World War I and the rise of the Soviet Union significantly shaped the early 20th century, while developments in art and literature revolutionized cultural landscapes, particularly in America. These historical events and movements were interconnected, influencing political ideologies, social structures, and artistic expressions. Individuals like Sherwood Anderson captured the essence of these times, providing a window into the lived experiences of ordinary people amidst extraordinary changes.

The First World War

World War I marked a cataclysmic shift in global warfare, drawing in most of Western Civilization, including Europe, North America, and Russia. This conflict introduced unprecedented military technologies, such as submarines, aerial bombings, and chemical warfare, transforming traditional battlefields into impersonal arenas of destruction. The war's genesis lay in the simmering ethnic tensions within the Balkan nations, which culminated in the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist on June 28, 1914. This incident set off a chain reaction, as existing alliances—The Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente—pulled nation after nation into the fray.

The United States initially resisted involvement, with President Woodrow Wilson's 1916 re-election campaign centering on the slogan "He Kept Us Out Of War." However, by early 1917, Germany's aggressive submarine warfare compelled the U.S. to enter the conflict. By the war's end in 1918, 32 nations had engaged in combat, resulting in approximately 37 million casualties and 10 million civilian deaths. For American soldiers who returned, particularly those from isolated rural communities, the war was a profoundly disillusioning experience. They came back with harrowing stories that pierced the insular realities of their hometowns, such as Winesburg, Ohio, which became emblematic of this cultural awakening.

The Rise of the Soviet Union

Simultaneously, Russia faced its own seismic upheavals, as economic woes and severe military losses during World War I precipitated Tsar Nicholas' abdication in March 1917. A short-lived liberal government faltered, leading to the October Revolution, where the Bolsheviks, under Vladimir Lenin, seized control. They reorganized the country based on Marxist socialism, igniting hope among some American artists and intellectuals who viewed the revolution as a beacon of social progress and creative emancipation. Notably, John Reed's "Ten Days That Shook The World" chronicled these events and inspired many in the U.S. to explore communist ideals.

However, the revolution also incited fear among American political leaders, who used it as a rationale to extend wartime censorship and suppress perceived radical threats. This climate of suspicion divided citizens, with a notable increase in individuals identifying as communists or socialists. This political alignment would later become fraught, as the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s blacklisted many who had once embraced these ideals.

The Chicago Renaissance

Amid these global political shifts, a cultural renaissance was unfolding in Chicago, attracting writers and artists eager to push the boundaries of their crafts. Sherwood Anderson, who moved to the city in 1913, found himself among a vibrant literary community that included luminaries like Carl Sandburg and Edgar Lee Masters. Chicago became a crucible for innovative art and literature, with magazines like Poetry and Little Review championing new voices.

This period of creative ferment was influenced by the post-Impressionist art movement, which prioritized internal impressions over realistic representation. Landmark exhibitions like the 1913 Armory Show introduced modern art to the American public, sparking both intrigue and outrage. In Chicago, the show's impact was profound, even leading to protests from traditionalists. Amid this transformative environment, Anderson and his peers deliberated how the experimental ethos of visual artists could translate into literary form.

Sherwood Anderson: A Lens on Ordinary Life

Described by one biographer as an "unnamed spectator in his own books,"...

In "Winesburg, Ohio," Sherwood Anderson defies conventional storytelling, creating a tapestry of interconnected short stories that explore character rather than plot. While the book can be read as a series of standalone tales, a deeper examination reveals an underlying unity through the recurring presence of George Willard, culminating in his departure in the final story. Anderson's innovative use of setting, character, and style positions him as a pioneer in American literature, emphasizing psychological depth over traditional narrative structures.

Structure

"Winesburg, Ohio" is a compelling collection of short stories that comes together to form a broader narrative. Each individual story can stand alone, yet when viewed collectively, they weave a continuous narrative centered around George Willard. George emerges as a pivotal character, not because of his direct involvement in all the stories, but due to his pervasive presence and connections with the other characters. This integration suggests that the stories collectively chart George’s journey, culminating in his decision to leave Winesburg, which serves as a fitting climax for the book. This format challenges the traditional concept of a novel by threading together seemingly disparate tales into a cohesive whole, inviting readers to perceive George's growth across the stories, even in those where he plays a minor role.

Plot

Anderson's writing stands in stark contrast to the plot-driven narratives of his time, which he derisively termed "poison-plot" stories. Such tales, often reliant on contrived coincidences, were prevalent in the early 20th century, typified by the works of O. Henry. In "Winesburg, Ohio," Anderson eschews this formula, opting instead to focus on character-driven stories that delve into the inner lives of his characters. Readers are introduced to the protagonists, gain insight into their perspectives, and witness transformative moments in their lives. These changes are often internal and subtle, eschewing dramatic external shifts. This emphasis on character rather than plot may challenge some readers but rewards those who appreciate a deeper psychological exploration.

