This Critical Study Of Sherwood Anderson's Most Famous And Perhaps Most Widely Taught Work, Winesburg, Ohio, Treats It As A Thoroughly Modernist Novel Examining The Aesthetic Nature Of Romantic Identity. Author Clarence Lindsay Argues That Anderson's Famous Theory Of The Grotesque Is A Theory Of American Identity. Each Of The Small Town's Grostesques In Effect Authors A Romantic Narrative That Privileges The Self. In Trying To Live Their Lives By That Narrative, Each Enacts A Romantic Selfhood. Each Of These Romantic Selfhoods Is An Aesthetic Enterprise, Complicated By All The Aesthetic Issues Relating To Artist And Audience. Every Crisis In The Novel Is An Aesthetic Crisis; Every Comedy, Every Tragedy Is An Aesthetic Misstep Of Some Sort. Lindsay Proposes That All Moral Issues In Winesburg, Ohio Are Aesthetic; All Aesthetic Issues Are Moral. Winesburg's Narrator's Careful Attention To Characters' Romantic Narratives Of Self Provides An Ironic Scrutiny Of Not Only The Astonishing Varieties Of American Romantic Identity But Also A Painstaking Interrogation Of A Variety Of Romantic Discourses. Anderson's Radical Formal Innovation, The Interrelated Tale, Was The Perfect American Form, Not Only Allowing For The Narrator's Democracy Of Fascination With The Grotesques' Absolutely Equal Competing Singularities But Also Providing For The Comic Juxtaposition Of These Claims On Uniqueness, A Jostling That Subverts The Traditional Novel's Emphasis On The Singular Individual. This First Sustained Critical Analysis Of This American Classic Restores Anderson To The Top Rank Of American Artists, Placing Him Alongside Other Intense Scrutinizers Of American Romanticism: Hawthorne, Melville, And Hemingway.--book Jacket. I Belong In Little Towns: Anderson's Provincial Postmodernism -- The Interpretation Of Dreams: Aesthetic Crises In Hands -- Onanism In Eden: Loving And Hating Women In Respectability -- Moving On Up And Staying There: The Social Success As Grotesque In The Strength Of God -- Enoch Robinson Is The Woman In The Shadows: The Critique Of The Romantic Artist In Loneliness -- Going All The Way When You Can't Go Far: Sex, Class, And Identity In Nobody Knows -- Men Are Stupid Critics; Women Are Discerning Artists. Clarence Lindsay. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 217-219) And Index.

Lindsay, Clarence B

Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press

The Kent State University Press

United States, United States of America

Kent, Ohio, London, 2008

Kent, Ohio, Ohio, 2009

PS, 2008

obscured text on back cover

Includes bibliographical references and index.

An important contribution to the field of American literary studies Groundbreaking work in Anderson scholarship in particular and, on the wider scene, in American literary studies.
Robert Dunne, author of A New Book of the Grotesques: Contemporary Approaches to Sherwood Andersons Early Fiction This critical study of Sherwood Andersons most famous and perhaps most widely taught work, Winesburg, Ohio, treats it as a thoroughly modernist novel examining the aesthetic nature of romantic identity. Author Clarence Lindsay argues that Andersons famous theory of the Grotesque is a theory of American identity. Each of the small towns grotesques in effect authors a romantic narrative that privileges the self. In trying to live their lives by that narrative, each enacts a romantic selfhood. Each of these romantic selfhoods is an aesthetic enterprise, complicated by all the aesthetic issues relating to artist and audience. Every crisis in the novel is an aesthetic crisis; every comedy, every tragedy is an aesthetic misstep of some sort. Lindsay proposes that all moral issues in Winesburg, Ohio are aesthetic; all aesthetic issues are moral. Winesburgs narrators careful attention to characters romantic narratives of self provides an ironic scrutiny of not only the astonishing varieties of American romantic identity but also a painstaking interrogation of a variety of romantic discourses. Andersons radical formal innovation, the interrelated tale, was the perfect American form, not only allowing for the narrators democracy of fascination with the grotesques absolutely equal competing singularities but also providing for the comic juxtaposition of these claims on uniqueness, a jostling that subverts the traditional novels emphasis on the singular individual. This first sustained critical analysis of this American classic restores Anderson to the top rank of American artists, placing him alongside other intense scrutinizers of American romanticism: Hawthorne, Melville, and Hemingway.

xxiv, 223 p. ; 23 cm
Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-219) and index
I belong in little towns: Anderson's provincial postmodernism -- The interpretation of dreams: aesthetic crises in hands -- Onanism in Eden: loving and hating women in respectability -- Moving on up and staying there: the social success as grotesque in the strength of God -- Enoch Robinson is the woman in the shadows: the critique of the romantic artist in loneliness -- Going all the way when you can't go far: sex, class, and identity in nobody knows -- Men are stupid critics; women are discerning artists

2023-06-28