SG Of Mice and Men.pub - Park Square Theatre

Exploring the ImageryIN OF MICE AND MENThe Imagery of HandsAuthors often make use of imagery to reinforce their main themes. In the novel Of Mice ofMen, Steinbeck uses imagery related to hands over 100 times. He often even mentions handsas separate entities from the character him/herself, e.g.: “Lennie’s closed hand slowly obeyed,”or George “looked at his right hand that had thrown the gun away.” Students who are studyingthe novel in addition to attending the play might find it engaging to search for these referencesand explore their thematic implications as well as the way the descriptions inform character.To help them get started, the following descriptions of characters’ hands should be helpful:• Lennie: “paws”• George: “small, strong hands”• Curley: one hand in a glove of Vaseline• Candy: missing a hand• Curley’s Wife: hands described as fingers and red nails• Slim: large, capable hands “delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer”Students should also be informed that the common use of the word “hand” on a ranch is aworkman whose usefulness is related to what his hands can do (metonymy), and this may bethe source of all these hand images, i.e. the men are hands more than complete individuals.They are thought of in terms of their functions instead of as actual human beings.The Symbolism of NamesSteinbeck selected the names of his characters very carefully. Consider the names of thefollowing characters and why the author may have chosen them (noting that some are actualgiven names, some are nicknames and some are references to a position or relationship):• George: means “husbandman”• Lennie: from Leonard meaning “lion” and thus “strength”• Crooks• Candy• Slim• Curley• Curley’s Wife• Boss• Soledad (the name of the town)By Marcia AubineauST. THOMAS UNIVERSITYparksquaretheatre.org | page 24