Hands

The underlying ambiguity of “Hands” and the portrayal of Wing Biddlebaum are central to highlighting appearance versus reality in the story. Anderson creates a dissonance between the narrator’s depiction of the protagonist and society’s view of him. This ambiguous representation underscores the complex nature of human identity and the disparity between outward appearances and inner truths.

The truth about Wing Biddlebaum’s alleged molestation of his pupils lies at the heart of the narrative. Anderson emphasizes the disconnect between the protagonist’s perception of events and the belief of his pupils’ parents that he is a pedophile. The narrator introduces further ambiguity in describing Wing Biddlebaum’s physical interactions with the boys. Although his habit of “stroking” their shoulders and “touching” their hair while talking to them is undoubtedly inappropriate, it is presented as an innocent, unconscious gesture, underlining his desire to inspire his pupils. The narrator’s declaration that “[i]t needs the poet” to accurately convey Wing Biddlebaum’s intentions clearly signals that his motivations are spiritual and not sexual (7). In this context, the pupils’ parents become philistines, unable to recognize the purity of the teacher’s actions.

The gap between appearances and reality is also emphasized in the description of the child who made the original accusation. The narrative clearly states that the child’s confusion of dreams and the “facts” leads him to make the accusations. The narrator further discredits the boy’s testimony through the description of him as “half-witted.” The assertion that “hideous accusations fell from his loosehung lips” presents the accuser in repellent terms (7), suggesting that he rather than Wing Biddlebaum is morally corrupt.

The narrator’s framing of this crucial event also influences the reader’s interpretation of appearances and reality. Significantly, the revelation about Wing Biddlebaum’s past is preceded by descriptions of Wing Biddlebaum emphasizing his vulnerability and gentleness. At first, Wing Biddlebaum is presented as “a fat little old man” (3) acting nervously on the veranda of his small house, in full view of the public highway. Each adjective is carefully chosen to imply Wing Biddlebaum’s harmlessness, affecting the reader’s later interpretation of his innocence. However, the description of the protagonist as elderly is undercut by the later clarification that he is “forty but looked sixty-five” (8). The deceptive nature of Wing Biddlebaum’s frail appearance also emerges when, while talking to George Willard, his voice changes from “low and trembling” to “shrill and loud,” his “bent” back “straighten[s],” and his nervous little hands become “piston rods of his machinery” (4), suggesting strength, industriousness, and obliquely phallic imagery. It becomes clear that the protagonist is suppressing an inner, more exuberant self. However, whether he does so out of trauma or guilt remains ambiguous.

The ambiguous image at the end of the story also draws attention to the theme of appearance versus reality. The description of Wing Biddlebaum as a “kneeling figure [who] looked like a priest […] going swiftly through decades after decade of his rosary” (8) suggests the protagonist is engaged in prayer. However, he is revealed to be furtively scavenging crumbs from the floor. The fact that his hands could be “mistaken” for enacting a religious rite adds to the narrative’s unsettling ambiguity. While suggesting the protagonist’s purity of spirit, the image could also imply guilt.

Ultimately, Anderson’s exploration of appearances versus reality underlines the Modernist concept that truth and reality are ultimately unknowable. The narrator shapes the narrative to suggest Wing Biddlebaum’s innocence. However, the text’s ambiguity means that readers cannot be sure if this (or any other) perspective is reliable.