A Portrait of Racism

Chapter 4 in Of Mice and Man, paints a very realistic portrait of racism in the 1930s.  Discuss at least two ways in which racism is explored in this chapter.  Include quotes and your own analysis of key moments in this chapter that clearly demonstrate the racism that existed in the American 1930s.  What do readers understand about racism as a result of reading this chapter?

    In chapter 4 racism is shown clearly with the characters that are in the book. One way racism could be shown in this chapter was when Lennie showed up in Crooks room, and he realized that Crooks had his own room, and that he had many things in it as well. "You got no right to come in my room" (68). Because Crooks is the only colored man in the job, he has his own room separated from the other workers. From the text above, Lennie shows up in Crook's room and Crooks doesn't understand why he would want to come in; knowing that they are not allowed to interact. Crooks has his own room and he doesn't work with any one else. He doesn't have the same rights as all the other white workers. Lennie obviously, doesn't know the racism concept because he doesn't see any wrong in going to visit a colored man. Also, racism is shown through the language that is used toward the different colored workers that are in the farm. "Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny" (81). Here in the quote above it shows how white people take advantage of colored people and how they are treated. The other white men in the farm are not spoken to in that matter. It is very easy for the higher class to look at colored people so low. Curley's wife here threatens Crooks to not open his mouth because he is so low in the ranks, she  could get him tossed out so easily, which makes Crooks realize how little power he has over his self.
      As a result in reading this chapter, readers could see that racism was very common in the old times. In the 1930's colored people didn't really have the privilage of being with other people and working together, they had to work separate, and they were lucky if they got to work with another colored person together. In the chapter, we had realized that Crooks, a colored black man, had stayed on his own, in his own room, and no one to share a conversation with. There wasn't really segregation, but at that point in time Blacks and Whites were still separated, and the colored were treated unfairly. Coming into the 1930's I believe that racism calmed down a little bit. I believe that it has fairly improved from the other times where blacks were really hurt and damaged. Life still was very unfair and poor for the colored but they have come a long way, and we know that one day everyone would have the same exact rights to desire "The American Dream."

Racial Segragation and The Great Depression