In the essay “On Shaking Hands,” A.G. Gardiner takes a simple human gesture and transforms it into a thoughtful exploration of cultural customs and human connection. The essay examines how this common Western greeting reveals personality, builds relationships, and compares to other cultural traditions. Let’s break down this classic piece of literature.
Who Was A.G. Gardiner?
Background and Career
Alfred George Gardiner (1865-1946) was a British journalist and author whose essays remain highly regarded today. Writing under the pen name “Alpha of the Plough,” Gardiner developed a reputation for elegant, graceful prose with a touch of humor.
Gardiner was born in Chelmsford to a cabinet-maker. His early career included work at the Chelmsford Chronicle and later the Northern Daily Telegraph. In 1899, he became editor of the Blackburn Weekly Telegraph.
Literary Style and Contributions
Gardiner’s uniqueness lay in his ability to teach life’s basic truths in an easy, amusing manner. His essays are uniformly elegant and graceful with subtle humor throughout.
His notable works include “Pillars of Society,” “Pebbles on the Shore,” “Many Furrows,” and “Leaves in the Wind.” In 1915, he began contributing to The Star under his famous pseudonym.
The Central Argument of “On Shaking Hands”
Criticism and Defense of the Custom
A.G. Gardiner begins by acknowledging that the custom of shaking hands has faced criticism, particularly on hygienic grounds. Yet he argues that this practice is so deeply ingrained in Western culture that only “a very tough parliamentary act or a heavy penalty” could stop people from doing it.
The handshake happens almost as a reflex action when people meet or part. It’s become instinctive, something that occurs without conscious thought.
Cultural Comparisons
A.G. Gardiner compares Western handshaking with greetings from other cultures:
- Japanese bow
- Indian salaam
- Chinese make a grave motion of the hand
- Arabs touch the breast with fingertips
He suggests that while these alternatives might appear more elegant or formal, the Western handshake carries a warmth and spirit of human comradeship that these don’t offer.
Types of Handshakes and What They Reveal
The Good, The Bad, and The Creepy
Gardiner believes handshakes reveal much about a person’s character. He outlines several types of handshakes people generally prefer to avoid:
- Warm, clammy hands
- Listless, flaccid hands
- Bony, energetic hands
- Cold, dank handshakes with hidden agendas
- Handshakes from physically weak people
Specific Character Types
The essay humorously describes specific handshaking personalities:
- “Peaker, the publisher” – offers a cold or warm pudding of a hand, unresponsive as a jellyfish
- “Hearty fellow Stubbings” – crushes your hand, shakes your arm out of its socket, claims to never be half-hearted
- The “limp and lingering hand” – leaves their hand in yours, overcharged with emotion
These descriptions show how a simple greeting can reveal deeper aspects of personality.
The Importance of Physical Connection
The Warmth of Human Touch
For Gardiner, a handshake adds essential warmth and sincerity to a greeting. He writes that denying a handshake would be “like a bond without the seal, cold as a stepmother’s breath, like an official as a typewritten letter with a typewritten signature.”
The physical connection matters deeply. A handshake completes the greeting, making it whole and human rather than distant and formal.
The “Happy Mean” of Greetings
A.G. Gardiner positions the handshake as the “happy mean” between extremes – more warm than the formal Oriental salaam but less overwhelming than the Russian tradition of hugging and kissing (which he describes witnessing at Prince Kropotkin’s seventieth birthday celebration).
Historical Context of Handshaking
Evolution of Greeting Customs
Gardiner explores how greeting customs have changed over time. He particularly compares handshaking with kissing customs, noting that kissing was once much more common in Western society.
He references Erasmus, the Dutch Renaissance humanist, who described extensive kissing customs in Tudor England. Unlike today’s more reserved practices, kissing was once a common greeting.
Cultural Shifts in Physical Greetings
The essay suggests that Western society has become gradually more reserved in physical greetings. While Russians maintained the tradition of men kissing as greeting, English customs evolved toward the more restrained handshake.
These historical observations show how social customs evolve with changing sensibilities about personal space and hygiene.
How Hands Speak Their Own Language
The Silent Communication of Touch
A.G. Gardiner argues that hands communicate in their own silent language. The essay suggests that hands speak volumes during the handshaking process.