Setting

The setting of "Winesburg, Ohio" is integral to its narrative. The small-town environment of Winesburg, Ohio, is not just a backdrop but a crucial element that shapes the characters and their stories. This environment exerts a unique social pressure towards conformity, emblematic of the American Midwest, which influences the characters' actions and development. The map included in the book reinforces this sense of place, grounding the reader in the geography of Winesburg and enhancing the realism of the narrative. This specificity of setting is essential, as the stories' themes of isolation and personal struggle would not resonate as deeply in a different locale.

Prologue

The prologue, "The Book of the Grotesque," stands apart from the rest of the collection with its unique narrative style. This story introduces an old man who reflects on the grotesque nature of the characters he imagines, setting the tone for the tales that follow. "The Book of the Grotesque" does not mention George Willard or Winesburg explicitly, yet it establishes a thematic foundation by hinting that each character in the ensuing stories possesses an exaggerated quality that defines them. This prologue lends the subsequent stories a dreamlike quality and primes the reader to explore the underlying motivations of the characters.

Style and Influences

Anderson's storytelling technique is marked by originality and a keen understanding of narrative perspective. He skillfully merges elements of American literary tradition, drawing on the works of Mark Twain, Herman Melville, and others, while also incorporating his own insights into human psychology. His use of "depth psychology" foregrounds the internal lives of his characters, creating stories that prioritize emotional resonance over plot twists. Critics have debated the extent of influence from contemporaries such as Edgar Lee Masters and Gertrude Stein, yet Anderson's work remains distinct in its emphasis on "understanding and sympathy." The thematic bonds with Stein are particularly evident in their shared exploration of isolation and emotional poverty, as seen in her "Three Lives" and Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio."

Through his innovative narrative approaches and thematic concerns, Anderson carved out a unique space in American literature, paving the way for future writers to explore character-focused stories. His legacy endures in the depth and nuance he brings to the exploration of small-town life, making "Winesburg, Ohio" a seminal work of character study. Anderson's influence extends beyond his contemporaries, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of American storytelling.

Winesburg, a small village in Ohio, serves as the central backdrop for the interwoven stories in Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio. Designed as a tapestry of life in a quintessential Midwestern town, the narrative captures the complexity of its inhabitants through the eyes of George Willard, a young reporter. Through its vivid portrayal of various locales and the lives that unfold within them, Anderson crafts a poignant commentary on the social and emotional landscapes of small-town America.

The Village of Winesburg

Winesburg is more than a mere setting; it is a character in its own right. With a population of about one thousand, the village is likely modeled after Clyde, Ohio, where Anderson spent part of his youth. The map of Winesburg, often included in the novel's editions, lays out its modest geography: Main and Buckeye Streets, the railroad tracks, and key establishments, such as the railroad station, the New Willard House hotel, and the Winesburg Eagle office. This familiar yet confining village is the nucleus of commercial and social activity, surrounded by sprawling farms that hint at the town's isolation.

The stories revolve around the lives of Winesburg's prominent citizens, including Dr. Reefy, Dr. Parcival, Reverend Curtis Hartman, and schoolteacher Kate Swift. Despite their social standing, these characters grapple with loneliness and an inability to articulate their inner desires, often trapped by the very community in which they reside. As part of the “revolt from the village” movement, Anderson's work aligns with the literary efforts of contemporaries like Edgar Lee Masters and Sinclair Lewis, who also critiqued the myth of idyllic village life. Anderson’s portrayal reveals a world marked by alienation and the oppressive weight of puritanical and commercial values.

The New Willard House

At the heart of Winesburg stands the New Willard House, a hotel characterized by its shabbiness and disorder—a reflection of the fragmented lives of its proprietors, Tom and Elizabeth Willard. Elizabeth inherited the hotel, yet it stands as a testament to unfulfilled dreams and economic struggle. Her estrangement from her husband mirrors her unrealized aspirations of becoming an actress, dreams she had harbored as a young girl in her father's hotel. George Willard, their son, is a beacon of hope for both parents, caught between familial duty and his yearning for a life beyond the confines of Winesburg. The hotel becomes a pivotal space within Winesburg, Ohio, especially evident when Elizabeth, at the end of her life, finds a fleeting connection with Dr. Reefy before her death, which symbolically liberates George from the town's stifling grasp.

The Winesburg Eagle

The offices of the Winesburg Eagle are situated at the town’s main intersection, serving as a crossroads for the narratives that converge within its walls. Though no single story unfolds entirely in the newspaper office, its presence is felt throughout, as George Willard is often found here, pondering his interactions with the village’s "grotesques." The office witnesses emotional confessions and tumultuous interactions, such as Reverend Hartman’s fevered revelations and Kate Swift's stormy confrontation with George. These moments crystallize the tension between personal revelation and public facade, themes that permeate the collection.

