Summary: The strength of God Reverend Curtis Hartman would pray for help before a sermon.

One Sunday, the minister was shocked to see Kate Swift naked in the next house through the bell tower window. His sermons became wholly directed at her. The minister broke a corner of the window. His soul was deeply troubled. Curtis peered at Kate naked in bed. One night, he decided to give himself over completely to the sin of his thoughts. The naked woman appeared and prayed. The minister ran into George Willards office, crying that Kate was a message of truth from God. He had been delivered.

1. What picture do you get of the Reverend Hartman at the beginning of the story? Give a brief description of his attitude towards his work? The Reverend is by nature very reticent and silent. Some people like him for his scholarly and refined manners. He is tall and wears a brown beard. People like him because he does not offend and is unpretentious. In fact, he wonders if he really has the fire for God necessary to be a minister and wishes he could cry his devotion from the rooftops. Yet he is too timid and unsure of himself to do little more than deliver his carefully prepared sermons.

2. How did the townspeople regard the Reverend? Do you have any remarks to make on his wife? The Reverend is liked by the townspeople for his quiet and unpretentious ways. The Reverends wife, Sarah, was a stout woman whose father had given her five thousand dollars on her wedding day. The minister had thought himself fortunate in marriage and had never permitted himself to think of other women. However, his wife was quite dull, dry, and mediocre.

3. The first paragraph of the story draws attention to the fact that in the Reverends prayers there was this one predominating sentence. Give me strength and courage for Thy work. O Lord! What is the root of this emphasis by the author? Reverend Curtis Hartman, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Winesburg, was a quiet man and often dreaded speaking from the pulpit on Sunday. Before the sermons on Sunday morning, he would retire to the study in the bell tower to pray for Gods help. He was not the confident type, lacking in abilities and qualities inherent in a talented preacher. He often wished he could arouse more enthusiasm among his parishioners.

7. Did Reverend Hartmans limited experience with women have anything to do with the shock he experienced at the sight of the smoking woman in bed? Or the roof of all this might have a lain elsewhere deeper in his subconscious? What do you think? The reverends passion for woman has been strongly repressed ever since his childhood partly because of his personality, his educational background and partly because of the demands of his job. However, basic human drives or needs do not simply vanish: they continue to ferment

beneath his apparently placid exterior and surface overwhelmingly at the sight of the smoking woman in bed 8. What implications can we find of Reverend Hartmans breaking out a corner of the window, and, thus, ripping off the bare heel of the praying boy in the design? What do you understand by peep? (par. 9) The nipping off of the bare heel might interpreted as the destruction of the foundation of faith for the Reverend. We learn from Greek mythology about Achilles heel, i.e. a weak point or fault in sbs character which can be attacked by other people (named after the Greek hero Achilles. When he was a small child, his mother dipped him into the river Stys, which made him invulnerable (=he could not be injured). She held him by his heel, which therefore was not touched by the water. Achilles died after being wounded by an arrow in the heel). In this context, the heel can also be viewed as mans fatal weakness: insatiable lust for woman, which can be regarded as the biggest temptation man has ever exposed to. The subconscious: thoughts, instincts, fears in the mind of which one is not fully aware but which influence ones actions. The unconscious: that part of ones mental activity of which one is unaware, but which can be detected and understood through the skilled analysis of ones fears, dreams, behaviour, ect. Id: part of the mind relating to a persons unconscious instincts and impulses Ego: part of the mind that can feel, think, and act. Superego: part of a persons mind which contains a set of rules for right and wrong behaviour, acting as a conscience (a component of the superego) Repression mechanism functions Unconscious reactions/ mechanisms prompt our feelings and actions. Inhibition: a restraint on the direct expression of an instinct. To rationalize: not to give the real reason for what we are doing either to ourselves or to other people because the real reason is unacceptable. To project: think, esp. unconsciously, sb shares ones own feelings (usu: Unpleasant ones) eg, You mustnt project your guilt on to me. Sex fixation) Free association: a method of investigating a persons unconscious by eliciting from his or her spontaneous associations with ideas proposed by the examiner. 9. What do you think of Reverend Hartmans talk to the congregation on that Sunday morning? Was it an excuse he made for secretly peeping at the school teacher?

