It is the outsiders of these texts however, that provide us with the greatest insights into the challenges of caring and provide us with a lens through which we view the love of these relationships. Steinbeck uses his outsiders as a metaphor for the larger world; Crooks accepts both his isolation and judgement, referring to himself as a ‘nigger’ . For the reader, this is a warning it is difficult to love people who are unusual and Steinbeck suggests that we can only be as kind as the world we live in. In contrast, the message that Halstrom offers is far more hopeful. On the one hand, he presents us with a united family who are able to face the most difficult of circumstances by supporting each other, but on the other, he offers a beautiful and
