Sherwood Anderson: Hands
Hands are one of the short stories by Sherwood Anderson; the story features Wing Biddlebaum as the main character in the story. The story talks about the concept of the human hand and brings a lot of themes among them the theme of isolation. Wing is displayed as a man who has been forced by the society not to use his hands as a mode of expression since many he is misunderstood. The use of his hand has brought him a lot of misfortunes. His identity by the society was defined by his physical features, something which led in isolating himself from the society. This paper will discuss the use of both internal and external conflicts in the book about the main theme of isolation.
An external conflict in the book is featured when Wing’s hands bring him misfortunes in Pennsylvania. Wing is misunderstood by people due to using his hands as an expression to the boys. His behavior is unique in Pennsylvania the parents of the boys in school gang up, and they want to kill him. To his hands “They became his distinguishing feature, the source of his fame. Also, they made more grotesque an already grotesque and elusive individuality” (Anderson). they beat him up and allow him to flee. This is a conflict between Wing and people who misunderstood his intentions. This conflict has helped the writer achieve the theme of isolation, after being beaten up and going and undergoing conflict and knowing it is his hands that were the cause Wing relocates to Winesburg where he leaves his own life away from people hence revealing the theme isolation.
Internal conflict is shown when Wing is explaining to George on how he should dream and not care about what people think in Winesburg. When he was trying to get, George to understand he forgot about his hands which were caressing George. After some time he was back to his normal self then he noticed what he had done and withdrew his hand from George. This is shown as a conflict between Wing’s spiritual and physical self where one wants to caress, and the other does not. This conflict has helped the author, through Wing’s conflict he chooses to isolate himself from people since he does not want to face the same experience because of his hands hence he prefers to isolate himself from George when he realizes what he did hence theme isolation is revealed, Anderson.
Hands have been used to symbolize communication which is misunderstood by people. Wing’s hands which were in this case as a symbol in the book have brought him conflict both internal where he caresses George, and he realizes he has done wrong and external when he is misunderstood in Pennsylvania and beaten up. After going through all this Wing decides to live in isolation. The setting, in Winesburg and the events, takes place at night to symbolize the misery of Wing. Wing is forced to relocate and leave a life of withdrawal hence bringing the conflict between the spiritual and physical side of him and further causing isolation.
In conclusion the use of both internal and external conflicts in the short story about the main theme of isolation. The main character is isolated due to his physical morphology, something which was used by the society to define him. The story amplifies how one should not let the society define what he is and what he is not but look deep inside oneself to create an individual identity.
Works cited
Anderson, S. Hands. The masses. (1916). Print.
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