This is Berry's response to the assignment and a thoughtful one it is:
In Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck forced readers to take a long hard look at the relatonship between the races and what they saw wasn't pretty. In Steinbeck's world, power is not in black hands. why i say like this?
i want show you a paragraph to evidence my words.
"Crooks stood up from his bunk and faced her. “I had enough,” he said coldly. “You got no rights comin’ in a colored man’s room. You got no rights messing around in here at all. Now you jus’ get out, an’ get out quick. If you don’t, I’m gonna ask the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more.”
It is a paragraph that Crooks refuse Curley's wife.his experience when he was young made him want to keep dignity imminently. But this dignity seemed so ridiculous.May be because discrimination has been entrenched,so that Curley's wife don't care about it.Crooks is so poor,because at that time,he can't choose his life,his status.it is his life,i think he is unwilling,but he can't change anything. so he is brusque to treat people who entry his room,he just want to protect his dignity,poor dignity.Because in that time,Crooks just a nigger,and i as my words just now, in American,discrimination is entrenched,Crooks' servile in his heart and it's hard to change and erase. So he tried to use his status---worker to confute Curley's wife. Last-mintue,he just wants equal.-----so poor!
I guess you are thinking about the response of Curley's wife,my dear readers. well,then let me content you.
she replied Crooks so dismissive'－－－－She turned on him in scorn. “Listen, Nigger,” she said. “You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?”
Crooks stared hopelessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself.
She closed on him. “You know what I could do?”
Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung upon a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”
Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego—nothing to arouse either like or dislike. He said, “Yes, ma’am,” and his voice was toneless.
i beg you guys to notice the sentence that is red.i really like this.Every time i read this sentence, i tell myself--so delicate dignity! His protective layer collapsed so easily! Curley's wife didn't care his dignity,through the book,we can just see the system of the society so strict. Actually,in my opinion, i think maybe Curley's wife arrogant,in her mind she always think she is noble and flash.it has some relationship with her dream--actress dream.She is not going to treat Crooks as a person,just as a slave.
i think there is a contrast[in my intuition],Crooks tried to keep his dignity so hard,It can even be said that he used his whole body strength，but Curley's wife beat him with some compact words and even without any strength.------because of hers dismissive.