In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses stereotypes and discrimination to convey a message about how the characters feel. Many stereotypes and clichés are simply common beliefs of the time, but some are situational. To quote a rather distinguished reader, "The characters are 'trapped,' either by what others think of them, or by their situation." Many of the characters' feelings about themselves and what others think of them will lead them to loneliness. Crooks is a character who is mistreated in many ways because he is black. Crooks is the stable manager of the barn. It's not certain whether Crooks is his name or his nickname, but we know he was kicked in the back by a horse and has had a twisted back ever since. However, he gets scolded by the boss every time something goes wrong. "'The boss gives him a hard time when he's angry. But the stable boy doesn't care,'" says Candy, p.32. Crooks is also not allowed in the dorms because people say he smells. Crooks talks to Lennie in the book: "Crooks laughed again. 'A boy can talk to you and be sure you won't go babbling'." p.78. This most likely makes Crooks feel unwanted, which is due to loneliness. Lennie is not so much stereotyped as trapped by his size. Since Lennie is so big, Curley thinks he has to prove something by beating Lennie. Lennie gets on Curley's bad side when he hasn't done anything wrong. Lennie is then forced to fight. “'I don't want trouble,' he said plaintively. 'Don't let him punch me, George.' " page 32. This is not everyday discrimination like racism. It is one of those circumstantial incidents described in the quote in the introduction. This is an excellent example of how John Steinbeck uses extraordinary circumstances to create fascination and realism in the reader. The Wife of Curley is probably the most hated on the ranch. Because of her looks and behaviors, people think she's a pushover or a "slut." chooses for wife.' " said George, p.35. He just wants someone to talk to.