Race in Steinbeck's Novelette Lifeboat

Abstract

Abstract Crooks, the stable hand in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, was the only black character Steinbeck created who was published. He created another black character, Joe, for his novelette Lifeboat, but Joe as Steinbeck wrote him never came before either a reading or movie-going public since his draft story was not used as the basis for the Alfred Hitchcock film.