Respect for "Respectability"

    All of the stories in Sherwood Anderson's piece Winesburg, Ohio do not shy from commentary on sex, gender discrimination, or society. The story "Respectability" is no exception. For some reason, I really got this text. I am not implying that my interpretation is golden and accurate but I was able to relate all the characters, weather, and scenery to some central theme that purveyed throughout Winesburg, Ohio. In the beginning of the story, an anonymous narrator describes a monkey. This monkey is a metaphor for the primal nature of man in society. The narrator states, "...women linger for a moment, trying to remember which one of her male acquaintances  in some faint way resembles" (Anderson 113). The image of women drawing parallels between men he know and his grotesque monkey directly relates he creature to men in society. Unbeknownst to the people, this monkey is a mirror of themselves. Looking at it, women see a parallel between men, reiterating Anderson's emphasis on man's primitively towards women In an "iron cage", the creature is trapped (Anderson 113). This is an allusion of the feelings of the main character Wash Williams. He is trapped by the stigma on men in his society. Men, in such a primal nature, succumb to the sexual temptation of the physical form of women. They are also tolerated to "possess" women in such non romantic objectifying manner. Wash Williams despises this characterization and is disused and disappointed that society marginalizes all men his way because he wants more than a relationship to satisfy society. He wants a relationship to satisfy his desire to actually have a connection with another aside from physical compatibility.  He sees George kissing Belle Carpenter enter even though he is not in love with her. He wants to warn George against his type of usurpation of love for sexual desire.

Wash Williams's view of men and women is quite ambiguous. Then narrator states, firs of all, he hated women. "Bitches," he called hem. His feeling toward men was somewhat different. He pitied them. "Does no  man  is life be managed for him by some bitch or any other?" (Anderson 114). I feel that Wash hates that women acquiesce to their degrading role in society. Women in a twentieth century society are meant to be submissive and to be at the hand of some man. They are viewed as objects to men and are sexualized by them. Also, they are vessels for prosperity and to carry he legacy of a man. Contrarily, Wash pities men for their weakness to the sexual temptation that women impose in order to fulfill their role in society as wives and mothers. Wash feels ha there is no living in this and he hates the fact that in his society, people live for society and not themselves and their true desires.

However, Wash is guilty of grotesque behavior as well. The same way that he views his peers as grotesque for abiding by the “truths” of social construct, he is a grotesque being (at last during his marriage) for insisting on the truth that women are all pure, beautiful, gentle, and honorable creatures. It is not until his wife corrupts this truth that he rejects all notions of the order of society at least in Winesburg, Ohio. He admits that he once did love stating,” ‘I loved her’ he said. ‘I don’t claim not to be a fool…’” (Anderson 118). The love he feels for his wife is indicative of his admiration for her purity and beauty.