Death in the Woods

Sherwood Anderson’s short stories are considered representative of the people in the small towns that he lived in. Do you think his portrayal of the characters in “Death in the Woods” is accurate? Why do you feel this way?

The butcher is a minor character, but he offers the old woman the only kindness readers are able to see. Why was the butcher included? Would the story feel different if the character were taken out? Why?

Anderson’s characters seem caught between pre- and post-industrial America. How is Mrs. Grimes an example of one of these kinds of characters?