Thematic Epiphany In Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio

Tales are told from the word of the mouth to the ears of the listener. It is from the ear of the listener can the tale be told with a new light. Sherwood Anderson is not the teller of the tales showcased in this book, Winesburg, Ohio, George Willard, but George Willard is the narrator. He is a young man who listens to the stories of lonely alienated people. Through the word of the mouth we are able to have a visual of the people he describes, and the personality that are shown as their situations are unfolding throughout their tales. George Willard, uses symbolic phrases to reveal a characters crucial thematic epiphany, or to describe the way the character is developed in his eyes. A person may act differently around varying groups, such as overly happy, brooding, or fidgety. Yet, there is always that feeling of isolation and loneliness even if it’s a small chance. Although, those

“The descriptions provided by Anderson are often quite intentional. It seems almost silly to even question whether his character descriptions would be intentional, however, it is important to note that the details he gives are given for a reason, often symbolic,” ( GradeSaver). This can be seen in the next story, “Paper Pills”. The character, Doctor Reefy, is a person who writes down his thoughts, and then he rolls it up into a ball to throw out later. The quiet, tall, dark, girl is Sherwood Anderson’s symbol of sensuality because she dreams of the sexual acts spoken to her by one suitor, and becomes pregnant by the other suitor. Doctor Reefy is the only one who quickly understands the situation and marries her, yet he receives harsh feedback because of the girl financial status and her character. As a result, Doctor Reefy is treated harshly because of the lack of communication. Doctor Reefy was a way for the girl to resolve her crucial thematic