An Analysis Of The Grotesque Characters In Winesburg, Ohio

Winesburg, Ohio is the representative short-story cycle of American writer Sherwood Anderson by which he makes a brilliant contribution to the development of modern American grotesque literature. Since its first publication in 1919, critical comments on this novel had never stopped. Based on the studies had been done before, this graduation paper aims to interpret Winesburg, Ohio by analyzing the grotesque characters Anderson portrayed in the short stories so as to go further to explore the human psyche and the literary significance of this group of deformed people that living in the transitional period from agrarian tradition to industrial civilization.Grotesque literature, as an important literary tradition, plays an important role in the development of American literature history. Different writers have different views and applications of the term of"grotesque". In Winesburg, Ohio, Anderson has his unique notion of the grotesque: they are people who blindly believe in the absolute"truth"or"truths". This paper reviews the collective images of the grotesque characters who are bitterly struggling in the plight of loneliness, frustration, repression and inarticulateness and the common causes of their grotesqueness. The dehumanizing impact of industrialization, the bondage of Puritan morality and the lack of love are the fundamental causes of the Winesburg grotesques'twisted spirits and odd behaviors. Furthermore, the attitudes toward life from the Winesburg grotesque characters, especially the possible grotesque George Willard are discussed. Although they are weird and unacceptable in the casual eyes, they do not thoroughly despair even never give up their pursuit of love and understanding with their hopes and dreams. Thus, these precious and beautiful internal qualities make them deserve to be sympathized, respected and loved by the reader, not to be despised. The suffering of the grotesque characters in this novel could also give some inspiration to the modern people who are in the same plight in an industrial world.