Sherwood Anderson, in the title "Paper Pills," tries to persuade us, the readers, in believing the short story is going to be about some kind of drug. Anderson in the other hand turns every thing around to tell us a story about two people falling in-love. The story begins with a description of Doctor Reefy and a brief description of the young woman. Then he tells the reader about the "twisted apples" (71)that represent doctor Reefy.
Anderson begins characterize Doctor Reefy in his opening paragraph. The reader is given some facial and body features of the doctor. The "... white beard a huge nose and hands" (71) that Anderson puts as a description, making Reefy seem old, ugly, and worn out to the reader. The doctor kept to himself after his wife died. Reefy started smoking a cob pipe and sat in his empty office by a window that he never opened.
English: First edition title page
English: Signature of Sherwood Anderson
English: Photo of author Sherwood Anderson.On a hot summer day the doctor tried to open the window but when the window did not budge, Reefy did not attempt to reopen the dusty window again. Reefy was so devastated about his wife passing away that he did not care about him self for over ten years. The young woman was well off and needs to find a husband to help her take care of the farm that she inherited from her parents. She was tall, dark, and beautiful with lots of money.
As the unwanted "twisted apples" are left on the tree to rotten -- so is Doctor Reefy left to waste away. The "twisted apples" are left because they do not keep up with the standards and are not very appealing. Reefy is not wanted anymore because he is a "twisted apple." He as aged and is not attractive to the...