In Introduction to Literature, Criticism, and Theory, Bennett and Royle state, “Never fully present or fully absent, a figure of fantasy and elusiveness, the author only ever haunts” (Bennett and Royale, 22). Thus, the presence of the writer is evident in texts, but not necessarily in direct fashion. More often, the reader can only infer the intentions and motivation of the author through character depiction, plot development, and themes. This notion is quite evident in The Egg by Sherwood Anderson. Although not directly autobiographical, Anderson’s story includes several aspects interestingly similar to the author’s own life and family. The narrator describes key childhood memories of his parents, and their ambitious struggles for success. In the end, the narrator presents a general outlook on life that is both tragic and cynical as his father loses his youthful happiness and optimism for life.

In the story, Anderson writes, “My Father was, I am sure, intended by nature to be a cheerful, kindly man” (Anderson, 45). However, motivated partially by the provocation of his wife, the narrator’s father attempts to run a chicken farm with her—a goal the narrator claims is part of “the American passion for getting up in the world” (Anderson, 45). According to the narrator, this endeavor is thwarted at all sides, leading him to state, “From the beginning they were impressions of disaster and if, in my turn, I am a gloomy man inclined to see the darker side of life, I attribute it to the fact that what should have been for me the happy joyous days of childhood were spent on a chicken farm” (Anderson, 46). The child is not the only sad, frustrated character in this story. Later, the narrator reports, “At any rate an egg ruined his [the Father’s] new impulse in life” (Anderson, 52). Unable to succeed as a friendly restaurateur, the narrator’s father ends up kneeling by his bed, where “He began to cry like a boy and I, carried away by his grief, cried with him” (Anderson, 52). Anderson’s depiction of the promise of success, embodied in the egg, which is easily shattered and untenable, presents a story of depression and frustration that he, himself, would find familiar.

The focus of the Father in The Egg can easily connected with the history of Anderson’s own father, who “was an easygoing, improvident man whose itinerant habits resulted in spotty educations for his children.” (Answers.com). Both the father in The Egg and Anderson’s own father was not considered financially successful. Also, as with the narrator’s father, Sherwood himself knew financial discord, and emotional breakdown in his own pursuits for success. Anderson began a “successful career in advertising” (Answers.com), but later switched to managing a paint factory. Instead of success, he ended up “suffering from nervous exhaustion and amnesia, [whereby] he suddenly deserted his factory” (Answers.com). This collapse sounds very similar to the aforementioned scene of the narrator’s father wailing in grief because he failed miserably at the restaurant business. Likewise, Anderson experienced mixed reviews on his literary works. His later writings “received scant attention” (Answers.com). One could also try to connect the cavalier vocational attempts of the father in The Egg with Anderson’s own personal predilection for personal change. Anderson was “married four times; he had two sons and one daughter by his first wife. Having deserted Ohio for Chicago, he traveled extensively in Europe” (Answers.com).

Of course, whereas in The Egg, “The problem [of success] remains unsolved in my [the narrator’s] mind” (Anderson, 56), the same may or may not be true for Anderson who enjoyed some literary success later in life. Many elements in his writings, and especially in The Egg, seem to mirror his own personal story. Yet, without a definitive affirmation or proof from the author, it is still plausible but not provable that Anderson wrote works such as The Egg as an autobiography. As such, Anderson can only remain a “ghost” in The Egg—just an authorial impression without flesh.

Works Cited

Anderson, Sherwood. The Egg and Other Stories. Mineola: Dover, 2013.

Bennett, Andrew, and Nicholas Royle. Introduction to Literature, Criticism, and Theory. 4th Edition. New York: Routledge, 2009.