Y8 | OMAM Character Study: Crooks

Hi Year 8,

We’re going to spend one final week on Of Mice and Men and consider another significant character in the text: Crooks.

Just as Steinbeck was able to use the character of Curley’s wife to explore the experiences of women in 1930s America, he was also able to shine a light on racism through the character of Crooks. By giving these two marginalised characters a voice in the novella, and not only a voice but a dream too – a dream just like everybody else’s, he is able to emphasise how they are no different to the other characters on the ranch. Loneliness and the dream of a better future become universal ideas in the book, irrespective of colour or sex.

Was Steinbeck really trying to write an anti-racist, feminist book? That’s for you to decide. Let us know what you think after you’ve completed this week’s work.

Here’s your work for the week beginning 29^th June:

1) Write a title: Crooks and the issue of race

2) Read the information and do the tasks on this powerpoint:

Explore further (optional) 

The issue of race is a hot-topic in the media at the moment, and terms like ‘white fragility’, ‘white privilege’ and ‘systemic racism’ are becoming more common. Some of these ideas are controversial; some people (both black and white) are offended by them or find them unhelpful or counterproductive. Other people (both black and white) think that they help people understand issues around race and help combat racism. 

If you want to find out more about these ideas so that you can make up your own mind, check out the links below:

White privilege: What is it and how can it be used to help others? (BBC Newsround)

Black Lives Matter explained (Channel 4)

Not-racist v anti-racist: what’s the difference? – John Amaechi (BBC Bitesize)

What do 'thug', 'white privilege' and 'ally' mean? (BBC Newsbeat)

 

That’s all for this week. Please let us know if you have any problems.

Thanks for all your hard work on Of Mice and Men. We hope you enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. For the final weeks of the year, we'll be encouraging you to do some wider reading. 

THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT