"Winesburg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson Quiz

Answer: True

Sherwood Anderson was born in Camden, Ohio in 1876. His family moved a lot when he was young and finally settled in Clyde when Anderson was eight. Anderson Began writing "Winesburg, Ohio" in 1919, basing the characters off of people from the town of Clyde.

Answer: The Book of the Grotesque

This story sets the scene for the rest of the book. The old writer dreams of a procession of people who, seeing truths floating around in the air, grasp them and hold them tightly to themselves. This holding tightly to truths makes the people grotesque. The stories that follow are illustrations of these grotesques, these everyday people.

Answer: False

George Willard is also a common thread in the stories. He is seen interacting with other characters throughout the collection as a journalist for the local paper. The chapter titled "Mother" is about Mrs. Willard, the final story is about George leaving the town, and "The Book of the Grotesque" is a view of the aged George Willard.

Answer: Truths scribbled on scraps of paper and stuffed into the doctor's pocket

Doctor Reefy was in the habit of writing down truths that he came upon in the course of his day and stuffing them in his pockets. Eventually these bits of truth would turn into hard little pellets of paper. After his pocket was full of these hard pellets he would turn out his pockets and begin the process all over again.

Answer: The Winesburg Eagle

George Willard was the only reporter for "The Winesburg Eagle."

Answer: Kate Swift

Kate Swift is viewed as a plain and cold woman by the town. In reality she is full of passion. In this story she is eager to impress upon George the importance of life and of his own genius. She fails to do so. George falls asleep muttering, "I have missed something Kate Swift was trying to tell me."

Answer: Loneliness

When Enoch moved to New York people did come to see him at his apartment; he even got married. Enoch was too excited by the big city and found himself unable to say all the things that he wanted to say to his friends. His marriage dissolved and he stopped inviting people over. He preferred the company of his own silent creations.

Answer: False

Although we tend to think that the past is a golden era which is void of the troubles of modern life, some documents tell us otherwise. In "Winesburg, Ohio" there are stories concerning the troubles of having relations out of wedlock and about a husband beating his mother-in-law for embarrassing his estranged wife. Anderson exposes human nature in these stories, fully aware that it is sometimes grotesque.

Answer: Reverend Hartman

Reverend Hartman had taken to looking in Kate Swift's window at night, as he could see her from his church office. He viewed her as a sinner, but still he was excited by the sight of her slender neck as she smoked cigarettes. One night she knelt to pray. The reverend was overcome by a message from God sent through Kate Swift. He broke his office window with his fist.

Answer: Elizabeth Willard

After a long illness George's mother died at the age of 41. The day she died George decided to "go to some city. Perhaps (to get)a job on some newspaper." This decision led George to the writing life. We meet the aged George at the beginning of the book, in "The Book of the Grotesque."