One Sunday morning during the summer. Curtis was in the study with its one window open. Through the window, the minister was shocked to see a woman in the next house lying in bed and smoking while she read a book. He quickly shut the window, horrified that he had viewed such sin and had seen the bare shoulders and neck of a women. His sermon that Sunday gained fervor as he spoke to reach the ears of the sinful woman he had seen. When the ministers passion is revived it is not because of God but because of a womans sexuality. Ironically, as the minister prayed for a greater power of God, he noticed Kate Swifts bare shoulders through his window. This window is a view intro the hypocrisy of the ministers soul. Not only does he see Kate Swift through an open window which has an image of Christ patting a boys head but be later breaks hat window to be able to continue to see Kate after it is too cold to keep the window open. Christ and his faith do not allow the minister to break free of his inhibitions, a womans body does. 10.What undercurrents of guilt can you find in Reverend Hartmans apparently loving care for his wife? The minister feels guilty and full of remorse because in his mind he has committed the sin of adultery. In order to cover the whole affair up and propitiate his troubled conscience, he behaved like a lover in the presence of his wife. In fact, he could by no means stop thinking of Kate Swift, which once again, highlighted the aspect of hypocrisy in his thinking and actions. 11. The Reverend turned to God desperately for help as his thought was by greater degrees occupied with the image of the school teacher. He even blamed God for all this trial. Your comment. That the minister shifted the blame from him onto God once more brings out in full relief his weakness and cowardice. Lacking in both experience and confidence our man repeatedly begged for Gods help to instill in him more strength to cope with his libido. And when he found that he only struggled in vain, he started to put the fault at Gods door arguing that God did not treat him fairly enough for all the good services hes rendered so far, as is stated in the following In a way he began to blame God, saying to himself that he had tried to keep his feet in the true path and had not run about seeking sin: Through my days as a young man and all through my life here I have gone quietly about my work. he declared. Why now should I be tempted? What have I done that this burden should be laid on me? 12. Reverend Hartman argued with himself that his deliberate intention to watch the figure of Kate Swift lying in bed was a test of his soul which he must go through to seek the light of righteousness. Do you believe him? Or do you think it was simply an excuse for his sinful desire to peep? It is just an excuse for the minister to satisfy his almost unstoppable sexual drives. Just like the angry flood waters bursting the banks, the id in him continuously makes deep inroads onto his ego and finally leads him up to an outright challenge to and defiance of the inhibitions, imposed

by his superego. Here we can see the forces of rationalizing fully at work inside of the Reverend as is illustrated in his attempt not to give the real reason is unacceptable 13. Why did Reverend Hartman deliberately let the blackest thoughts enter his head and start hating his wife? Up to this point of the story we can conclude that the unrelenting waves of attacks staged by the forces of sexual urges and passion have eventually reached the ministers last line of defense. Now he wanted to throw all caution to the winds, defying all accepted standards upheld by society such as conjugal fidelity and abandoning himself completely to the pleasures of the flesh. 14. The climax of the story arrives when Kate Swift threw herself, all naked, upon the bed, weeping and praying. The Reverend Hartman lost control of himself, breaking up the window glass and then dashing out of the church running wild in the streets. What insight are we given by this incident into the Reverends soul? What conclusion can we reach, upon this point, about the message the writer meant to put across to the reader? The window mentioned in the story offers a view into the hypocrisy of the ministers soul. Not only does he see Kate Swift through an open window which has an image of Christ patting a boys head, but later breaks that window to be able to continue to see Kate after it is too cold to keep the window open. Christ and his faith do not allow the minister to break free of his inhibitions as a womans body does. 2. What did George Willard mean when he thought that Kate Swift was just letting on? George Willard was both amused and excited by the thought that his ex-teacher was in love with; yet, at the same time, he was not quite convinced that Kate Swift really feel for him. Perhaps she just strung him along. 3. Hop Higgins, the night watchman, seemed to play no part in the story. Yet, his presence in some ways adds to the meaning of the story. What do you think is the significance of his role? Hop Higgins symbolized the normal life which was flowing on outside of the tormented souls in Winesburg buffeted by the winds of love and passion. His life was simple, and focused on the daily task of making both ends meet by raising the ferrets. It functions, we might say, as a backdrop against which the tumultuous events in the lives of Kate Swift, George Willard, and Curtis Hartman stood out. 4. On that fateful night, both the winter and the Reverend thought of Kate Swift, and it was as though the man and the boy, by thinking of her, had driven her forth into the wintry streets. What emotional bond can you find that binds these three tormented souls into this dramatic pattern of love?

