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"The Egg" is based partially off of personal expiriences throughout Sherwood Anderson's life. An English teacher would assign this story to a class so that they can make observations and draw comparisons between the authors life and his stories.
Sherwood Anderson is from the beginning of the twenieth century in northern United States. In the short story "The Egg" there are many examples of the time and culture. In "The Egg", the father raises chickens in a chicken farm. This shows the culture of Ohio in this particular time period because in the twenieth century, Ohio was a big farming state. In "The Egg", there are examples of twenieth century resources. "When he did so he blew out the light.." This brings in the understanding of the time period. It shows that they did not have electricity in their house and instead had to use candles. This understanding of time and culture helps us make connections in the reading.
Anderson's passion for literature grew not long after his Manufacturing company took off. During his free time, he wrote. On November 28th of 1912, Sherwood "left business for literature", leaving a note on Cornelias desk saying, " There is a bridge over a river with cross-ties before it. When I come to that I’ll be all right. I’ll write all day in the sun and the wind will blow through my hair." He traveled to Chicago and took a job as a copy-writer at the Taylor-Critchfield Advirtising Company, only visiting his family on weekends.
"Anderson's interest in the emerging world of American industry had previously
been reflected in the agrarian-industrial conflict in Winesburg, Ohio, Poor White, and many of his short stories, including 'The Egg' and 'Ohio Pagan.' [Then], however, his concern with industrialism became much more politically focused" (Esplugas)
When Anderson married Cornelia Lane in 1904, he accepted a job where he became the president of the United Factories Company. They moved to Cleveland so he could pursue his job. In 1907, Anderson thought he needed to make more money to support their growing family. He started up his own company which carried a product called "Roof-fix". By 1908 the Anderson Manufacturing Company was a success.
Sherwood Anderson was part of a group in Chicago called the Chicago Group. The group included writers Carl Sandburg and Theodore Deiser.
"There is something about prosperity, the hunger for it, the pretense in all
these middle-class Americans, that makes the soul sick." (Esplugas)
"It is possible that Anderson found his inspiration to write the strangest story in
Winesburg, Ohio, 'Tandy,' in an equally strange Sologub story called 'The White Mother.' Both stories deal with a disillusioned young man gripped by a vision of the perfect woman, called by one 'Tamar' and the other 'Tandy.'" (Campbell)
The Life of
Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood Anderson rarely attended school. He was kept busy helping to support his family with jobs such as, newsboy, housepainter, stable groom, ect. Sherwood was given the nickname "Jobby" because of all the jobs he took on. When Sherwood was 17, he moved to Chicago where he attended business classes at night, and became a warehouse laborer. In 1885, Sherwood enrolled in the National Guard and served in the Spanish-American war. After the war, he returned to school in Ohio for his final year of schooling at Wittenberg Academy in Springfield.
"Sherwood Anderson." Sherwood Anderson. 13 Nov. 2012
<http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/shanders.htm>.
"Sherwood Anderson, A Brief Biography 1876-1941." The
Sherwood Anderson Foundation. 13 Nov. 2012 <http://sherwoodandersonfoundation.org/2010/02/sherwood_anderson_a_brief_biog_1.php>.
"Sherwood Anderson's Biography." Sherwood Anderson.
13 Nov. 2012 <http://www.umich.edu/~eng217/student_projects/anderson/biography.htm>.
What was one of Sherwood Anderson's biggest influences from his
personal life, that were incorporated into his stories?
What was the genre of the short story "The Egg"?
Do you think the time and culture of the short story helped you get a
better understanding of it? If so, why?