Winesburg, Ohio

Originally published in 1919, Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small Town Life, is a short story cycle by American author Sherwood Anderson. Anderson drew inspiration from the Ohio town of Clyde, where he spent his childhood. By the late 20th century, many scholars considered Winesburg, Ohio a seminal text of American Modernist literature.

Winesburg, Ohio focuses on the people who inhabit the eponymous town at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Among them is George Willard, a young reporter for the Winesburg Eagle who regularly involves himself in the town’s affairs. George’s naivete prevents him from appreciating the unique loneliness that each person feels. Anderson develops themes such as The Loneliness of One’s Inner World, The Tension Between Youth and Experience, and reckoning with Individuality in a Small Town.

This guide refers to the Oxford World’s Classics paperback, which was reissued in 2008.

Content Warning: The source material for this study guide refences sexual abuse, misogynistic attitudes, alcohol addiction, and references to “insanity,” which typically correspond to misleading and stigmatizing depictions of mental health challenges.

Plot Summaries

In Winesburg, Ohio, Anderson includes 22 short stories, one of which is told across four parts. Each story centers a particular character from the town of Winesburg.

In “The Book of the Grotesque,” an old writer is inspired to write a book based on his dream. In the dream, people turn into “grotesques” whenever they attempt to claim a truth for themselves. The writer holds back from publishing his book so that he never becomes a grotesque himself.

“Hands” is the story of Wing Biddlebaum, a man well known for his expressive hands. Wing is reticent to share the story of his hands with his friend, journalist George Willard, but a flashback reveals that Wing, who was once a schoolteacher, was run out of his previous town after a student falsely accused him of sexual abuse.

“Paper Pills” tells the story of Doctor Reefy, who became the talk of the town when a wealthy young woman chose to marry him out of all the town’s suitors. Though the woman has long since died, the story suggests she chose Doctor Reefy because he was the only man who understood her dilemma with two other suitors, each one espousing opposing views of sexuality.

“Mother” revolves around Elizabeth Willard, the mother of George Willard. Elizabeth struggles to influence George’s behavior, though she is also reluctant to explicitly define the kind of person she wants George to become. Elizabeth becomes convinced that she must kill her husband and rival, Tom, to prevent him from negatively influencing George. Before Elizabeth can act on her plan, George informs her that he has decided to leave Winesburg despite Tom’s wishes.

“The Philosopher” is the story of Doctor Parcival, a man who remains elusive about his life before coming to Winesburg. Telling the story of his family, Parcival reveals that he once studied to be a minister. His mother favored his ill-tempered brother, who was the family breadwinner, over him. Parcival initially urges George to feel contempt for others, but when Parcival fails to attend to a little girl injured in a road accident, he advises George to see the figure of the crucified Christ in everyone he meets.

“Nobody Knows” sees George attempting to gain the affection of a local girl named Louise Trunnion, who offers herself to him while he is at work. George makes an unannounced visit to Louise at her home, urging her to sneak out and walk with him. After George has his first sexual encounter with Louise, he laughs with glee believing that no one will know what happened between them.

“Godliness: A Story in Four Parts” revolves around three generations of the Bentley family. Jesse Bentley believes he is destined to become great through his work on the family farm. He asks God to send him a son, whom he shall name David, emulating the Biblical Jesse. Jesse’s wife dies giving birth to a daughter named Louise, who grows up rejected by all around her. She retaliates by becoming cold and antagonistic to others, including the son she eventually bears, David Hardy. David fears his mother but longs for her to exhibit the tenderness of which he knows she is capable. David moves to the Bentley farm to live with his grandfather, who believes that David’s presence is a sign that he has earned God’s approval. Jesse tries to seek a sign from God about David’s destiny. He attempts to sacrifice a lamb, which a terrified David frees before fleeing Winesburg. Jesse convinces himself that God has taken David away.

“A Man of Ideas” is the story of Joe Welling, who is initially despised for being talkative. Over a period of time, Joe wins the town’s favor by leading a local baseball team to victory. He also uses his rhetoric to charm the ill-tempered family of his girlfriend, Sarah King.

