How "hands" in the story symbolize to all the characters?

I'm not sure what you mean? Outside of Curley, all of the men are "hands". The fact that they're hands makes them temporary, replaceable workers. They have no security, no homes, and no real ties. For Curley, his hands make him special. He's a scrapper..... and his ability to fight is about the only thing he has. Unlike the others, he can do what he likes because he isn't simply a hand..... he's the boss' son.