Sherwood Anderson and Ernest Hemingway are two very influential American writers. Both have contributed a lot to the development of the short story, especially to its sub-genre, story of initiation, with various of their works. In this essay, I want to analyse some of their most famous stories in order to highlight some important initiatory aspects. Firstly, it is interesting to take a further look at the origins of the initiation term, in order to understand why it is applied to literary theorie. Then I will elaborate some important elements and common features to define the initiation story as a literary genre. In the following, to illustrate the theory, I will look at the way Sherwood Anderson built up his stories of initiation. To get a further idea of Anderson's texts and ideologies, I will shortly explain the Freudian influence on his texts and his opinion about American industrialisation. With those information in mind, one can easier understand, how he elaborates his theory of the grotesques, the characters of his work Winesburg, Ohio. In order to understand how this collection of short stories is contently held together, it is essential to have a look at George Willard, the protagonist, and his development and initiation. In the following chapter I will make plain, that the initiation theme is also a very important aspect in a lot of other short stories of Anderson, as for example in „I want to know why“, where a boy painfully has to encounter a form of sexual initiation. To be able to identify also other styles of creating initiation stories, I will focus on Hemingway's Nick Adams stories, on the first one, „Indian camp“, where young Nick is forcefully initiated to birth and death, and on the last one, „Fathers and sons“, where Nick as a father himself reflects on his past and his father. Finally, I will make a short comparison between both authors in order to be able to draw a conclusion in the end.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Initiation
3. Story of initiation
4. Sherwood Anderson and his stories of initiation
4.1. Anderson and Freud
4.2. Industrialisation and its impact on innocence
4.3. Theory of the Grotesque
4.4. Initiation of George Willard in Winesburg, Ohio
4.5. „I want to know why“
5. Hemingway's Nick Adams
5.1. „Indian camp“
5.2. „Fathers and sons“
6. Comparison Anderson and Hemingway
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This essay explores the literary sub-genre of the "story of initiation" through the works of Sherwood Anderson and Ernest Hemingway. The research focuses on how these authors depict the transition from childhood innocence to the complex, often painful reality of adulthood, examining the role of epiphanies and disillusionment in the development of their respective protagonists.
- The historical and literary origins of the initiation concept.
- The "grotesque" and the development of George Willard in Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio.
- The psychoanalytical and social factors influencing Anderson's initiation narratives.
- The "iceberg technique" and the progression of Nick Adams in Hemingway's short stories.
- A comparative analysis of the distinct narrative styles and philosophical approaches between Anderson and Hemingway.
Excerpt from the Book
4.3. Theorie of the Grotesque
[...] In the beginning when the world was young there were a great many thoughts but no such thing as a truth. Man made the truths himself and each truth was a composite of a great many vague thoughts. All about in the world were the truths and they were all beautiful. [...] The Moment one of people took one of the truths to himself, called it his truth, and tried to live his life by it, he became a grotesque and the truth he embraced became a falsehood.
(„The Book of the Grotesque“; In: Ferres (1966), 25f)
This quotation, taken from Anderson's „Book of the Grotesque“, the first chapter of Winesburg, Ohio, gives a good impression on of what kind of people this collection of short stories is about. People obsessed by their own ideas, who discover that the world is much complexer and that their truth cannot grasp the whole reality. In a way everyone must be considered a grotesque. In industrial America especially, Anderson „saw the grotesqueness of a culture grown old and tired before it had a chance to grow up.“(Burbank (1964), 23) Loneliness and solitude of the grotesque were by-products of materialism and industrialisation. In connection with that, Papinchak observes:
The grotesque represents the idea that 'the vague thoughts' of the truth [are] a precious secret essence ... that society, and more particularly industrial society, threatens there essences; that the old good values of life have been destroyed by the industrial dispensation; that people have been cut off from each other and even from themselves.
(Papinchak (1992), 6)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the significance of Anderson and Hemingway in developing the initiation story and states the analytical goals of the essay.
