The Symbolism Of Hands In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Good morning Ms Bloch and 9 Blue. Today I’m going to be talking to you about how hands are used symbolically throughout the novella. Steinbeck uses hands as a strong motif to help us to understand the essence of each of the characters. The men working on the ranch are called “hands” which indicates that each person has a job to do that makes the whole ranch work as a whole. This takes away their humanity and their individual personalities.
Lennie’s hand, which are referred to as paws, are a symbol of trouble. When he uses his hands, trouble always ensues. We can see this throughout the whole novella because of his love to touch soft things. Although Lennie was enticed with Curley’s wife’s soft hair, his power got out control and he ended up