Part 4: Why is Crooks so against having company?

Part 4: Why is Crooks strongly against having company in his room?

During part four of Of Mice and Men, we are introduced to Crooks. Crooks is "the negro stable buck...a cripple... "(66-67). He also tries to keep "his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs"(67).  After Curley, George, Whit, Slim, and Carlson leave the plantation, George goes to the barn to pet his pup. While he is in the barn, he notices and light on in Crooks' room and goes over to investigate the source of the light. Lennie went and stood in the doorway of Crooks' room and "for a moment Crooks did not see him, but on raising his eyes he stiffened and a scowl came on his face" (68). Once Crook's notices Lennie, Lennie attempts to be nice by giving him a smile but Crook's rejects it by saying "You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me" (68). In this moment, I believed that Crooks' thought Lennie was going to antagonize him but, Crooks' didn't realize that at the moment. Lennie continues to attempt to make conversation and this is when Crooks' tells Lennie why he doesn't go into the bunkhouse. He says, "' 'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I am black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you stink to me" (68). This indicates that the reason that Crooks' doesn't want people bothering him in his room is because of racial reasons. He further explains this when Crooks' explains this when he says, "I went to play with them (the white kids), and some of them was pretty nice. My ol' man didn't like that. I never knew till long later why he didn't like that. But I know now"(70). This might indicate that his father might have had an altercation with some white people or he heard or saw some white people do something that scarred him. I believe that the reason that Crooks' doesn't like company is because of past experiences with white people.