What is the last thing crooks says to Candy? Why does he say this?

Crooks tells Candy to forget about what he said about joining the farm. Curley's wife humiliated him enough to understand that any dreams a black man like him might have, won't come true.

Crooks says, “What she says is true,” because Curley’s wife reminded him he has no real power. He gives up on the dream.

In Chapter 4 of Of Mice and Men, the last thing Crooks says to Candy is essentially that he didn’t mean it and was just joking about joining them on the farm.

He says this after Curley’s wife threatens him. As a Black man in a racist society, Crooks knows he has very little power and could be seriously harmed by a false accusation. Out of fear and self-protection, he quickly backs down and withdraws from the dream of owning land.

This moment highlights key themes of the novel—racism, powerlessness, isolation, and the fragility of dreams.

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