Hands

“Hands” is the first story in Anderson’s “book of grotesques.” Consult a dictionary and investigate different definitions of the word “grotesque” from different points in history. Is Wing Biddlebaum “grotesque” in a modern context?

How is the setting representative of Wing Biddlebaum’s mental state? Discuss the features of the house itself as well as its surroundings, such as the field, ravine, and highway.

Wing Biddlebaum is repeatedly coded as “white” alongside the accusations of improper sexual behavior, particularly in the scene when he is almost hanged. What are the implications of reading this story alongside the historical context of lynching and anti-Black racism in America?

Consider the importance of dreams in the story. Wing Biddlebaum tells George Willard, “You must begin to dream” (6). Given the role of dreams in the boy’s accusation of abuse, why does Wing Biddlebaum insist on continuing to “carry a dream into the young minds” (7)?

When Wing Biddlebaum is around George Willard, he reanimates “[w]ith a kind of wriggle, like a fish returned to the brook by the fisherman” (4). What can this metaphor tell us about Wing Biddlebaum? Consider the euphemism “off the hook” as part of your analysis.

Why does the narrator say that Wing Biddlebaum’s story should be written by a poet? Discuss each the use of the word “poet,” and what these narrative interjections add to the tone of the story.

Consider the perspective of Henry Bradford and the other parents of Adolph Myers’s students. How might readers sympathize with their reaction to the accusation? Do you feel they were at all justified in their actions?

Consider the various metaphors related to animals throughout the story. What do these metaphors suggest about Wing Biddlebaum? Discuss the role of nature and animal imagery throughout the story.