NARRATIVE TIME AND MEMORY IN SHERWOOD ANDERSON’S WINESBURG, OHIO

Abstract

 This study examines the representation of narrative time and memory in Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio. The research aims to identify how memory, retrospection, and subjective perceptions of time contribute to the psychological portrayal of characters. A qualitative narratological approach was employed, drawing on theories of narrative time and modernist fiction. The analysis demonstrates that Anderson abandons strict chronological narration in favor of fragmented temporal structures shaped by memory and consciousness. The findings reveal that memory functions both as a thematic concern and as a structural principle that determines characterization and narrative development. The study contributes to research on American modernism and psychological fiction by highlighting Anderson’s innovative treatment of time and memory.