Crooks

• The African-American stable buck is called Crooks because of a spinal injury inflicted by a kicking horse.
• Suffers an even more

  intense loneliness because of his colour.
• He is forced to retreat into himself, into

  profound isolation, in moments of crisis (e.g.

  when Curley’s wife threatens him in the scene

  in his room in the stable).
• He would desperately like to join the dream of

  G, L & C but realises it is impossible and

  covers his disappointment by pretending that

  he no longer wants to join them.
• As he says “a coloured man got to have some

  rights, even if he don’t like ‘em.”
• "Guys don't come into a coloured man's room"
• "You got no right to come in my room."
• "Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land."
• "A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody"
• “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick.”