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

Hands exist as an underlying symbol in Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. Maybe the most powerful picture of hands accompanies connection to Curley. Curley's hands have double significance. One hand, the one without the glove, is intended to symbolize strength. Curley is exceptionally open about his battling capacity and it is even talked about among the ranch hands. Curley's other hand, the one with the glove, is one he protects with Vaseline--"Keepin' that hand soft for his wife." (Steinbeck, 27), I think he says this quote to exclaim that most of the people during that era were laborers so their hands are probably very hard and tough, this interprets that Curley is mindful so that when he “touches” his wife with it, it is not rough and uncomfortable for her. But at the same time, it could also mean something sexual as it can be seen as a dirty quote.
The imagery of Curley's hands change after his battle with Lennie. Curley disparages Lennie's beast quality and Curley's hand is smashed. This symbolizes two exceptionally particular things. In the first place, the devastating of Curley's hand portrays the devastating of Curley's inner self. He has been beaten by a man he

Lennie proves the better man in both senses. The defeat is thus a symbolic castration of sorts. This symbolism is reinforced when Curley's wife appears to find the big man's defeat of her husband alluring - "I like machines" (Steinbeck, 80). Getting his hand "caught in a machine" is a reasonable lie, in fact probably the only one, which allows Curley to preserve his ego. Obviously, Lennie has no clue that he is bringing about such issues in the domains of sex and violence - he can't comprehend these ideas himself. In any case, this exclusive fortifies the feeling that such a hazardous, strong, unreflective man can't keep on operating in the organization of