The Conflict in the Short Story Hands

"Hands,” by Sherwood Anderson, is a story that seems to be stripped of sentimentality, yet conveys emotion. Anderson tells the somber story of a misunderstood and wrongfully accused man. The protagonist, Wing Biddlebaum, failed to communicate his true self. His inner desires were repressed because conventions and tradition distorted and twisted them. As mentioned before, the central character in “Hands” is Wing Biddlebaum. He is clearly a round character because he has more than one …showed first 75 words of 1303 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1303 total…sadness and fear. He shows no anger towards others. Although he fears people, he does not display hostility towards them. He does not fight back. He simply accepts his fate. Wing Biddlebaum faces many hardships in “Hands.” Not only does he fight against his own fears, but also he fights against society. Unfortunately, there is no resolution of these conflicts. The only assurance seems to be that the struggles will remain. Bibliography Anderson, Sherwood. "Hands." 1919.