These three souls are inextricably interwoven in a love triangle characterized by loneliness, grief, desire, passion and love. Reverend Curtis Hartman couldnt take his mind off Kate Swift, who had her heart set on George Willard. Likewise, George Willard, with no less intensity longed for the body of Kate Swift. 5. Comment on the authors comparison of Kate Swift to a goddess (par. 12) When the author compared Kate Swift to a goddess, he had 2 implications for the reader. The first implication is that in the eerie moonlit night Kate Swift, despite some imperfections in her appearance, looked attractive and enchanting. Yet, as is always with goddesses, she also appeared distant and unapproachable for her characteristics. 6. Why did the writer say she would not have turned back had she remembered the word of the doctor? Did she know it was a danger to be abroad in the storm on that night? Now that Kate Swift was ablaze with thoughts of love for George Willard such things as physical health or the doctors advice could hardly mean anything to her. 7. Was Kate Swift loveable to the school kids? Account for the abrupt change in her mood after her amusing story about the German music teacher? These swings of moods or mood changes from hilarious joys to deep meditation were understandable in such a woman as Kate Swift whom thoughts of loneliness, yearnings, love and desire constantly preyed on her mind 8.What do you understand by Day by day as she worked in the schoolroom or walked in the streets, grief, hope and desire fought within her? What grief, hope and desire do you think this thirty-yearold teacher might hold in her heart? She was deeply aggrieved at her present lonely life which seemed to permanently be tinged with melancholy and frustration. Perhaps the hopes she held in her bosom were entertained for a change for the better in her life which could be only brought about by the magic wand of love. As for desires, she also looked forward to a man in her dream who could love her tender, kiss her hard and hold her tight. She wanted, in other words, a shoulder to lean on in those solitary moments of her life. 9.Explain the meaning of The people of the town make and mar their own lives. What do you understand by the most eagerly passionate soul and fighting out some battle raging within ? They thought of her as a queer individual who held herself aloof from other people. In fact, they failed to penetrate her shell of cold exterior and strong personality and thus were unable to find a very earnest and loving person inside of her. The phrase fighting out some battle raging within refers to her resolution to rise above her mediocre existence to reach what she dreamed of. 10.How come that the mother gave her daughter such a good dressing down ?

The mother severely scolded her daughter for she found in the latter the very personality trait which she detested in her late husband : love for adventure and a strong determination to break through the constraints of the monotonous everyday world. Stout (adj.) Boast (verb) livery barn (n) veranda (n)

Pedantic (adj.) pompous (adj.) Fiddler (n) Medley (n) squirm (v) shudder (v)

Find these words in the story and then match the words with the definitions given below.

1. A person who is displays his learning in a very forward and showy way. 2. A is an open porch built around the outside of a house. 3. An assortment or mixture of various elements is called a . 4. To tremble or shake with fear, cold, disgust, excitement, etc is to 5. Someone who behaves in a very self-important and exaggerated manner is . 6. Horses and carriages for hire and kept in a . 7. To means to brag or to talk about oneself and ones abilities too much. 8. A person is rather heavy-or-fat, but talk that strong and bold. 9. When we we twist and turn our bodies somewhat like snakes. 10. A is a colloquial word for someone who plays the violin. SHORT SUMMARY In late fall, thoughts of being a man filled George Willards head, as it does with every boy at some point. He felt lonely thinking about his departure from Winesburg. George thought of Helen White, who had gone to college but was home for the fair. George was marching toward Helens house when he saw her outside and took her hand. The two walked to the deserted Fair Ground, thinking about their triviality. They wanted love, but felt lonely. They would kiss but not for long. Embarrassed, the two played like animals. The silent night together had satiated a great need for both. A. General Comprehension 1. What sort of mood was George Willard in?

