Wing Biddlebaum’s Hands, Essay Example

Using support and evidence from the text, answer the questions: What do we know about Wing Biddlebaum’s hands? What do we know about his home?

Practically an old man looking sixty five years of age although he was only forty five, Wing Biddlebaum was a kept man. He was not known to many in his community except for being the small, fat, old man in the neighborhood. Unlike all the others in his community, he felt alone, as if he did not belong there. He kept something inside him that he did not want to share to anyone. There was but one specific person who was close to him in the person of George Willard, a young strapping reported for the local newspaper. Regarding their relationship, the story reads: “in the presence of George Willard, Wing Biddlebaum, who for twenty years had been the town mystery, lost something of his timidity…” (49). In this regard, it could be understood that Biddlebaum seems to be at peace with George; thus likely wanting to share his being to the young lad. With George, Wing would talk, laugh and tell stories. However, there was something odd about the old man, whenever he talks with George, he conceals his hands or at least closes them into his fist. As the narration adds: “he wanted to keep them hidden away…” (50).

It was very much unlikely for a man his age to have such a condition of handling the way he uses his hands especially when he talks to people. Nevertheless, as the story unfolds, the narration tries to point out why he is the way he is when it comes to dealing with other people and why he tends to avoid even using his hands at any point when he talks to George.

Being alone in his home for at least 20 years already, he has been noted as the community’s mystery man. He, although was seen by others, seemed to be more comfortable in his own home, almost never leaving it. It was as if his home was the safest place for him to be in. His history attests to the development of such attitude. For instance, he was once a school teacher loved by all. Being in an all-boys school, Wing used to be close to his students. As if a sign of affection and care, he used his hands to touch the young boys’ heads and shoulders allowing them to dream further about their lives in the future. However, the incident of mistakenly interpreting his actions has led to his being marked with a great shame and he feels that his hands, full with affection and care, were to be blamed for such remark. Hence, whenever he talks to George, he keeps his hands away, for fear that he might give him the wrong interpretation of his actions thus putting him in the same shame that he tried to live-off from. His desire to control his feelings towards young men had is greatly symbolized by the way he controlled the actions of his hands.