Winesburg, ohio
Winesburg, ohioIn the novel Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson, women are presented much differently than men. Women are presented as sex objects, powerless, and over-emotional. I will use Louise Trunion, Louise Hardy, and Virginia Richmond as examples to show Anderson’s view on women. Also, Wash Williams, George Willard, and Tom Willard are examples of men in Winesburg, Ohio that show it was acceptable at the time to have these views.
Firstly, Trunion possesses a much discussed character flaw; she is extremely promiscuous. In "Nobody Knows," George Willard first discovers Trunion's affection for him in a suggestive note from Trunion that states "I'm yours if you want me". Also, the town "whispered tales concerning" Louise. Definitely, this is not a positive characterization. Trunion and Willard proceed to make love with each other yet despite this intimacy Willard has in his heart " no sympathy for her". The fact that Trunion is viewed scandalously by the town and Willard while Trunion's partners were not shamed at all shows a view by Anderson and society at the time he wrote Winesburg, Ohio that female promiscuity was unaccceptable, but for males the view was just “boys will be boys”. In truth, this double standard is still present today.
Louise Hardy is a second example of Anderson's showing a negative portrayal of women. Her temper was shown by Anderson as being so terrible that "everyone agreed that she was to blame" for the difficulties in her family's life. Anderson also wrote she was "a neurotic, one of the race of over-sensitive women". That statement most certainly shows that Anderson was sexist, or trying to shock the readers of the time. Also, when her son tries to run away, Hardy is displayed as emotionally unstable. This "most peaceful and loving thing" becomes a neurotic person with mood swings.
Virginia Richmond is another example of Anderson's treatment of women in Winesburg, Ohio. She is unable to discipline her son as shown when Seth Richmond, when scolded, "looked steadily at [his mother], causing uneasy doubts to invade her mind". When Seth ran away to a fair, Virginia Richmond devised "sharp stinging reproofs" to say to her son, yet after his his explanation, says, "I'm glad you did stick it out". I think Anderson was suggesting that only a man could provide the necessary discipline to raise a child, and this reflects on Anderson’s negative view of women.
There are also a number of men in this novel that support the fact that Anderson had a negative view of women. Tom Willard, George's father, and Wash Williams, a telegraph operator, both treat women poorly or outright hate them. George's father, Tom Willard, makes a sexist remark when scolding his son in saying, "You're not a fool and you're not a woman". This is blatantly a sexist remark.
George Willard treats women poorly as well. He has a sexual relationship with Louise Trunion, yet he has no feelings for her. There is a double standard because while Louise Trunion is seen by the town as a slut, George is respected and trusted by most people.
Nobody is a more obvious misogynist than Wash Williams. This is made clear when he calls them "Bitches". Anderson also gives reasons for men to hate women. Wash Williams leaves his wife after discovering she had three lovers, and when Williams
travels to his parents’ in law home for to forgive her, his mother-in-law surprises him by sending his estranged wife to him nude. This suggests that her mother believes that Wash would forget what his wife did if he saw her naked again. Then Wash beats her with a chair. Also, Anderson writes that women “are sent to prevent making the world worthwhile.”
Evidence throughout the book shows that Anderson portrays women as resulting from society and also by birth, by a different genetic behavior than men. Negative portrayals of women abound throughout the novel, as evidenced in Louise Hardy, Virginia Richmond and Louise Trunion. Neurotic behavior, sex obsession and weakness abound in these portrayals. Wash Williams, Tom Willard and George Willard all are characters constructed by Anderson to show bad experiences with women. Unfaithfulness, sexual frivolity and an image of weakness to women are in these characters' tales. It is therefore quite easy to conclude that Anderson shows some evidence as to the nature of women, mainly in the perceptions of the men, but still, Anderson shows women as weak,less intelligent and unable to control passion in his novel Winesburg, Ohio.