Plot introductionThis critically acclaimed work of fiction by American author Sherwood Anderson is a collection of related short stories,which could be loosely defined as a novel.The book was published in 1919.The stories are centered on the protagonist George Willard and the fictional inhabitants of the town of Winesburg,Ohio.
[edit] SettingAnderson grew up in Clyde,Ohio,and this town served as the model for his fictional town of Winesburg,Ohio.There is some confusion on which town served as the model for this fictional work,however,because there is a real town with the name Winesburg,Ohio.Anderson reportedly created his fictional characters by combining the qualities of many real-life people from notable families in the area,such as the Dumingers,Farrars,Belchers,Skeelses,Crockets,and Wises.
[edit] The storiesThe collection consists of twenty-two short stories,one of which is in four parts:
The Book of the Grotesque
Hands,concerning Wing Biddlebaum
Paper Pills,concerning Doctor Reefy
Mother,concerning Elizabeth Willard
The Philosopher,concerning Doctor Parcival
Nobody Knows,concerning Louise Trunnion
Godliness,a Tale in Four Parts
I,concerning Jesse Bentley
II,also concerning Jesse Bentley
III Surrender,concerning Louise Bentley
IV Terror,concerning David Hardy
A Man of Ideas,concerning Joe Welling
Adventure,concerning Alice Hindman
Respectability,concerning Wash Williams
The Thinker,concerning Seth Richmond
Tandy,concerning Tandy Hard
The Strength of God,concerning the Reverend Curtis Hartman
The Teacher,concerning Kate Swift
Loneliness,concerning Enoch Robinson
An Awakening,concerning Belle Carpenter
"Queer," concerning Elmer Cowley
The Untold Lie,concerning Ray Pearson
Drink,concerning Tom Foster
Death,concerning Doctor Reefy and Elizabeth Willard
Sophistication,concerning Helen White
Departure,concerning George Willard.
Stylistically,the novel is written as a third-person narrative with dialogue appearing often,though toward the very end of the book dialogue-intensive scenes involving George increase.Since the work covers George's life from the time he was a child to his growing independence and ultimate abandoning of Winesburg as a young man,the style of the work progresses through each of its twenty-six chapters,with the complexity of his life becoming bigger.The book's opening pages have examples of how the characters will develop throughout the stories.This way the reader can understand better why every character behaves in such strange ways.Hence the length of some scenes and chapters,where Anderson's intent was to capture the subjective experience through images,through the detailed description of each character.
[edit] Literary significance and criticismThe critical reception to Winesburg,Ohio upon its publication was positive,but it did not receive a wide readership.Among the literati,it was very highly regarded,but its sales were modest.It is now regarded as one of the finest American novels of the 20th century.
In 1998,the Modern Library ranked Winesburg,Ohio 24th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
[edit] Literary and cultural connectionsRay Bradbury has credited Winesburg,Ohio as an inspiration for his book The Martian Chronicles.[1] H.P.Lovecraft said that he wrote the short story "Arthur Jermyn" after he "had nearly fallen asleep over the tame backstairs gossip of Anderson's Winesburg,Ohio."[2]
Israeli writer Amos Oz writes in his biography A Tale of Love and Darkness that Winesburg,Ohio had a powerful influence on his writing,showing him that literature must not necessarily always be about heroes.Only after reading Anderson did he find the courage to start writing.
Philip Roth's 2008 novel Indignation is set,in part,at Winesburg College in Winesburg,Ohio.His protagonist holds a part-time job as a waiter at the "New Willard House",evoking the protagonist,George Willard,of Anderson's book.
Henry Miller references the book on the first page of his novel Sexus (of The Rosy Crucifixion series).
In the 1985 film Heaven Help Us Danni reads a passage from "Sophistication" to her grief-stricken father.
[edit] TV and theatrical productionsA TV version was made in 1973 starring Joseph and Timothy Bottoms as George Willard,Jean Peters as Elizabeth Willard,Curt Conway as Will Henderson,Norman Foster as Old Pete,Dabbs Greer as Parcival,Albert Salmi as Tom Willard,Laurette Spang as Helen White,and William Windom as Dr.Reefy.A musical of the same name won the Barrymore Award for "Outstanding Musical" in 2006.[3]
Michael Corrigan's upcoming book of related stories,These Precious Hours,owes much to Winesburg,Ohio for its construction and interconnecting characters.