Hands

Hands Widely recognized as the most popular of Sherwood Anderson novels, Hands addresses the extent of alienation. Binding a clear message, Anderson shows Wing Biddlebaum to be self-alienated, alienated from society, and alienated by emotional and spiritual decrepitude. Interweaving the subject of isolation, Anderson portrays Biddlebaum to isolate himself from other because of confusion and fear. Biddlebaum is confused and disoriented, when his hands naturally arise to caress a person. "Pausing in his speech, Wing …

…spiritual alienation through loneliness and innocuous decrepitude seem to epitomize his discontent for societies' indifference and violent actions. Through the keen imagery in his work, the author expresses his discontent of Biddlebaum's self-alienation, alienation from society, and emotional and spiritual alienation. As tragic as it is, Anderson shows in the final scene that man can cause insurmountable harm, which ultimately results in decrepit destitute in his work, Hands. An analysis on "Hands", by Sherwood Anderson