With the multitude of definitions, of new meanings, of new perspectives, it is highly impossible to define the words of Sherwood Anderson, more so, extract a clear definition of what makes a person "grotesque." My senses tell me that the prologue and "The Book of the Grotesque" hiddenly define a grotesque person as one that holds the absolute truth. Do we know this absolute truth? Is it one specific, clearly defined, truth, that all men hold? Who knows? ... Let's take a look at the beginning of "The Book of the Grotesque"- the writer, with a white mustache wants his bed up high in order to look through the windows, but had "forgotten" the reason to (22). What possible plan could the writer have that was "ludicrous?" The word ludicrous is the first direction definition of grotesque that is noticed. Now let's find the connotations of ludicrous: amusing, foolish, ridiculous, weird, idiotic, sometimes humorous. It's weird how this definition characterizes the writers thoughts in the next paragraph which extrapolates on his heart's desire for youth and life, through the thoughts of death. Firstly, he views death in a nonchalant way as he states that the :thoughts did not alarm him" (thought being that fact that he might die sometime unexpectedly). Nonetheless, it is quite weird that he views death in such a relaxed way; the normal human being, would fear death, as the coming of death is usually accompanied by suffering or adversity. Note, that the old man does not suffer nor does he feel pain, he feels a "special thing." Secondly, he states that as he lays lying in bed, something "rather young" was bothering him- a women wearing a coast of mail. Now here is the real ridiculousness: the juxtaposition of female and male attributes. There was a feminine figure who was metaphysically characterized as a male due to the clothing. This could be an allusion to a fairy tale, the knight and horse relationship. The knight is strong and brave, yet subtle and boring, while the horse is wild and outgoing, full of youth. This allusion is a parallel to old age vs. youthfulness; in this case he judges a male as lifeless until an internal spark joy and youthfulness arises (aka, a femininity of some sort). I could go on about this allusion as it truelove highlights the bizarre thinking, but I shall move on. We see another illusion- of dreams. As the old man got sleepier, "figures began to appear before his eyes" (23), and there figures were all grotesque. Voila, this is the first time Anderson uses the word grotesque. Note that the writer builds this story in order to define a grotesque characters, perhaps showing us the absolute truth, then tells us that he never published the book in which he tells of all the truths that comprise of a grotesque. He somewhat tells us "all of them" (24): truth of virginity, truth of passion, truth of wealth, profligacy, abandon...but too many for him to list that were supposedly all "beautiful." So there we go, it were these truths that made people grotesque! But wait a minute, previously, we defined grotesque with a negative connotation, now we are saying that the weirdness of these grotesques doesn't really compute to the definition at all, rather it is the simple truths. He states that "the moment one of the people took one of the truths to himself, called it truths, and tried to live his life by it, he has come a grotesque." Therefore, if a man enforces a truth on himself as a path of life, it was falsehood, dishonesty, and was the main characteristic of being "grotesque." In other words, the fact commits a sin (losing virginity, abusing wealth, etc) and tires to hide it by reinforcing the past to hide his mistakes, makes him grotesque. This may not be the definition, after all, in literature there are multiple meanings to work, but in correlation to the novel as a whole, it sure seems that Anderson uses the definition of grotesque to highlight mans lust for hidings ones sins.
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