The Fairground

The fairground in Winesburg, with its dilapidated grandstand, provides an ephemeral escape from the town’s pervasive solitude. In the story “Sophistication,” George Willard and Helen White find themselves drawn to this space, where their isolation momentarily dissolves. Their encounter transcends the physical, leading them to a mutual respect that hints at the maturation necessary for navigating the complexities of adult life. This fleeting connection marks a pivotal moment for George, who eventually leaves Winesburg to seek his own path, carrying with him the lessons learned in this small, confining town.

Through these locations, Anderson crafts a nuanced portrait of Winesburg, a village whose outward simplicity belies the intricate emotions and social dynamics of its denizens. Each setting serves as a crucible for the characters' inner struggles, weaving together a narrative that critiques the myth of the harmonious small town, revealing instead a microcosm of the broader human condition.

1919: Returning soldiers from World War I witnessed significant destruction during a time of aviation and mechanization advancements. Unlike Europe, American manufacturing sites remained intact, leading to a flourishing U.S. economy in the 1920s.

Today: Following the military expansion in the 1980s, which triggered an economic crisis and unprecedented trade deficits, the American economy has now stabilized and is thriving without the backdrop of war.

1919: F. W. Woolworth passed away at 67. The Woolworth chain of five-and-dime stores began in 1879 and grew to over 1,000 locations in small American towns by 1911, becoming the first franchise in rural areas like Winesburg.

Today: Woolworth closed its final stores in 1997, unable to compete with large discount retailers, especially the Wal-Mart chain, which now operates over 1,700 stores on the outskirts of American cities.

1920: The 18th Amendment, banning the sale and consumption of alcohol, was approved by Congress and was set to take effect on January 20, 1920.

1933: Prohibition was deemed unsuccessful as it failed to significantly decrease alcohol consumption and led to increased gang violence. The 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, took effect on December 5, 1933.

Today: Many states are reducing the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers, while a growing segment of the population, disillusioned with strict drug laws, advocates for drug legalization.

1919: The 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote in the United States, was passed by Congress and ratified by the states the following year.

1972: Congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment, which aimed to ensure equal treatment for women, but it failed to gain ratification from two-thirds of the states within ten years and thus did not become law.

Today: Social organizations actively monitor gender discrimination and provide legal assistance to women who face mistreatment due to their gender.

1921: The pogo stick was invented. Throughout the 1920s, children entertained themselves by bouncing on these spring-powered sticks.

Today: The most popular games for children now involve computer graphics.

1921: The first nonstop transatlantic flight journeyed from Newfoundland to Ireland in 16 hours and 12 minutes.

Today: The Concorde can travel from New York to Paris in under four hours.

According to biographer Walter B. Rideout, the intriguing aspect of Anderson's literary journey is the "apparent suddenness with which, so near the beginning of it, he made a kind of aesthetic quantum jump from his apprentice novels to his masterpiece, Winesburg, Ohio (1919)." Before this, he had written two "apprentice" novels, Windy McPherson's Son (1916) and Marching Men (1917), along with a collection of unrhymed poems titled Mid-American Chants (1919).

Some critics have concluded that following Winesburg, Ohio, Anderson was essentially revisiting familiar territory. Lionel Trilling maintained his belief that Anderson achieved "success with a simple idea" and continued to explore the same themes. However, later critics like Welford Dunaway Taylor argue that the enduring popularity of Anderson's work means "it matters little what was said so long ago." All of Anderson's books remain engaging for contemporary readers, who might be more receptive to his experimental style than his more traditional contemporaries were.

• Winesburg, Ohio audio recordings available on the Caedmon label, 1983, featuring E. G. Marshall in "The Conscience of Winesburg."
• Winesburg, Ohio audio cassette from the Audio Bookshelf, 1995.
• Winesburg, Ohio audio cassette from Recorded Books, 1995.
• Winesburg, Ohio audio cassette or phonographic album from Caedmon, 1983.
• "Sherwood Anderson's I'm a Fool," video available from Perspective Films, 1977.

Sources

Sherwood Anderson, Sherwood Anderson's Memoirs, edited by Ray Lewis White, published by The University of North Carolina Press, 1942.

Sam Bluefarb, "George Willard—Death and Resurrection," in The Escape Motif in the American Novel, from Mark Twain to Richard Wright, Ohio State University Press, 1972, pages 42-58.

H. W. Boynton, "All Over The Lot," in The Bookman, Volume XLIX, Issue No. 6, August 1919, pages 728-34.

Carl Bredahl, '"The Young Thing Within' Divided Narrative and Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio," in The Midwest Quarterly, Volume XXVII, Issue No. 4, Summer 1986, pages 422-37.

