Coming of Age, Independence, and Manhood Theme Analysis

As the protagonist of Winesburg, Ohio, George Willard is the common link among the novel’s interconnected stories. George, full of youth and potential, is continually confused by the mixed impressions he receives from his loved ones and acquaintances about what it truly means to be a grown man. Though several older men in town feel compelled to mentor George, confide in him, and impart their notions of life onto his impressionable mind, George is only able to mature and gain the confidence to leave Winesburg through his own personal experiences and introspection. Through George’s journey from a young boy to an adult departing his hometown and beginning his life, Anderson suggests that breaking free from small-minded circumstances and establishing independence are essential to manhood.

As George serves as an endearing confidante for many of the older men in Winesburg, the sense of youthful energy and possibility that he exudes contrasts the downtrodden, cynical attitude that seems to plague these men and envelop their hometown. Doctor Parcival, a former reporter and minister who is now a careless doctor with a dwindling medical practice, takes a liking to George and shares life lessons stemming from his dysfunctional family and questionable past. He befriends George in hopes that the young man will not become “just such another fool” and make the same mistakes in his life. Parcival’s jaded, self-victimized outlook is a blatant contrast to George’s naivete and open-mindedness. Wash Williams is another example of the many older men who try to take George under their wing. When he sees George kissing Belle Carpenter, Wash (who was cheated on and jilted by his wife), warns George about the manipulation and betrayal that “bitches” inflict upon men. Wash’s bitterness and misogyny is so aggressive that George feels “ill and weak” during their conversation, suggesting that the epidemic of disillusionment in Winesburg has the potential to corrupt George’s relatively innocent mindset.

In addition to the men who see their young selves reflected in George, other people in Winesburg resent him for the imminent success they see in his future and attempt to influence his notions of manhood by discouraging or sabotaging his plans. The envy that George’s mother Elizabeth Willard, as well as his peers Seth Richmond and Elmer Cowley, exhibit toward George highlights the hopelessness of life in Winesburg and the necessity of George’s maturation and independence in order to live a meaningful life. George’s mother Elizabeth is one of the most influential sources of confusion and discouragement that he faces as a young man on the cusp of independence. While Elizabeth wants her son to achieve his dreams (as she did not achieve hers), she is also furious with her husband Tom for encouraging George to grow up and leave Winesburg. Elizabeth’s open mockery of George’s desire to move on from his childhood home reflects her fear of being left behind and forgotten as her son fulfills his potential.

Seth Richmond and Elmer Cowley, two teenagers in Winesburg, are also envious of the promise that George’s future holds and insecure that they do not measure up in comparison. While Seth is jealous of George’s budding relationship with Helen White, Elmer resents George as a symbol of the ostracization he feels as a newcomer in the community. The indignation and mixed messages that George receives from his family and friends leave him confused, challenging his ability to think for himself and reaffirming the necessity of escaping his small-minded hometown to become an independent man.

Despite the external influences and opposition that George faces, he ultimately prevails and set out to fulfill his dreams at the end of Winesburg, Ohio. Through George’s introspective maturation at the end of the novel and subsequent departure from his hometown, Anderson demonstrates the importance of thinking independently and taking control of one’s own destiny in order to make the transition from boy to man. Just before leaving Winesburg, George attends the county fair with Helen. Looking out over the town, he “shudders at the thought of the meaninglessness of life” that would await him if he stayed. At the same time, George feels endearment for the neighbors he has grown up alongside, leaving him conflicted and guilty. This moment is the culmination of the mixed signals about his future that George has received from his peers and elders. He ultimately decides to leave town and relegates his childhood memories to “but a background on which to paint the dreams of manhood.” Wanting more from his life, George refuses to be influenced by the failure and bitterness around him, rejecting the mediocre fate that has befallen his parents and many other elders in Winesburg. By ending the novel with George’s coming-of-age and departure from Winesburg to “meet the adventure of life,” Anderson emphasizes the importance of overcoming external influences and developing an independent, mature sense of intuition and wisdom in order to make the transition from childhood into manhood.