A greeting without warmth or grip is repulsive. Gardiner compares such a handshake to a “stepmother’s cold breath” – a vivid image of rejection and indifference.
Character Revealed Through Contact
The essay claims you can learn much about someone through their handshake:
- Dishonesty
- Health conditions
- General character
A.G. Gardiner references Charles Dickens’ character Uriah Heep from “David Copperfield,” whose handshake left people with a “creepy and obscene feeling.” This literary connection strengthens his point about how touch reveals character.
The Future of Handshaking
Will Hygiene Concerns Change the Custom?
While Gardiner acknowledges hygiene concerns, he firmly believes the handshake will endure. The essay argues that customs this deeply ingrained don’t change easily.
Written decades before modern pandemics would temporarily pause handshaking globally, Gardiner’s confidence in the resilience of this custom seems both prescient and questionable in hindsight.
Balancing Tradition and Public Health
The essay doesn’t fully explore this tension between tradition and health concerns, but it raises questions relevant to modern readers about how we balance cultural practices with public health considerations.
Practical Insights for Better Handshakes
Getting It Right
Based on Gardiner’s essay, we can extract some practical advice for effective handshakes:
- Maintain a firm but not crushing grip
- Avoid limp, unresponsive handshakes
- Ensure your hands aren’t clammy or cold
- Don’t hold on too long
- Make the handshake warm and sincere
Cultural Awareness in Greetings
Modern readers might also consider:
- Being aware of cultural differences in greeting styles
- Respecting personal preferences about physical contact
- Understanding when alternative greetings might be appropriate
Key Takeaways
- Handshakes reveal significant information about character and personality
- The practice balances formality and intimate connection better than many alternatives
- Despite hygiene concerns, handshaking persists due to its deep cultural roots
- Cultural greetings vary widely, from bows to kisses to hand gestures
- Physical touch creates a warmth in human interaction that’s difficult to replace
Literature Connections
A.G. Gardiner’s essay on handshaking connects to broader themes in literature about human connection and social customs. This analysis resonates with other explorations of human interaction found in works like R.K. Narayan’s “Engine Trouble”, which similarly examines human customs and relationships through a witty lens.
For those interested in how authors explore social interactions and cultural practices, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice offers another perspective on the importance of greetings and social rituals in human relationships.
Those who enjoy Gardiner’s observational style might also appreciate Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles, which similarly examines social customs and their impact on human connections.
FAQ: Understanding “On Shaking Hands”
Who wrote “On Shaking Hands”?
Alfred George Gardiner (1865-1946), a British journalist and author, wrote “On Shaking Hands” under his pen name “Alpha of the Plough.”
What is the main argument in Gardiner’s essay?
Gardiner argues that while handshaking may have hygienic disadvantages, it provides essential warmth and human connection that more formal greetings lack. He believes it strikes the perfect balance between distant formality and excessive intimacy.
How does Gardiner categorize different types of handshakes?
Gardiner describes several off-putting handshakes, including clammy hands, limp hands, overly aggressive hands, and lingering hands. He associates each type with different personality traits.
What cultural alternatives to handshaking does Gardiner mention?
Gardiner mentions several cultural alternatives: Japanese bowing, Indian salaams, Chinese hand gestures, Arab fingertip touches to the breast, and Russian embraces with kisses.
How relevant is this essay to modern readers?
The essay remains surprisingly relevant, especially after global pandemics temporarily changed greeting customs. Gardiner’s observations about how physical greetings reveal character and create human connection still resonate today.
Conclusion
A.G. Gardiner’s “On Shaking Hands” transforms a simple everyday gesture into a window into human character and cultural values. Through elegant prose and subtle humor, he demonstrates how this common custom reveals personality, creates connection, and compares to practices worldwide.
While written decades ago, the essay’s observations about human interaction remain relevant. Even as hygiene concerns occasionally challenge the practice, the handshake endures because it fulfills our fundamental need for physical connection in a way that’s neither too distant nor too intimate.
Next time you shake someone’s hand, you might find yourself thinking about Gardiner’s insights. Is the hand firm or limp? Warm or cold? And what might this simple touch reveal about the person you’re meeting?
Have you noticed how different people’s handshakes reflect their personalities? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
