挣

used in 掙扎|挣扎[zheng1 zha2]

to struggle to get free / to strive to acquire / to make (money)

挣 = 争 + 扌 : The grim reaper (争) comes to the engine's bathroom ((e)ng4) to take James II of England (zh) with him. James II of England struggles (挣) to get free, but the grim reaper tightly grabs his back with a toy claw (扌).

挣 character breakdown

挣
- 扌
  - 亅
  - 二
    - 一
- 争
  - ⺈
  - 肀

扌

shǒu = sh + ou3

"hand" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 64), occurring in 提, 把, 打 etc

扌 = 二 + 亅 : Mnemonic symbol: a toy claw.

争

爭

zhe̅ng = zh + (e)ng1

to strive for / to vie for / to argue or debate / deficient or lacking (dialect) / how or what (literary)

争 = ⺈ + 肀 : Mnemonic symbol: The grim reaper, as 争 is often used in words involving war (...战争). In front of the engine ((e)ng1), the grim reaper (争) marks his next victims in passing. With a crayon (肀) he draws big "X"s on the crane (⺈) and James II of England (zh).