2. Initiation: Explores the anthropological and lexical roots of the term "initiation," emphasizing the transition from innocence to maturity.
3. Story of initiation: Defines the literary characteristics of the initiation story, comparing it to the tradition of the Bildungsroman.
4. Sherwood Anderson and his stories of initiation: Analyzes Anderson's psychological depth, his critique of industrialization, and his specific narrative focus on the "puzzled boy."
4.1. Anderson and Freud: Examines how psychoanalytical concepts, particularly repression, shape the emotional landscapes in Anderson's fiction.
4.2. Industrialisation and its impact on innocence: Discusses Anderson's nostalgia for pre-industrial America and his belief that modern society corrupts the human spirit.
4.3. Theory of the Grotesque: Investigates the concept of "grotesque" characters who become isolated by clinging to single, limited truths.
4.4. Initiation of George Willard in Winesburg, Ohio: Details the development of George Willard as the unifying figure and protagonist within the collection.
4.5. „I want to know why“: Provides a detailed case study of a young narrator experiencing a jarring loss of innocence regarding adult sexuality.
5. Hemingway's Nick Adams: Introduces the Nick Adams stories as a blueprint for an apprentice's initiatory trials throughout Hemingway's work.
5.1. „Indian camp“: Analyzes the protagonist's confrontation with the duality of life, birth, and death in one of Hemingway's foundational short stories.
5.2. „Fathers and sons“: Discusses the later life of Nick Adams as an adult, examining his reflections on his father and the cycle of initiation through his own parenthood.
6. Comparison Anderson and Hemingway: Contrasts the two authors, noting Anderson's influence on Hemingway and their shared focus on the "American innocent."
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, asserting that initiation is a complex, often uncompleted process of self-discovery.
8. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary literature used to construct the analysis.
Keywords
Initiation, Sherwood Anderson, Ernest Hemingway, Nick Adams, George Willard, Winesburg Ohio, Bildungsroman, Grotesque, Innocence, Maturity, Epiphany, American Literature, Psychoanalysis, Industrialization, Disillusionment
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the literary genre of the "initiation story" in American literature, specifically examining the works of Sherwood Anderson and Ernest Hemingway as they track the loss of innocence in their young protagonists.
Which authors are analyzed as the primary subjects?
The essay focuses on Sherwood Anderson, particularly his collection Winesburg, Ohio, and Ernest Hemingway, specifically his series of stories featuring the character Nick Adams.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The objective is to highlight and compare the initiatory aspects in these authors' works, illustrating how they depict the painful transition from childhood to adult awareness.
What scientific methods are utilized?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, utilizing psychoanalytical perspectives, structural examination of short story collections, and the application of established literary theories regarding the Bildungsroman and the "grotesque."
What specific topics are covered in the main body?
The analysis covers the definition of the initiation genre, the influence of Freud on Anderson, the impact of American industrialization, the function of the "grotesque," the development of key characters like George Willard and Nick Adams, and the thematic use of epiphanic moments.
Which terms define the essence of this study?
Essential keywords include Initiation, Grotesque, Innocence, Epiphany, Disillusionment, and the specific narrative techniques characteristic of Anderson and Hemingway.
How does Hemingway's "iceberg technique" impact his stories of initiation?
The technique requires the reader to interpret underlying meanings, as Hemingway refrains from explicitly stating the outcomes of the initiation process, forcing the reader to engage more personally with the characters.
How do the themes of the father and son differ between Anderson's and Hemingway's selected stories?
While both emphasize the struggle of communication, Hemingway’s stories (especially "Fathers and Sons") explicitly tie the struggle to the father's suicide and the son’s later reflections as an adult, creating a circular structure of inherited experiences.
- Quote paper
- Stefanie Brunn (Author), 2006, Sherwood Anderson's and Ernest Hemingway's stories of initiation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/77103
