Of Mice and Men

how does the writer use language to emphasise Crooks loneliness ? need 3 ways and how is used and why

Crooks leaned forward

over the edge of the bunk. "I ain't a southern

Negro," he said. "I was born right here in California. My old man

had a chicken ranch, 'bout ten acres. The white kids come to play at

our place, an' sometimes I went to play with t

hem, 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." He hesitated, and when

he spoke again his voice was softer. "There wasn't another colored

family for miles around. And now there ain't a colored man on this

ranch an' there's jus' one family in Soledad." He laughed. "If I say

something, why it's just a nigger sayin' it."

Lennie ask

ed, "How long you think it'll be before them pups will

be old enough to pet?"

Crooks laughed again. "A guy can talk to you an' be sure you won't

go blabbin'. Couple of weeks an' t

hem pups'll be all right. George

knows what he's about. Jus' talks, an' you don't understand

nothing." He leaned forward excitedly. "This is just a nigger talkin',

an' a busted

-

back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?

You

couldn't remember it anyways. I seen it over an' over

-

a guy talkin'

to another guy and it don't make no difference if he don't hear or

understand. The thing is, they're talkin', or they're settin' still

not talkin'. It don't make no difference, no difference." His

excitement had increased until he pounded his knee with this hand.

"George can tell you screwy things, and it don't matter. It's just the

talking. It's just bei

n' with another guy. That's all." He paused.

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- Crooks's speech is more like a lament or confessional.

-Steinbeck uses the voice of Crooks ("Negro pronunciations of the time) as well as his internal to convey Crooks's pain.

-The word "nigger" when used by Crooks takes on added and unique meaning.