In Sherwood Anderson’s novel Winesburg, Ohio, Anderson tells the story of a small town and what small town implies. All of the people in the town of Winesburg have settled down and put down their roots and they do not move. There are very few people who are tired of being in one place, so they get the nerve to up and leave Winesburg. Most people are stuck in this town and have secluded themselves to the same ideas because they are always surrounded by the same people and places and everyone knows everything about everybody. The people of Winesburg have not been exposed to new people or new ideas because they are rooted in this one town. The message of this novel qualifies Scott Russell Sanders’ thesis about putting down roots and extends as well as refutes Salman Rushdie’s thesis about leaving home.
The way these people live refutes the ideas of Rushdie because he argues one should not stay in one place, however; this novel extends his ideas because it shows one must not only travel to explore and see other places to distinguish our culture from others, but it also shows it is difficult to be rooted in ideas as Rushdie suggests without being rooted in a home or place first. George Willard is a prime example of Rushdie’s position. George Willard has lived in Winesburg his whole life and has become a well-known man in the town, but he also become trapped in this small town. At the end, George decides to leave the town and travel in order to gain new knowledge, experience, and to try and find himself in the city. George was first rooted in a place and then rooted himself in ideas when he decided to leave.
This novel also qualifies Russell Sanders’ thesis because all of the people in the town live exactly as Sanders suggests one should, but the novel also teaches the reader that one must also travel to appreciate roots they have put down elsewhere. When George Willard left Winesburg, he was tired of living in the same town and could not wait to leave and travel elsewhere. He did not yet appreciate the roots he had put down. The novel Winesburg, Ohio adds a new aspect to both Russell Sanders and Rushdie’s claims.
The way these people live refutes the ideas of Rushdie because he argues one should not stay in one place, however; this novel extends his ideas because it shows one must not only travel to explore and see other places to distinguish our culture from others, but it also shows it is difficult to be rooted in ideas as Rushdie suggests without being rooted in a home or place first. George Willard is a prime example of Rushdie’s position. George Willard has lived in Winesburg his whole life and has become a well-known man in the town, but he also become trapped in this small town. At the end, George decides to leave the town and travel in order to gain new knowledge, experience, and to try and find himself in the city. George was first rooted in a place and then rooted himself in ideas when he decided to leave.
This novel also qualifies Russell Sanders’ thesis because all of the people in the town live exactly as Sanders suggests one should, but the novel also teaches the reader that one must also travel to appreciate roots they have put down elsewhere. When George Willard left Winesburg, he was tired of living in the same town and could not wait to leave and travel elsewhere. He did not yet appreciate the roots he had put down. The novel Winesburg, Ohio adds a new aspect to both Russell Sanders and Rushdie’s claims.
Another source that adds new aspects to both of their arguments are the poems “Hay for the Horses” and “Ox Cart Man”: