My Father’s Hands

Short Story Read On The 29 / 7 / 20

English Wide Reading V4 – Short story 

Written By Calvin R. Worthington – Reader’s Digest 1976 

My Father’s Hands is a short story about a man who went through his whole life hiding his inability to read and write. He accomplished many great things in his life. However, he could not advance in any of his careers if it required him to read and write to pass his tests. He felt useless because he couldn’t read and write and he didn’t want anyone to know, so he never asked for help. In the end, it was his pride that led to his tragic death because he was too ashamed to ask for help.

A character I found interesting was the father. The father was incredibly capable of anything physical that didn’t require the need to be literate. I found that interesting because I was amazed at how much he could accomplish. And yet he held himself back because he refused to let people know that he could not read or write.“His enthusiasm and efficiency brought an offer to become line boss until he was handed the qualification test. His fingers could trace a path across the Blueprints while his mind imagined the pipes lacing through the heart of the ship, he could recall every twist and turn of the pipes. But he couldn’t read or write.” I relate to the father because I’m also scared that people will judge me if I ask for help for something as simple as reading and writing.

A message I took from the text was that pride can hold you back. The father was too proud to admit he couldn’t read or write and would not ask for help. This held him back when he was asked to take a test to qualify for a promotion. The message the father got in life was that he wasn’t good enough and that he was not a good provider for his family. This was reinforced by his inability to read the bible which left him questioning if he was good enough to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Then he would sit staring at the bible, and I knew he was wondering if God was going to refuse him entry to heaven because his hands could not write.”

I think this is sad because he went through life feeling like a lesser human being because his hands could not read or write. Therefore he ignored the pride he should of had for all the things he could do really well. When I was in primary school I hid my inability to read and write and it got me nowhere. But I now realize It doesn’t matter what other people think and my pride doesn’t stop me for asking for help.

One of the biggest challenges that the father had to deal with was the shame and feeling of inadequacy that came from not being able to read or write. The most simple of tasks became impossible for him, something as simple as knowing which tin of food to open was out of his reach, like when he mistook the tin of potatoes for pears.

My Father’s Hands is a great title for this short story because it fits the text and theme of the storyline which centers around the father only using and relying on his hands for a living. The focus on his hands remind us that his hands both helped him and hindered him.

I’d recommend this story to everyone to help gain an understanding of what it’s like and what it means to be illiterate. Especially for people with learning difficulties such as dyslexia. No matter what, always ask for help and never give up.