Hands Motif in “Of Mice and Men”

Introduction

Steinbeck defines his characters in “Of Mice and Men” by the way they use their hands. In fact, hands seem to play a pivotal role in the key turning points of the novel.

At the end of chapter three, for example, Curley’s “closed fist was lost in Lennie’s big hand” and is “crushed” so badly he has to be taken to a doctor. During the tragic murder of Curley’s Wife, “Lennie’s other hand closed over her mouth and nose” until she suffocates. Both of these incidents have irrevocable consequences.

Candy

The reader is introduced to Candy in chapter two when he enters the bunk house carrying a “big push-broom in his left hand”. This immediately identifies him as the hard-working “swamper”.

The reader might be shocked in the next paragraph when he points with his right arm and a “round stick-like wrist, but no hand” appears from his sleeve. The simile comparing his “wrist” to a broken, dead piece of wood suggests he will is not fit for hard labour. Perhaps, Candy uses a “big push-broom” to appear more capable than his infirmity allows so he can continue to keep his job on the ranch.

Candy rubs his “bristly white whiskers with his knuckles” four times in the novel when he is thinking. It also suggests he is nervous because he scratches his face, for example, when he talks to the Boss and tries to befriend George.

Curley’s Wife

Steinbeck conveys Curley’s Wife’s femininity and theatricality through the character’s hands. For example, standing at the doorway and talking to George in chapter two, she “put her hands behind her back” so “her body was thrown forward” to attract their attention. It works because “Lennie’s eyes moved down over her body”.

Her fingernails are painted “red” to beautify her hands and emphasise her femininity. She even “looked at her fingernails” to make sure the men notice.

Before she is cruelly murdered, she demonstrates her acting skills with her hands:

She looked up at Lennie, and she made a small grand gesture with her arm and hand to show that she could act. The fingers trailed after her leading wrist, and her little finger stuck out grandly from the rest.

There is elegance and beautiful delicacy in the way she flicks out her little finger, but it fails to mesmerise Lennie because he continues to worry about rabbits.

Curley’s Wife tries to get his attention when she “ran her fingers over the top of her head” to show him the softness of her hair. When he “stroked harder”, she “struggled violently under his hands” but is unable to escape.

Lennie

Lennie is described as having large, strong hands that he uses to pet small animals and to hold onto things. However, he is not always aware of his own strength, and his hands have the potential to cause harm without meaning to. This foreshadows the tragic ending of the novel, in which Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife with his powerful grip.

George

George has small, nimble hands that he uses to do delicate work, such as handling his cards when playing solitaire. This suggests that he is a careful and precise person, but it also reveals his vulnerability. His small hands are no match for Curley’s violent tendencies, and he is unable to protect Lennie from Curley’s wrath.

Curley

Curley is “handy”. He uses his tight fists to assert his dominance over others. His hands are a symbol of his aggression and violence, and they serve as a warning to the other characters to stay out of his way.

Slim

Slim is described as having long, thin hands that he uses to handle his team of mules with great skill and care. His hands are a symbol of his mastery over the natural world and his ability to work harmoniously with others.