Otto of the Silver Hand depicts the ultimate victory of good over evil, but it does not have a traditional happy ending. By the end of the story, both of Otto's parents are dead, most of his father's followers have died, and Otto has lost his hand. Yet peace has been restored to a land once dominated by violence. Pyle's descriptions of violence in the story are quite vivid, though he refrains from providing details about Otto's maiming. He does, however, attempt to offer his readers some solace in the face of this violence, depicting the monk's way of life as peaceful and virtuous. Pyle shows the importance of kindness and spirituality without resorting to doctrinaire discussions of specific religious beliefs.