Winesburg, Ohio Lesson Plan

What do you think of Tom Foster as a character? How is his attempts to relate to others different from other characters we've seen so far in the book? How does George's jealousy normalize Tom?

Tom seems to stand out at first because no other character has been as carefree and outgoing. But he seems aware of that difference and thus tries to become relatable by getting drunk. Few of the other characters in the book want to relate to other people, as they are all so caught in their own imaginations -- like Enoch Robinson -- that they cannot even consider another person's perspective. When George gets jealous of Tom, he shows Tom what it is like to be a normal citizen of...