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Winesburg Character Analysis

Decent Essays

Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson; is a collection of short stories reproducing the town of many "grotesques". Anderson defines the term "grotesque" as being a person that "took one of the truths to himself, call it his own truth, and tried to live his life by it" (Anderson, 3). In the book, each story is about a grotesque character, including Wash Williams in the story "Respectability". Williams is the worst grotesque in the book. Specifically, the worst grotesque is a person who has become obsessed with an idea or feeling and cannot accept a different opinion. Wash Williams is the worst grotesque, because from what happened to him, his feelings towards change. He became violent, he forces his opinions on others, and it seems to be unable to change his beliefs.

In "Respectability", Wash Williams is an ugly, miserable man with no friends. Anderson describes him as "a huge ugly kind of ugly monkey, a creature with ugly sagging hairless skin below his eyes, and a bright purple underbody." (Anderson, 68).Williams was the best operator in Ohio, but after what happened to him, he got demoted to his state. Williams hated the people of the small town, especially women. His obsession with hating women; took over his passion for work. He viewed all women as "Bitches" because of his failed marriage, his feeling for men were different; he pitied them. “Does not every man let his life be managed for him by some bitch or another?” (Anderson, 68).He found his

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