Hands (Winesburg, Ohio)

In the Chapter known as Hands, Sherwood Anderson describes an older man by the name of Wing Biddlebaum. Wing Biddlebaum has lived in the town many years and is known for talking with his hands. Wing is known for expressing how he feels through his hands. In fact the very way he lives his life he uses his hands to express how he feels and to get his points across. The controversial issue comes about because he is a school teacher. Wing Biddlebaums's hands are described as restless activity which is much the beating of a imprisoned birds wings. This is significant because this is how he got his name. Wing brings about controversy because many in the town believe him to be a child molestar. The issue of controversy is whether Wing is simple just the kind of guy who must use his hands to express how he feels or whether or not he truly was a predator towards children or not. His hands are described as those of a surpressed bird because he feels as if he is not fully able to express himself in fear of others judging him for his actions. It is as if he feels held back which puts him into a saddened state of mind. "In their feeling for the boys under their charge such men are not unlike the finer sort of women in their love of men." If there were to be one quote that is used to try and prove that wing was in fact a child molester, this would be the quote. This quote gives me an eary feeling due to its wording. I say this because in first reading it I was creeped out, and then once I read it more closely I became more questioning and unsure of its true meaning, Being unsure of its true meaning made it even more creepy and weird for me. While their are arguments for both sides, I feel that their is always the possibility that he was in fact a sexual preadator, however there is no way of proof to show his intentions. The way I interpreted the short story was that it could go both ways, however if i lived in the town I would not be willing to take the risk and send my kid to school knowing that Wing Biddlebaum is going to be the teacher who ends up teaching my kid. I feel that regardless of whether he was or not, once the possibility and idea that he was, was put out there for everyone to know, that was the point in which he had no return and no way of convincing everyone in the town that he was not. I say this because even if he was not, the thought would be in the back of the minds of everyone in the town, especially the minds of the parents who will be sending their kids to school to be taught by Wing Biddlebaum.