In Sherwood Anderson's story "Adventure," Alice Hindman is a character that is as "cold as a stone," not just because she is delusional but stuck in the past as well. She is grieving the loss of her lover, Ned Currie, who left Winesburg to pursue his dreams. Ned wrote to Alice for a long time, but eventually stopped as he had created a new life for himself that Alice was no longer a part of. Even after ten years, Alice is still longing for Ned; she cannot come to terms with the fact that Ned was gone, along with the feelings he brought, because she refuses to let go of the past. She is chasing the ideal of feeling needed and loved that Ned represented, and she will not let go. Anderson writes, "She did not want Ned Currie or any other man. She wanted to be loved, to have something to answer the call that was growing louder and louder within her" (119). Alice hoped for Ned to return to her, but even after he stopped writing and it was clear she was no longer his desire, she continued to long to be loved and feel the way she felt in the past. She was delusional as she thought that this love would come to her, even though she remained isolated, not acting upon her feelings. Anderson expresses Alice's failure to reach the ideal when he states, "Many people must live and die along, even in Winesburg" (120).
Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
A look at the short story "Adventure" from Winesburg, Ohio and the themes of delusion and longing for the past
Read the entire story here.