Marching Men

Marching Men by Sherwood Anderson is a novel set in the grim mining town of Coal Creek Pennsylvania. The story follows Beaut McGregor a young man with fiery red hair and a towering presence who is marked by his intense hatred for the disorganized and aimless life around him. Raised by his mother Nance McGregor after his father's heroic yet misunderstood death in a mining disaster Beaut grows up with a deep-seated disdain for the miners who mocked his father Cracked McGregor. The novel explores Beaut's internal conflict and his desire to escape the oppressive environment of Coal Creek. As he navigates his adolescence Beaut encounters various townspeople including a pale woman who shares his longing for a different life and Mike Hartnet a fellow outcast with anarchistic tendencies. Through these interactions Beaut's contempt for the miners and the town intensifies leading him to dream of a future where he can assert his strength and undergo change. Anderson's narrative delves into themes of identity societal expectations and the struggle for personal agency within a community that stifles individuality. The novel paints a vivid picture of life in a mining town highlighting the harsh realities faced by its inhabitants and the yearning for change that simmers beneath the surface.