Norton Intro. to Sherwood Anderson

Genres: Anderson wrote novels, free verse, prose poems, plays, short stories, essays, and an autobiography.
Themes: "These books reveal three of Anderson's preoccupations: the individual quest for self and social betterment, the small-town environment, and the distrust of modern industrial society. Missing, however, is the interest in human psychology and the sense of conflict between inner and outer worlds that appear in Winesburg and later works.
Style: "Stylistically Anderson strove for the simplest possible prose, using brief or at least uncomplex sentences and an unsophisticated vocabulary appropriate to the muffled awareness and limited resources of his typical characters. Structurally, his stories build toward a moment when the character breaks out in some frenzied gesture of release that is revelatory of a hidden inner life.
Influenced: "In both style and structure Anderson's works were important influences on other writers. He encouraged simplicity and directness of style, made attractive the point of view, made attractive the use of point of view of outside characters..." Hemingway and Faulkner were influenced by his simplicity in writing.
Influences by: Possibly Freud? Anderson dwells on the "grotesque" effects of suppressing one's true inner desires. Freud believed repressed thoughts, memories, or desires were harmful and would later show up in the individual's life in a darker way.
Audience: Anyone who was interested in reading about small-town life in America's Midwest.