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Situational Irony
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
Anderson's style in Winesburg, Ohio is distinctly modernist. His prose is direct and succinct, at times to the point of feeling unliterary, and it shows the clear influence of the major chroniclers of rural American life from the 19th century (Mark Twain, especially). Like much of Twain's work, Anderson's writing can feel as though it's been adapted from an oral storytelling tradition. This is particularly true of the series of "Godliness" chapters in the middle of the collection, which take place as a flashback to an earlier generation of Winesburg residents.
