"In Winesburg the hands attracted attention merely because of their activity, " and Winesburg took great pride in that. The narrator tells us, "Winesburg was proud of the hands of Wing Biddlebaum in the same spirit in which it was proud of Banker White's new stone house and Wesley Boyer's bay stallion, Tony Tip, that had won the two-fifteen trot at the fall races in Cleveland "(3). It is not surprising, then, that his fears would manifest themselves in his fidgeting or hiding of his hands, forever afraid to show his hands to anyone for the rest of his life. .
The transformative concept of touch plays into Wing's fear as well; Wing does not fear touching, but actually the consequences he would face if he were to touch someone. Wings innocence is, in result, related to his conceived idea of touch. A paranoia ensues within Wing, it would seem, when it comes to touch, to suggest that it has more to do with a mental concept, rather than a physical one. A terrible fear of what a small touch could lead to. Upon meeting George for the first time, Wing "[closes] his fist and [beats] with them upon a table or on the walls of his house. " Wing realizes that his temptation to touch George is imminent, and we see the paranoia with which he struggles. In result, Wing cannot convey his message to George because of that paranoia. Nevertheless, Wing's passion re-ignites when he has the opportunity to teach George some valuable life lessons, and he eventually does use his hands for a brief second before his fear gets the better of him. .
George also brings out Kate's passion for teaching, but in a more physical way. Kate is, in some ways, the opposite of Wing. Her teaching style is very rigid, and she "walks up and down in the schoolroom, " her "hands clasped behind her back. " While Wing is portrayed as very feminine, Kate is portrayed as a more masculine character, which is interesting because she is a woman.