Treatment of African-Americans in the 1930’s
“The Great Depression of the 1930s worsened the already bleak economic situation of African Americans. They were the first to be laid off from their jobs, and they suffered from an unemployment rate two to three times that of whites” (“African Americans”). This fact truly explains how African-Americans were being placed in the workforce and how they were always behind the white people in many aspects. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, he shares a story about migrant farm workers that takes place in the 1930’s. The book was a very good representation of how African-Americans were being treated back then compared to white people. The treatment of African-Americans has improved drastically …show more content…
In the book Of Mice and Men Crooks, an African-American worker, was forced to live in a separate house far away from all of the white people while the white men lived in a bunkhouse together. This shows segregation because due to the color of Crooks skin, he could not live in the bunkhouse with all of the whites and was forced to live alone. Many of the men did not even know about Crooks because he could not work in the same place with them because he was black. He had to work with the horses in the stable buck. One night Lennie saw the house that Crooks lived in and went inside to see what it was. Crooks said, “You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” He said. “Why ain’t you wanted?” Lennie asked. “‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you, all of you stink to me”’ (Steinbeck, 68). This conversation between Lennie and Crooks shows how bitter and lonely Crooks was because he was forced to live away from everyone else. It also showed how it was not just where he lived and his job that was segregated but that he could not even play cards with the white people back then. It was hard for Crooks to finally comprehend the fact that he had to live away from all of the other men working there just because he was black and they were white. Today, …show more content…
In Of Mice and Men, Crooks received the worst job because of his race. He had to work with the horses in the stable buck all alone while the white men got to do things they enjoyed more and with other men to talk with. Also, the job he had was very physically demanding. He had to use his body in different ways when working with the horses that is not typically used in everyday life. One night after work Crooks was alone in his room, “Crooks sat on his bunk. His shirt was out of his jeans in back. In one hand he held a bottle of liniment, and with the other he rubbed his spine. Now and then he poured a few drops of the liniment into his pink-palmed hand reached up under his shirt to rub again. He flexed his muscles against his back and shivered” (Steinbeck 67). This quote is showing how sore his back was after hours and hours of work. His back was permanently crooked from working such hard labor with the horses every day, which was how he got the name Crooks. Compared with the white men Crooks job was much more difficult to the body and harder by being alone all day everyday. In this century today, African-Americans are being treated the same in the workforce in many ways. They now get to work in the same place as the whites, they get to choose their own job, and they get payed the same
“The Great Depression of the 1930s worsened the already bleak economic situation of African Americans. They were the first to be laid off from their jobs, and they suffered from an unemployment rate two to three times that of whites” (“African Americans”). This fact truly explains how African-Americans were being placed in the workforce and how they were always behind the white people in many aspects. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, he shares a story about migrant farm workers that takes place in the 1930’s. The book was a very good representation of how African-Americans were being treated back then compared to white people. The treatment of African-Americans has improved drastically …show more content…
In the book Of Mice and Men Crooks, an African-American worker, was forced to live in a separate house far away from all of the white people while the white men lived in a bunkhouse together. This shows segregation because due to the color of Crooks skin, he could not live in the bunkhouse with all of the whites and was forced to live alone. Many of the men did not even know about Crooks because he could not work in the same place with them because he was black. He had to work with the horses in the stable buck. One night Lennie saw the house that Crooks lived in and went inside to see what it was. Crooks said, “You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” He said. “Why ain’t you wanted?” Lennie asked. “‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you, all of you stink to me”’ (Steinbeck, 68). This conversation between Lennie and Crooks shows how bitter and lonely Crooks was because he was forced to live away from everyone else. It also showed how it was not just where he lived and his job that was segregated but that he could not even play cards with the white people back then. It was hard for Crooks to finally comprehend the fact that he had to live away from all of the other men working there just because he was black and they were white. Today, …show more content…
In Of Mice and Men, Crooks received the worst job because of his race. He had to work with the horses in the stable buck all alone while the white men got to do things they enjoyed more and with other men to talk with. Also, the job he had was very physically demanding. He had to use his body in different ways when working with the horses that is not typically used in everyday life. One night after work Crooks was alone in his room, “Crooks sat on his bunk. His shirt was out of his jeans in back. In one hand he held a bottle of liniment, and with the other he rubbed his spine. Now and then he poured a few drops of the liniment into his pink-palmed hand reached up under his shirt to rub again. He flexed his muscles against his back and shivered” (Steinbeck 67). This quote is showing how sore his back was after hours and hours of work. His back was permanently crooked from working such hard labor with the horses every day, which was how he got the name Crooks. Compared with the white men Crooks job was much more difficult to the body and harder by being alone all day everyday. In this century today, African-Americans are being treated the same in the workforce in many ways. They now get to work in the same place as the whites, they get to choose their own job, and they get payed the same