Hands

The narrator describes how “[h]idden, shadowy doubts” about Adolph Myers were “galvanized into belief” by the boy’s accusation (7). What role does prejudice play throughout the story? Consider each use of the words “shadow” and “doubt” in your analysis.

“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.