"Respectability"

Last week for the Winesburg, Ohio test I read a new chapter of the book that I hadn’t seen before. “Respectability” was a story that deeply resonated with me. The tale of Wash Williams, beginning with Anderson’s eerie description of the grotesque monkey to the finish of Wash’s account was haunting. To me, Anderson draws a parallel between Wash and the gorilla in his initial description. The gorilla is horribly ugly, brooding in a cage and isolated from the city - dwellers outside. It reminds the women who pass by of men - or a man. From this description arises a theme, one of gender differences and perception- the women are reminded of grotesque men they know and later Wash despises all women because of his wife’s actions. People often judge one another based one just one individual representative of a group, and this is very evident in the relationships between men and women in “Sophistication.”

He sees women only as zombies for lack of a better word, describing them as dead inside, soulless. They exist only to feed on the life forces of men as Wash’s wife cheated on him. I can see the connection between Wash and a terrible animal; it seemed significant to me that the monkey sat noiselessly in its cage as Wash festers silently in his hatred and isolation. He never expresses his feelings to his wife about her cheating, only holds it until he explodes - like a ferocious monkey let out of its cage. And they’re not cute. They’re dangerous. Pet monkeys mangle their owners all the time. They’re like the silent killer. I’m willing to bet a large sum of money that more people die each year in monkey attacks than in shark attacks.

In addition to this animalistic connection, “Respectability” is inundated with irony. Most prominent is the main character’s name: Wash. Anderson takes care to encrust Wash’s character with grime, both figurative and literal. Even the whites of his eyes are dirty according to the author (another white reference in Winesburg, like the white dress soiled by blood in “Paper Pills.” ) The grime of his appearance seems to suggest the crusty nature of his soul - like countless layers of filth, Wash surrounds himself constantly with feelings of ineffectuality, resentment, and then hatred.

The main character’s name, Wash, signifies cleansing. It hints at a renewal of life, of spring, of freshness. It also signifies baptism and purity of spirit. Wash’s character epitomizes the opposite: he builds up sin instead of washing it away. He is the very personification of moral and physical decay, of fetidness, and of an unclean spirit. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I am drawn to him, interested. I feel that this betrayal of my expectations is what makes Wash’s character so interesting. He’s like a ticking time bomb that I’m watching with bated breath. In these respects, “Respectability” for me was without a doubt one of the most fascinating short stories in Winesburg, Ohio.