The short stories that make up Sherwood Anderson’s

can stand alone, but together the loosely connected vignettes form a composite picture of small town American life as experienced by one main character, George Willard. Though the tales concern various townspeople, George maintains a presence — sometimes directly, sometimes only tenuously — in almost all of the stories. Often George, like the audience, serves as a listener to someone else’s tale. As a reporter for the

, and as one of the only characters with an opportunity to escape to the big city, George represents the last chance that the parochial citizens of Winesburg have of letting their voices be heard in the larger world.

When George leaves Winesburg in the final story, “Departure”, more

920 words

Citation: Kale, Verna. "Winesburg, Ohio". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 January 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8811, accessed 24 November 2024.]