. Rather, they keep him alone so that he won't be among them, and they won't have to be near him.

Explanation:

Crooks is the black stable buck in John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". He lives alone in the stable and not among the other ranch hands who stay in the bunkhouse.

The statement that "Crooks . . . is NOT a victim of racism" is not true. According to me, even with all the personal possessions (own room, furniture, and books), his living quarter is in the stable, with the animals and not with other human beings in the bunkhouse. His statement to Lennie "I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain't wanted in my room" is evidence of how class/ race disparity is there even among the workers. He also added "They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink." This clearly shows the division among the workers, though they are all under Curley.

Therefore, it is wrong to say that Crooks is NOT a victim of racism.