Mules

Characters invoke mules throughout the book, and mules come to symbolize different things for different characters. They symbolize far more than mixed lineage. To Nan, they come to symbolize self-preservation, as her mother told her that mules had a knack for self-preservation. When a horse was scared, it fled; when a donkey was scared, it froze. Mules did whatever made sense, having inherited the instinct from both parents. Sterling often refers to himself as a mule, because he does much of the work both on the farm, and at home, taking care of Nan, and mules are known working, and carrying heavy loads. Juke has great affection for his mules, and is reminded many times throughout his life that, although he cares for and loves the mules, they really belong to George Wilson. The mules also symbolize the unfairness and power imbalance inherent in the sharecropping...