Historical context is pretty clear in Of Mice and Men. During this particular time period in American history people of color were treated poorly by whites. Crooks, the black stable hand in Of Mice and Men, was ostracized by everyone on the farm due to his skin color.
In Chapter 4, Lennie visits Crooks in his room while George and the rest of the stable hands are in town. Crooks reluctantly invites Lennie into his room, which is described as neat and orderly, but his behavior with Lennie during George's absence highlights how little he interacts with others. Despite Lennie's friendly behavior, Crooks clearly draws a line between the two of them, due to skin color. "You go on get outta my room. I ain't wanted in the bunk house, and you ain't wanted in my room... '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, you all of you, you stink to me." (67)
The isolation that Crooks has suffered makes his pain and suffering almost tangible to the reader. He wants to hurt others the way that society's views regarding racial boundaries have hurt him. Crooks is put into a perpetual conflict with society and indicates how his loneliness is a result of that conflict.
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