I did enjoy Anderson. His prose is poetic but much more poignant than, say, Faulkner's "Absalom! Absalom!" I had immense difficulty with that book!
I do believe that Masters is far more critical of small town life; he creates a thread of power and corruption that winds its way through the narrative of the 'grotesques' on the hill, emanating from the ominous Thomas Rhodes. I think that Masters felt that corruption and intrigue was (and is) a part of human existence, small town or big town. Anderson sympathizes with the small town man and woman more; I think that he demonstrates (at least in one part, through Jesse Bentley's narrative) the loss of spirituality and connectedness with the land to the oncoming winds of human progress--Jesse's God is silent. Jesse, being deranged by his faith, finds this silence maddening. He seeks the face of God through capitalism, in expanding his land, and through buying new machines.
Hey, I'd love to let ya read the paper sometime. How'd your semester go?
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I do believe that Masters is far more critical of small town life; he creates a thread of power and corruption that winds its way through the narrative of the 'grotesques' on the hill, emanating from the ominous Thomas Rhodes. I think that Masters felt that corruption and intrigue was (and is) a part of human existence, small town or big town. Anderson sympathizes with the small town man and woman more; I think that he demonstrates (at least in one part, through Jesse Bentley's narrative) the loss of spirituality and connectedness with the land to the oncoming winds of human progress--Jesse's God is silent. Jesse, being deranged by his faith, finds this silence maddening. He seeks the face of God through capitalism, in expanding his land, and through buying new machines.
Hey, I'd love to let ya read the paper sometime. How'd your semester go?
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