Anderson's "Tandy"

Sherwood Anderson’s “Tandy” is one of my favorite short stories featured in Winesburg, Ohio. Although it is the shortest passage in the book, it remains as substantial as the others.

Sherwood establishes the child’s life as sad and lonely. Evidence is not included as to whether the child feels sad and lonely, but she lives in an “unpainted” house on an “unused road” and her father gives her “but little attention” while her mother is dead (125). Furthermore, her father Tom Hard spends all his time rejecting religion and God, constantly thinking up ways to “destroy men’s faith in God” (128), which, in addition to the empty physical and emotional existence his daughter already lives, creates an emptiness in that powerful reason faith.

The narrator doesn’t refer to the child by name nor provide much insight into the child’s character until a drunken stranger who has befriended Tom Hard christens the girl Tandy. Once he gives her this name, tells her the meaning of it and describes to her his vision of a “woman coming” that will bring about a “new quality in woman” (127), the girl speaks passionately—even weeps—as she accepts and asserts the name Tandy as her own.

The scene between the stranger and Tandy, all occurring in the presence of her father, is wrought with Biblical allusions. Although I am not well versed in the Bible, I immediately drew a connection between Tandy, the stranger, and Christ. Firstly, God begins to manifest himself in the little girl (125), which is reminiscent of God manifesting himself in humanity through Jesus Christ. Secondly, the stranger comes to Winesburg “on a mission” (125) which, in context to the religious undertones, could be interpreted as a religious or otherwise spiritual mission to spread the word of God and faith.

Through his impassioned words, the stranger describes to the child a vision of a woman who is coming, who will have the courage and strength to be loved by others and who will be more than man or woman (127).  The coming of this woman sounds like the coming of Christ who, above all, is the most courageous as he sacrifices his life for love. The stranger claims that he “knows about her, although she has never crossed my path. I know about her struggles and her defeats. It is because of her defeats that she is to me the lovely one” (127).

To know of someone who has not crossed your path is the definition of faith. Admiration deriving from struggles and defeats is martyrdom. Christ is the ultimate martyr. To believe that a person may be the savior who can become more than man or woman is believing that the carpenter Jesus Christ will be the savior. The stranger solidifies the religious connotation when he falls on his knees and kisses the hands of the girl, as if he is kissing the hands of the King. Again, all this occurs in the presence of the child’s father.

However, I am not sure if the story is as clear-cut as “Tandy is Christ and the stranger is John the Baptist.” My first impression was that Tandy is Virgin Mary—she is young, innocent, female and the woman of the stranger’s vision will “ give birth to a new quality in woman” (127).  If Tandy is Mary then Christ is the intangible changes Tandy will either experience and influence on the world. The stranger is Gabriel who delivers Mary the news of her destiny.

Part of me also saw the stranger as Christ, imparting his wisdom and faith on the worthy. He is wrought with grief and the burden of his destiny, that his love won’t be realized, like Christ was burdened with his destiny of sacrifice. Christ is also a teacher and a prophet as the stranger functions in the story to Tandy. Christ creates much like the stranger created the name Tandy and gave the name to the little girl. 

Overall the story is powerful and beautiful. Tandy is beautiful. I find myself hoping that I can aspire to be this woman whom the stranger describes, for she is the change in faith I hope to see.