Question

What are some quotes for Curley and Crooks's dreams?

Accepted Answer

Crooks wants company and Curley wants to be important.
Crooks and Curley do have something in common with George and Lennie.  All are marginalized in different ways.  On the ranch, it is easy to see how egos can be bruised with so many men living in close quarters.  As with most people on the fringes of society or a group, the ranch hands want something more from their lives.
Crooks wants to be useful, because he is crippled, and accepted, because he’s black.  He lives a lonely life.
Crooks works hard, even though he has a bent back.

“You told me to warm up tar for that mule’s foot. I got it warm.”
“Oh! Sure, Crooks. I’ll come right out an’ put it on.”
“I can do it if you want, Mr. Slim.”
“No. I’ll come do it myself.” He stood up. (chapter 3)

Crooks lives a fairly isolated life, because of his color.

I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room.”
“Why ain’t you wanted?” Lennie asked.
“’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 stink to me.” (ch 3)

Crooks feels underappreciated.  As he tells Lennie, “If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it.” (ch 3)  He tells Lennie how lonely he is:
“A guy needs somebody—to be near him.” He whined, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya,” he cried, “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” (ch 3)
Curley wants to be important.  He almost picks a fight with Lennie from the start, because he seens Lennie is big.  When George asks about him, he finds out the Curley used to be a boxer.

“That’s the boss’s son,” he said quietly. “Curley’s pretty handy. He done quite a bit in the ring. He’s a lightweight, and he’s handy.” (ch 2)

As a boxer, Curley would have been important.  On the ranch, he is mostly just one of the hands.  He does not feel respected (note that he tells George and Lennie to speak only when they’re spoken to).  His wife flirts and he picks fights.  Curley clearly feels no sense of control, and he desperately wants it.

Answer

Curley is the boss's son, who is depicted as a pugnacious, arrogant man. Curley is not very tall and has recently married an attractive woman, who has already begun to flirt with the other men on the ranch. Curley's dream is to be respected and admired by other men, which is why he acts tough and shows off his beautiful wife. Curley's aggressive, prideful personality most likely stems from his low self-esteem. His father is the boss of the ranch and Curley is not tall or physically intimidating. Essentially, Curley lacks authority and a desired masculine physique, which explains his hostile, arrogant demeanor. Candy tells George

That’s the boss’s son...Curley’s pretty handy. He done quite a bit in the ring. He’s a lightweight, and he’s handy...Well . . . . tell you what. Curley’s like alot of little guys. He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ‘em because he ain’t a big guy. You seen little guys like that, ain’t you? Always scrappy?...He got married a couple of weeks ago. Wife lives over in the boss’s house. Seems like Curley is cockier’n ever since he got married.

Crooks is the only black man on the ranch, who suffers from racial discrimination. Crooks is not allowed to stay in the bunkhouse with the white workers and is forced to live alone in his small room attached to the barn. Crooks is extremely lonely and his dream is to be treated equally like the white workers on the ranch. Crooks desires social interaction and wishes to be accepted like everybody else. In chapter four, Crooks laments to Lennie about his unfortunate situation on the ranch and reveals his dream of being treated equally by saying,

S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ‘cause you was black. How’d you like that? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody—to be near him.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

What are some quotes for Curley and Crooks's dreams?

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