Anton Talarico | Definitive Analysis | Sherwood Anderson's "I Want to Know Why"

Welcome and I hope you are doing well! Destination: Saratoga Springs. Our young narrator in this Sherwood Anderson short story, "I Want to Know Why," from his collection The Triumph of the Egg, is obsessed with the thoroughbred racehorses and the vibrant and diverse community that surrounds the sport and spectacle. In his secret travels to the New York racing town to spend a few days there with some of the his friends from his mid-western home, he relies on the unwavering friendship of a black man that he knows, Bildad Johnson. And this admiration grows until a white man by the name of Jerry Tillford comes into the picture - before the start of the big race - and shares a moment with our young protagonist - a moment that seems to capture the love affair they both have with these horses, these majestical, awe-inspiring beasts. But it's what happens after this moment that makes all the difference - a difference captured in noses and finish lines, where one horse, and one man are destined to come out on top, and ascend to tell the tale of their glorious achievement. At this point, our narrator must try to sift through the anguish of his experience to uncover an answer to the blazing curiosity: I want to know why. Why a man can be a man. Why a moment can transform, lose it's luster. Why the human soul contends with itself, brushing swiftly along a dusty racetrack, causing us to lose sight of what matters... As always, I hope you enjoy this Definitive Analysis. I find Anderson to be at once obtuse and highly relevant, and this short story is no exception. Enjoy, and I hope you have a beautiful day!