Section 4 - Plot

Section 4 Plot

In this section, we meet Crooks. The dream farm is brought up by Candy and Crooks is initially eager to join. However, after Curley's wife threatens him, Crooks changes his mind.

Lennie meets Crooks

Most of the men on the ranch go for a night out in the local town, however Lennie is left behind and finds Crooks (a crippled stable hand).
Crooks is not allowed to live with the other men because he is black.
Crooks does not want to be disturbed at first, telling Lennie, “you got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me." However, he soon realises that Lennie is harmless and begins talking to him.

Crooks' background

Crooks tells Lennie about his childhood in California.
He describes how “there wasn't another colored family for miles around” and, as such, he has always felt like a lonely outcast.

Crooks' influence over Lennie

Crooks begins taunting Lennie, asking him what he would do if “George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no more.”
Lennie gets angry in response to this, causing Crooks to back off.

Candy and the dream farm

Candy also appears and they tell Crooks about their plan to own their own farm.
While excitedly talking about the dream farm, which Crooks has now started to believe in as well, eventually offering to “work for nothing” if they will let him join them, Curley’s wife interrupts.
She makes fun of them, saying “they left all the weak ones here” and she threatens to have Crooks “strung up on a tree” when he tells her to leave.

Crooks changes his mind

Curley’s wife leaves, and Crooks reveals that he no longer wants anything to do with the dream and just wants to be left alone as before.

1Context & Overview

1.1Context & Overview

1.1.1The Great Depression

1.1.2Racism

1.1.3The American Dream

1.1.4Of Mice & Men

1.2John Steinbeck

1.2.1John Steinbeck's Life

1.2.2End of Topic Test - Context & Overview

2Plot

2.1Section 1 - Analysis

2.1.1Section 1 - Plot

2.1.2Section 1 - Overview

2.2Section 2 - Analysis

2.2.1Section 2 - Plot

2.2.2Section 2 - Overview

2.3Section 3 - Analysis

2.3.1Section 3 - Plot

2.3.2Section 3 - Overview

2.3.3End of Topic Test - Sections 1-3

2.4Section 4 - Analysis

2.4.1Section 4 - Plot

2.4.2Section 4 - Overview

2.5Section 5 - Analysis

2.5.1Section 5 - Plot

2.5.2Section 5 - Overview

2.6Section 6 - Analysis

2.6.1Section 6 - Plot

2.6.2Section 6 - Overview

2.6.3End of Topic Test - Sections 4-6

3Key Characters

3.1Main Characters

3.1.1George

3.1.2Lennie - Strength

3.1.3Lennie - Innocence & Dependence

3.1.4Slim

3.1.5Curley

3.1.6Curley's Wife - Flirtatious

3.1.7Curley's Wife - Lonely & Heartbroken

3.1.8Crooks

3.1.9Candy

3.1.10End of Topic Test - George & Lennie

3.1.11End of Topic Test - Slim, Curley & Curley's Wife

3.2Minor Characters

3.2.1Minor Characters

3.2.2End of Topic Test - Crooks, Candy & Others

4Themes

4.1Key Themes

4.1.1Hopes, Dreams & Reality

4.1.2Racial Prejudice

4.1.3Loneliness & Companionship

4.1.4The Weak & Strong

4.1.5Women

4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes

5Authorial Method

5.1Writing Techniques

5.1.1Dialogue

5.1.2Imagery

5.1.3Light

5.1.4Sound

5.1.5Symbolism

5.1.6Structure

5.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

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