Psychological Analysis in "Hands" by Sherwood Anderson

                                                 

Analysis

                                                   Id: Meeting Basic Needs

The id is the most basic part of the personality, and wants instant gratification for our wants and needs. If these needs or wants are not met, a person becomes tense or anxious.

• "You must try to forget all you have learned. ou must begin to dream. From this time on you must shut your ears to the roaring of the voices."

• His hands would touch their shoulders or tousle their hair. His voice was soft. His voice and hands were instruments of kindness.

• One summer afternoon he is on the verge og doing so when Wing is telling him he tries to be too much like other people in town. "You are destroying yourself", he cried. "You have the inclination to be alone and to dream and you are afraid of dreams."

                                                    Ego: Dealing with Reality

The ego deals with reality, trying to meet the desires of the id in a way that is socially acceptable in the world. This may mean delaying gratification, and helping to get rid of the tension the id feels if a desire is not met right away. The ego recognizes that other people have needs and wants too, and that being selfish is not always good for us in the long run.

• Wing walks across the field of weed and looks toward town for a moment and then, afraid, hurries back to the porch and resumes pacing.

• Suddenly Wing puts his hands in his pockets. Tears well in his eyes, and he says he must go home.

• He thinks his hands are responsible for his timidity, his fear of everyone.

                                                    Superego: Adding Morals

The superego develops last, and is based on morals and judgments about right and wrong. Even though the superego and the ego may reach the same decision about something, the superego’s reason for that decision is more based on moral values, while the ego’s decision is based more on what others will think or what the consequences of an action could be.

• Sometimes, when talking with George, Wing beats his fists on a wall or table -- or even a stump or a fence if they are outdoors. Doing so makes him feel more at ease.

• To help him make his point, Wing beats on a grass bank.

• George, unsettled by the terror in Wing's eyes, vows not to ask him about his hands.