Malcolm Cowley, "An Introduction to Winesburg, Ohio," published by The Viking Press, 1960, pages 1-15.

Waldo Frank, "Winesburg, Ohio After Twenty Years," in Story, Volume XIX, Issue No. 91, September-October 1941, pages 29-33.

James M Mellard, "Narrative Forms in Winesburg, Ohio," in PMLA, Volume 83, Issue No. 5, October 1968, pages 1304-312.

"A Gutter Would Be Spoon River," in New York Sun, June 1, 1919, page 3.

Tony Tanner, "Sherwood Anderson's Little Things," in The Reign of Wonder: Naivete and Reality in American Literature, Cambridge University Press, 1965, pages 205-27.

Rebecca West, "Winesburg, Ohio" in New Statesman, Volume XIX, Issue No. 484, July 22, 1922, pages 443-44.

For Further Study

David D Anderson, "Moments of Insight" in Sherwood Anderson: An Introduction and Interpretation, Barnes and Noble, 1967, pages 37-54. This work views Winesburg, Ohio as a "collection of short stories and sketches" and highlights Anderson's emphasis on communication issues. It describes Anderson's narrative style as "character-plotting," where changes in the character's inner state take precedence over external events.

Maxwell Anderson, "A Country Town," in Critical Essays on Sherwood Anderson, edited by David D. Anderson, G K. Hall & Co., 1981, pages 32-34. This review of Winesburg, Ohio, originally published in The New Republic in June 1919, demonstrates that some contemporary reviewers understood the concepts Anderson presented.

Sherwood Anderson, The Writer at His Craft, edited by Jack Salzman, David D Anderson, and Kichinosuke Ohashi, Paul P. Appel Publisher, 1979. A compilation of Anderson's lesser-known works, including reviews, tributes to other authors, travel sketches, and writing notes. It provides valuable context for Anderson's literary career.

Walter Benjamin, "The Storyteller," in Illuminations, edited by Harry Zohn, Schocken, 1968, pages 83-109. This insightful essay focuses on the 19th-century Russian author Nikolai Leskov. Benjamin highlights key differences between novels and storytelling in their approach to time, their relationship with readers, the essence of experience, and the role of death. He identifies in Leskov the remnants of a storytelling tradition on the brink of disappearing with the advent of industrialization and the rise of information.

Peter Brooks, "The Storyteller," in Psychoanalysis and Storytelling, Blackwell, 1994, pages 76-103. While not specifically about Anderson, Brooks offers insights into understanding the significance of storytelling in Winesburg, Ohio.

Irving Howe, "The Book of the Grotesque," in Sherwood Anderson, William Sloane Associates, 1951, pages 91-109. This work interprets Anderson's use of the grotesque as ethically driven. The grotesques are those who have sought truth and been led astray; their grotesqueness is not merely physical deformity but also a mark of deeper emotions that have been harmed or alienated.

Clarence Lindsay's article, "The Community in Winesburg, Ohio, The Rhetoric of Selfhood," published in Midamenca, No. 15, 1988, pages 39-47, critiques the "romantic" interpretations of Anderson's characters. These interpretations often position the virtuous individual against a restrictive, narrow-minded community. Lindsay argues that Anderson employs subtle irony to challenge this dichotomy, illustrating how characters use it rhetorically to justify their self-imposed isolation and to define themselves as unique.

William L. Phillips, in "How Sherwood Anderson Wrote Winesburg, Ohio," found in Winesburg, Ohio: Text and Criticism, edited by John H. Ferres and published by Penguin in 1996, pages 267-290, offers a significant analysis based on manuscripts discovered in the 1940s. These manuscripts reveal that Anderson intended a comprehensive work when crafting the individual chapters. Notably, the versions of the chapters published individually in magazines often closely resemble the original drafts.

David Stouck's piece, "Anderson's Expressionist Art," included in New Essays on Winesburg, Ohio, edited by John W. Crowley and published by Cambridge University Press in 1990, pages 27-51, explores Anderson's ties with modernist painting and literature.

Wellford Dunaway Taylor, in "Anderson and the Problem of Belonging," found in Sherwood Anderson, Dimensions of His Literary Art, edited by David D. Anderson and published by Michigan State University Press in 1976, pages 63-75, investigates Anderson's status as an "outsider" in the literary world. Taylor speculates on how this outsider perspective may have shaped the predominant mood of Winesburg, Ohio.

Ray Lewis White, in his work Winesburg, Ohio. An Exploration, published by Twayne Publishers, Inc in 1990, is recognized as a leading expert on Anderson's writings. Having edited all three volumes of Anderson's autobiography and authored numerous books and articles about him, White examines three key themes in this book: "The Youth," "The Grotesques," and "The Town and the Time."