Research psychologist Erik Erikson's theory of psychological development. To what extent does "Sophistication" explore the stages of development known as Identity versus Identity Confusion and Intimacy versus Isolation?

Read Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio , which ends with George's departure from town several months after his moment with Helen White. Does "Sophistication" need to be read as part of the novel, or does it have its own meaning without the novel? Also, does the novel need this story to make sense? What is missing from the novel without "Sophistication?"

As he sits beside Helen in the empty grandstand, George thinks that he "wanted to love and be loved by her, but he did not want at the moment to be confused by her womanhood." Examine two current books on adolescent sexual relationships and compare contemporary depictions of such relationships to the relationship between George and...