Crooks Powerlessness and Isolation Limitation: He is a black man in a time of racism

1. "'Yes sir. Jesus, we had fun. They let the nigger come in that night. Little skinner name of Smitty took after then nigger. Done pretty good, too. The guys wouldn't let him use his feet, so the nigger got him. If he coulda used his feet, Smitty says he woulda killed the nigger. The guys said on account of the nigger's got a crooked back, Smitty can't use his feet'" (Steinbeck 10).

2. "'This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?'" (Steinbeck 34).

3. "Crooks said gently, 'Maybe you can see now. You got George. You know he's goin' to come back. S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that? S'pose you had to sit out here an' read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain't no good. A guy needs somebody--to be near him'" (Steinbeck 35).

4. "'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, you all of you stink to me'" (Steinbeck 33).

5. "'If I say something, why it's just a nigger sayin' it'" (Steinbeck 34).