Daniel DadeMr. Piziks5th HourDecember 10, 2012SymbolismLong ago John Steinbeck wrote a book called of Mice and Men. Some people think that the symbolism was on purpose and some say its a complete coincidence. Symbolism is important in any book, but what are the symbols mean in Of Mice and Men?One subject of the many symbols are animal symbols. One of the symbols in this book was dogs. Dogs represented dreams, dreams that may or may not come true. In Lennies case when he killed the puppy, his dream of tending the rabbits died. Also, Lennie is considered an animal, because he is described with paws. So when George killed Lennie, Georges dream of owning a farm died. Lastly, Candys dog is a dream that has been way out of reach because of how old hes gotten, he is looking for something he can no longer have.People in this book have symbols too. Like Curleys wife is a symbol for the real world. When she walks into Crooks cabin, where Crooks, George, and Candy are talking about the dream. She makes Crooks feel like nothing, just like the real world would. Another person who is a symbol is Lennie, Lennie is Georges metaphorical dog. Meaning Lennie is Georges dream. Finally, Slim is one of the most important symbols in the book. Slim is a symbol for god, he is the one who hands out puppies (dreams) and he is the one who tells George that it was what he had to do after he killed Lennie. Slim is the person who hands out dreams and decides who dies.Hands are a symbol for being a man. Curley has one hand for work, and he keeps the other one soft for his wife. That is why Curley is only considered half a man. Second, Candy is considered a crazy old man, and only does womanly work. So Candy isnt considered a man to the rest of the group. Finally, Lennie isnt considered a man because he is described with dog-like paws.Symbolism is important in any book. The symbolism in Of Mice and Men is very intricate, many people wouldnt spot and the people who have spot it find it really interesting.