Winesburg, Ohio
In the Novel Winesburg, Ohio the issue of how Sherwood Anderson presents the female characters is often raised. Of all the grotesques, the female characters seem even more grotesque. Care Coloquitt states, "Anderson never allows a women a means of escape" "For all the sensitive attention Anderson can pay to his female characters, he does not, create a female character who wants, and able to form her own life. (94) Louise Bentley, Elizabeth Willard, and Alice Hindman are female characters that have brief instances, if any at all, of happiness. But more so a life with the urge to find happiness in any way. Elizabeth her desire for change, definite movement to her life and a time for a released and happy. (46) Alice Hindman whispering words over, "why doesn't something happen? She no longer depended on Ned Currie return; she wanted to be loved, to have something answer the call that was growing louder within her. (119) Lousie Bentley born of a delicate and overworked mother, an impulsive, hard imaginative father, who was not enthusiastic with her coming into the world. (87) A silent, moody child, wanting love more than anything in the world and not getting it. (87) All these female characters ask not much but they will continue
to live in Winesburg in a lonely, unfulfilled existence with no hope for escape except death. Elizabeth dies on a Friday afternoon at three o'clock. It had been cold and rainy in the morning. Most of the tales end with the characters going off into total darkness. (43) The release that after all came to her but twice in her life, in the moments when her lovers Death and Doctor Reefy held her in their arms. All the female characters have brief encounters of happiness but loneliness always overcomes the happiness. Where Alice and Lousie end up to live in Winesburg in a lonely, unfulfilled existence with no hope for escape, except death. Elizabeth means of her escape was death and she was released of Winesburg. One night when it rained Alice had an adventure. It frightened and confused her. It was a moment of passion (44-45). She had a mad desire to run naked through the streets. She thought that the rain would have some creative and wonderful effect on her body. She wanted to leap and run, to cry out, to find some other lonely human and embrace him. Alice started to run. She had seen a man and she called to him. The man on the sidewalk stopped and stood listening and then left. She fell to the ground and lay trembling. Frightened of what she did. She crawled back to her home. After her attempt to having an adventure Alice Hindman concludes not to try again but to accept what she sees as inevitable, "What is the matter with me?" I will do something dreadful if I am not careful (120). Instead, Alice will continue to live in Winesburg in a lonely, unfulfilled existence with no hope for escape, except death. Ned Currie went away to Cleveland. Alice told him she would wait for him until he returns to get her. "I am his wife and shall remain his wife whether he comes back or not"(115) She would always whisper to herself when other young men tired to attract her attention. Alice worked many hours in the dry goods store. As time passed and she became more and more lonely. At times when her employer had gone out and she was alone in the store she put her head on the counter and wept "Oh, Ned, I am waiting," she whispered over and over, and all the time the creeping feat that he would never come back grew stronger within her. (116) Alice stood looking over the land, the thought of never ceasing life as it expresses itself in the flow of the seasons, fixed her mind on passing ye
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Approximate Word count = 1627
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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