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?

Check out this article titled, "Racial Segregation in the American South: Jim Crow Laws"  to gain a better understanding of the timeline of racial segregation in America.

     In chapter 4 on Of Mice and Men there is a lot of ways racism is put in.  On page 68 Lennie appears in the doorway of Crooks house.  Crooks is the negro at the bunkhouse.  He gets mad that Lennie is there. He says that he isn't wanted at the bunkhouse so he isn't welcome in his. Lennie  asks, "Why aren't you wanted?" Crooks response is,"'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, all of you stink to me."  This shows racism because everyone else there is white except for him.  They tell him that he can't hang with them or sleep with them.  Everyone is excluding him.  
     Another way that racism is incorporated into the story is how people treat Lennie.  They try to make fun of him and tell him that hes crazy as well as pick.  He knew he would get scared.  He picked him out because he knew he wasn't smart.  Because of that he was  messing with him in a not so nice way.  It was a joke to him, but to Lennie it wasn't.
     After reading this chapter the readers understand that racism was cruel and everyone picked on everyone.  Blacks picked on whites and mentally ill people and whites picked on blacks and anyone else possible.  It shows that no matter who you were you were being picked out.
     Check out this link about what is was like for the blacks during the great depression- Blacks and the Great Depression.