Final answer:
Crooks' solitary living situation in the barn from Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' is not by choice; it is due to racial segregation and discrimination, making the statement false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Crooks lives alone in the barn by choice is false. Crooks is a character from John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men, and his solitary living situation is not by choice, but rather a result of the racial segregation and discrimination of the time.
Steinbeck portrays Crooks as a black stable hand, segregated from the other workers because of his race, leading to his isolation in the barn. Therefore, Crooks' living alone is not a matter of preference but one of necessity and the social norms of the era in which the novel is set.