The Grotesques In Winesburg,Ohio——From The Perspective Of Grotesque Theory

Winesburg,Ohio is one of the masterpieces of Sherwood Anderson,an American writer in the late 19th and early 20th century.In this collection of short stories,Anderson takes the American Midwestern town during the industrial revolution of the late 19th century and early 20th century as the setting.He depicts a group of "grotesques" living in the town,whose appearances and behaviors are abnormal and who live in solitude.The collection connects 25 short stories that seem to be independent but are actually relate to each other by following the growth of the central character George Willard,a small-town newspaper reporter.From the third-person omniscient point of view,it tells the unique life experiences and complex spiritual activities of the grotesques and vividly depicts their inner confusion,depression,pain and loneliness through their either ludicrous or horrific external features.At the same time,it also develops the art of "grotesque" in the history of art This thesis attempts to sort out the grotesqueness of the characters in Winesburg,Ohio,and to discuss the causes of their grotesqueness as well as the author's intention.By using the "grotesque" theory,this thesis analyzes how each character becomes grotesque step by step and their relationships with the protagonist George Willard,and finds that what Anderson wants to express through his portrayal of the inner world of the characters is his sympathy and concern for the tragic fate of the grotesques and his attempt to provide a way to change the fate of the grotesques by means of showing the growth of George Willard.This thesis is divided into five partsThe first chapter summarizes the literature review of this work of Sherwood Anderson and the origin and development of the "grotesque" theory.The literature review includes the critics'interpretation and research on this work from different perspectives.The "grotesque" theory includes the origin of the word "grotesque",the views and definitions of the "grotesque" by western artists and critics in different periods,and my classification of the "grotesques" in the stories.The second chapter analyzes the "Carnivalesque" in the stories,these characters'grotesqueness and their relationships with George Willard.The third chapter analyzes the horrific grotesques in the novel,their grotesqueness and their relationships with George Willard.The fourth chapter analyzes the causes of the grotesques from the perspective of historical background and characters themselves.It points out the negative effects of American industrialization on individuals and society,as well as the grotesques'self-enclosure and excessive obsession with their own sense of reality,finally lead them to become grotesques.In the fifth chapter,through analyzing the experience of the central character George Willard from a teenager with grotesque features to a sophisticated man,it shows that Anderson provides a feasible way for the grotesques to change their tragic fate.