Anton Talarico | Definitive Analysis | Sherwood Anderson's "The Strength of God" (Winesburg, Ohio)

The scenes that Anderson is capable of staging is simply marvelous, and this short story, "The Strength of God," imagines a character caught in a nightmarish situation. A reverend of the town can't control his attraction to a woman, and must endure a terrifying, yet self-edifying experience in which he questions his entire identity, a Hellenistic man crazed on desire, who carries himself proudly and morally sound through the world if not for this one woman, the one he stares at through the broken window, the one he can't get out of his mind. I knew when reading through Winesburg, Ohio that I had to do a lecture on this story mainly because it's just so good, and different. And wonderfully crafted. The story speaks to the boundless desire that may be found in all of us and the idea that some of us may just contain it better than others. But if there is one crack in the glass, well then there might be cause for concern. It could be the one weakness that brings down the whole wall. Perhaps an Achilles heel of some sort...