George was in the process of growing into manhood and, therefore, on the threshold of the adult world, felt isolated and lonely for he began to realize that from now on he had to take his life into his own hands. During this period of transition to adulthood, his feelings were torn between two conflicting trends: one of looking back upon the past that was gone or ever and a future that were fraught with uncertainties and challenges. Wild regrets and somber thoughts, we may say, are the two principal feelings that colored his mood on that evening. 2. Who had George been thinking about all day? Helen White was the woman that had taken possession of all his thoughts on that day. He wanted to be with her and to try to make her feel the change he believed had taken place in his nature. In other words, George Willard wanted a womans company so that he was able to pour out the newly discovered feelings and impulses which occurred to him on that evening. (empathy) 3. What were both George and Helen remembering? Both of them remembered the summer evening when they had a walk together and what thoughts and feelings they shared as to their determination to assert themselves in the adult world. They had every confidence that their aspirations and decisions about the road ahead would be fully vindicated. With a little gasp he sees himself as merely a leaf blown by the wind through the streets of his village. He knows that in spite of all the stout talk of his fellows he must live and die uncertainty, a thing blown by the winds, a thing destined like corn to wilt in the sun.). The thought of the fleeting existence of man even makes George court the thought of death (Already he hears death calling) The sadness of sophistication to the discovery of a new sense of maturity which sets him apart, made of him a halftragic figure. 4. Where did George and Helen go to together? They went to the Fair Ground and sat on the grand stand to watch the lights of the town. 5. Did they express their feelings for each other? No, they just kept their thoughts to themselves. However, by sharing their thoughts and feelings together in silence we might say one was in communion with each other as is stated in the text What he felt was reflected in her. B. Delving Deeper 6. Why was George feeling lonely? George felt lonely because he deeply knew that from now on he had to walk the long winding road of life alone. Though he had Helen to keep him company but he was convinced that as a man the decisions he made must be his own as to how to shape his life and plan the future. It is true that he had reverence for Helen, and wanted to love and to be loved by her, but he did not want at the moment to be confused by her womanhood. As a man he wanted to stand on his own feet and take the business of life on his

own terms. As is illustrated by the text, Helen was deeply aware of his mood and walked beside him filled with respect. He wanted to be a man in his own right. 7. What does Anderson mean by the sadness of sophistication The sadness of sophistication occurs to one when the peaceful and happy period of childhood and adolescence is forever left behind ones back and ahead is lying the long, challenging and unknown road of adult life. One then starts to realize the vanities of life in the face of the immense universe, as is pointed out in the text: men who before his time have come out of nothingness into the world, lived their lives and again disappeared into nothingness. Man is just like a limp of clay which is shaped at will by fate, quite unsure what will happen in the future( With a little gasp he sees himself as merely a leaf blown by the wind through 8. How did Helens mood shift during the day? Why? Helen White, who also had come to a period of change, wanted to see George to let him know the change in her nature. Though without a word, she, together with George shared the same feelings and thoughts about the new sense of maturity which had just occurred to them. She had grown up, and her being conscious of lifes vast possibilities made her sick of the empty pompous and shallow words of the young instructor. Only when she joined George on the grand stand at the Town Fair did she regained her own peace and the new sense of maturity that she achieved before. 9. What decision do you think George and Helen came to about their lives? They are now ready for this important turning point in their life: crossing the line dividing adolescence and manhood into the challenging world of adulthood. Life ahead is fraught with problems and hardships, but they know so long as they stand together and remain what they are nothing can stop them. And the rewards for their efforts would be great. The rewards of a well-spent life always are 10. What is the thing that makes the mature life of men and women in the modern world possible (last line of the story) the will to accept the challenges of the adult world. the strong belief in human values and traditions to prevail over trials and strenuous tests they were put up to in this vast school of life love and mutual understanding that bind man and woman in an unshakable union to help them successfully navigate the troubled waters of human existence to reach the port of happiness and peace.