Crooks' Fate: The Permanent Outsider

Traces the life of Crooks, the black stable buck, who is permanently isolated by race and never escapes the confines of his segregated existence.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Crooks's Isolation

The Harness Room Life The Segregation Crooks lives alone in the harness room, separated from the white men. He is not allowed to sleep in the bunkhouse or play cards with them. His isolation is total and enforced by society. The Defense Mechanism Crooks has developed a bitter, defensive attitude. He is quick to anger and slow to trust. He reads books to fill the time. He has learned that hope is dangerous, so he keeps to himself. The Yearning for Connection Despite his facade, Crooks longs for human contact. He is drawn to Lennie's innocence, and he allows himself to imagine a different life. But he knows that his race will always prevent him from belonging.

The Dream and the Crushing

The Moment of Hope The Dream Shared When Lennie and Candy talk about the farm, Crooks is skeptical but intrigued. He offers to work for nothing, just to be part of it. He is willing to humble himself for a chance at belonging. The Threat from Curley's Wife Curley's wife enters and threatens to have Crooks lynched. She reminds him of his place. The dream is shattered. Crooks retreats into his bitterness, telling Candy to forget the whole thing. The Return to Isolation Crooks is left alone again. The brief moment of hope has made the isolation worse. He knows that he will never escape the ranch. His fate is to remain an outsider forever.

Crooks's End

The Invisible Man The Exclusion from the Hunt After Curley's wife is killed, Crooks is not included in the hunt. He is invisible even in the tragedy. He stays in his harness room, alone. The death does not affect his position. The Resignation Crooks is resigned to his fate. He has no hope of change. The novel leaves him in the same state as before, a permanent outsider. His story is a commentary on the injustice of racism. The Unfulfilled Life Crooks's fate is one of unfulfilled potential. He is an intelligent, proud man, but he is trapped by the color of his skin. His isolation is a tragedy that mirrors the larger tragedy of the novel.

The first two days at the ranch

The Saturday night

After the death of Curley's wife