Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson is made up of many short stories describing figures which share similar histories of a failed passion in life. Many are lonely outcasts who struggle with a burning fire which still glows inside of them. "Hands" is a touching story in this novel which describes the lonesome, dreary life of Wing Biddlebaum. Once a normal person, Wing had a beautiful gift, he could use his hands to heal and to make people happier. He spoke dreamily, and with his hands and voice tried to convey that dream into the hearts of the young boys he taught. However, a traumatizing event forces him to become a "grotesque," lonely person, as many other characters in the book. There is a recurring theme of solitude and shattered dreams throughout the story that causes the reader to commiserate with the main character.
             Wing Biddlebaum's story is a heartbreaking one. It is of the extreme consequences of a shattered dream. He had the "gift" of teaching people how to follow their dreams. As a teacher, Wing would persuade his students to pursue their dreams, and never give up until they had accomplished it. However, Wing's friendliness and love towards his students is misunderstood when a dreadful thing happens in which, "a half-witted boy became enamored of the young master... imagined unspeakable things and in the morning went forth to tell his dreams as facts." This makes all the people of the town believe lies about poor Wing, and they force him to disappear from the lives of those he loves the most. This tragic incident destroys Wing's own dreams, and he goes on never to understand what it is he did wrong. People started to invent stories about Wing, painting him as a depraved man. They destroy what was a miracle, he grew scared of people, and of using his extraordinary hands. "Although he did not understand what had happened, he felt his hands must be the blame", he felt his hands were the reason for his fall from grace, th...