Winesburg, Ohio
by Sherwood Anderson
I felt like I was reading a 1900s version of the various
community members written about by Chaucer but updated to the day of this
author, Sherwood Anderson, in his book Winesburg, Ohio. The central protagonist of the story is George Willard. He shares periods
of his life from childhood until his sudden departure from Winesburg in
addition to stories of those who lived in his hometown. The book has twenty-two
short stories. Each story gives an in-depth look into the various members of
the fictional Winesburg community. Each
story shares the characters’ struggles, past and present, including loneliness,
poverty, lack of connection, hidden identities, and isolation in such a small
community. There is a richness in each
of the characters and it reminds me of how our own communities today have the
same cast of characters all around us. Anderson was ahead of his time, but he received
a great deal of negative feedback on his stories based on a perceived sexual
overtone of the characters in attempting to find love and connection.
No comments:
Post a Comment