“Adventure” follows Alice Hindman, who becomes attached to an ambitious young journalist named Ned Currie. When Ned leaves for Cleveland, Alice promises to remain true and follow him. Ten years pass without the fulfillment of this promise. Alice becomes concerned that her youth has faded. She obeys the impulse of youth one last time by running naked through the rain—an impulse that ends with her abandoning herself to the likelihood that she will spend the rest of her life alone.

“Respectability” is the story of Wash Williams, a misogynist who shares his reasons for hating women with George Willard. Wash used to be married to a woman from a “respectable” family. After the woman has several affairs, Wash sends her back to her family. He becomes disgusted when the woman’s family forces her to seduce him.

“The Thinker” follows Seth Richmond, a friend of George Willard’s who wants to pursue life in the city. George wants Seth to help him get into a relationship with Helen, a local girl they both know. Seth, who also has feelings for Helen, tries to subvert George’s plans by convincing Helen to follow him to the city. Helen comes close to returning his affections, but she pulls back, causing Seth to write her off as a better match for a small-town man like George.

“Tandy” is a brief episode in the life of a drunken stranger, who believes that he alone understands the particular suffering of women. He fixates on a five-year-old child, convinced that she possesses the strength to withstand great struggles as a woman. The encounter inspires the young girl to take a name the stranger chooses to encapsulate this strength, Tandy.

“The Strength of God” follows Reverend Curtis Hartman, who realizes he can see into the bedroom of schoolteacher Kate Swift through the window in the church bell tower. Reverend Hartman becomes convinced that the temptation to look at Kate is a test from God. He continues to watch her for several weeks until he resigns himself to abandoning his vocation. When he sees Kate weeping and praying by her bed, the reverend’s faith is restored.

“The Teacher” follows the same events as “The Strength of God” from George Willard’s perspective. On the night of a snowstorm, Kate travels to the newspaper office to tell George, her former student, that he must understand people’s innermost thoughts to become an effective writer. George believes Kate has a growing attraction to him now that he’s grown into a man. Kate and George embrace, but she pushes him away, convinced that he won’t understand what she came to tell him until he is older. When Reverend Hartman bursts into the newspaper office declaring Kate a messenger of God, it triggers George’s impulse to consider the insight of others.

“Loneliness” follows Enoch Robinson, an immature artist who moves to New York. Enoch isolates himself in a room that he fills with imaginary friends who agree with his thoughts and opinions. He later becomes overwhelmed by the presence of a woman who visits his room. When he scares her away, Enoch becomes conscious of his solitude.

In “An Awakening,” George has a profound experience while walking through the town. He visits Belle Carpenter to share his experience, but when he takes Belle outside town, they are interrupted by Belle’s lover, the saloon bartender Ed Handby. Ed attacks George and steals Belle away from him.

“Queer” is the story of Elmer Cowley, a young storeowner. Elmer believes that George Willard has convinced the town that he and his father are ridiculous people. He attempts to sway George’s opinion by standing up to him but fails to express himself clearly to the journalist. He attacks George instead, then leaves town to become anonymous.

In “The Untold Lie,” farmhand Ray Pearson attempts to convince his colleague, Hal Winters, not to trap himself in the misery of marriage after Hal gets a woman pregnant. Hal later shares his resolve to abandon his reckless ways and settle down with the woman, which satisfies Ray.

“Drink” is the story of Tom Foster, a young man who is drawn to new experiences by curiosity. He chooses to get drunk to better understand suffering through the lens of his romantic feelings for Helen White. A drunken Tom falsely claims to George that he has had a sexual affair with Helen, which angers George.

“Death” reveals the secret friendship between Doctor Reefy and Elizabeth Willard. Elizabeth shares the frustrations of her life with Doctor Reefy, who becomes the only person to satisfy the longing for release in her soul. They nearly begin an affair, but ultimately can’t go through with it. Elizabeth dies soon after. In his grief, George decides that he must leave Winesburg forever.

In “Sophistication,” George and Helen White engage in a brief tryst on the abandoned grandstand of the county fair to preserve their youth. By the evening’s end, their desire to remain young is fully exhausted.

“Departure” chronicles George Willard’s last morning in Winesburg. George focuses on the small details of town life before the view of his hometown disappears from him forever.