Abstract

Sherwood Anderson’s master work Winesburg, Ohio vividly reveals the spiritual world of American township people during the industrial civilization transformation period. Because of this, it was regarded as one of the best English novels in the 20th century. The great success of the Winesburg, Ohio not only depends on its profound social themes, such as isolation, escaping and grotesqueness, but also on its vivid expression of grotesques. This novel’s simple language style and superb writing techniques have created a new perspective of American modernism novels in terms of its theme, content, story structure and innovative techniques, which is an important milestone. Anderson’s writing style has a profound effect on later generations of American writers such as Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, Ernest Miller Hemingway, William Faulkner, and so on. In this paper, the depiction of grotesques and the grotesqueness of American township people during the period of industrial transformation and the cause of grotesqueness will be analyzed. In addition, its literary significance and social significance of the “grotesque” theme will be explored. 

Key words: Grotesque; Industrial civilization; Transformation

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction. 1

2 Characteristics of Grotesques in Winesburg, Ohio. 4

2.1The Ugly Abnormal Appearance. 4

2.2Strange Hilarious Languages and Dialogues. 5

2.3Perverted Dramatic Behaviors. 6

2.4Distorted and Unearthly Psychology. 7

3 The Cause of Grotesqueness8

3.1Suffering from Painful Experiences 8

3.2The Historical Background Cause. 9

4 Value of Grotesquery Description in Winesburg, Ohio 10

4.1Literary Significance10

4.2Social Significance 13

5 Conclusion 17

Bibliography. 19

Acknowledgments 20