Winesburg’s telegraph operator. Wash is a filthy, obese man who does not associate with other men in town and is notoriously misogynistic. Seeing George Willard kiss Belle Carpenter inspires Wash to warn George about the perils of trusting women. Cheated on by his wife, Wash has come to the conclusion that all women are “bitches” who only manipulate and betray men. His story does not convince George, who is left feeling physically ill at the overwhelming resentment Wash expresses.
Wash Williams Quotes in Winesburg, Ohio
The Winesburg, Ohio quotes below are all either spoken by Wash Williams or refer to Wash Williams. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
11. A Man of Ideas
Quotes
“Let’s take decay. Now what is decay? It’s fire. It burns up wood and other things…This sidewalk here and this feed store, the trees down the street there—they’re all on fire. They’re burning up. Decay you see is always going on…The world is on fire. Start your pieces in the paper that way. Just say in big letters ‘The World is On Fire.’ That will make ‘em look up.”
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Wash Williams Quotes in Winesburg, Ohio
The Winesburg, Ohio quotes below are all either spoken by Wash Williams or refer to Wash Williams. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
11. A Man of Ideas
Quotes
“Let’s take decay. Now what is decay? It’s fire. It burns up wood and other things…This sidewalk here and this feed store, the trees down the street there—they’re all on fire. They’re burning up. Decay you see is always going on…The world is on fire. Start your pieces in the paper that way. Just say in big letters ‘The World is On Fire.’ That will make ‘em look up.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
