Spoon River Anthology Analysis

Guilt is the Nerve of Every Sorrow
A Discussion on the Theme Guilt in Spoon River Anthology Guilt can be described as an unacceptable feeling for doing something morally incorrect. When people have guilt, they have regrets for their wrong doings or for previous actions from long ago. Guilt can enhance humans’ everyday lives by making them alert and aware of their poor choices and conduct. This can also affect social lives and has the ability to isolate people from the rest of society. If the guilt is not let go or dealt with, it can be haunting. Sometimes people even feel guilt when deceased. In the book Spoon River Anthology, guilt plays a major role in the afterlife of many of the characters. “Mrs. Merritt”, “The Town Marshal”, and “Doctor Meyers” are prime examples of guilt in this book. These are their stories. First, in the poem “The Town Marshal “, a man murdered a Swede near a sawmill. No one ever discovered the crime had been committed. The town wanted a righteous man to keep order, but the towns’ people did not know that the man they embraced was a murderer. “They wanted a grim, righteous, strong, courageous, and a hater of all saloons and drinkers to keep law and order in the village.” His life and work were affected by …show more content…
In the poem “Doctor Meyers”, there was a man working as a doctor in the town Spoon River. He was an admirable man who was generous to everyone and never turned down a person in need of assistance. Doctor Meyers felt a terrible guilt when he aided Minerva by performing an abortion and she died. This is clearly stated when Doctor Meyers conveys, “They indicted me, the newspapers disgraced me, my wife perished of a broken heart.” Doctor Meyers knows that, because of his actions, two women died. While he always tried to help others, his actions backfired, and instead of helping, they caused pain and suffering. He makes his feeling of guilt known with great

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The Spoon River Anthology Analysis