Dark laughter

It is through bruce dudley, a man of poetic temperament, that sherwood anderson makes his plea for more spontaneous, joyful living, more direct straight-forward action than conventionalized society will permit today-a plea for a primitive simplicity in our approach to life. dudley has left his wife in chicago and, under an assumed name, he returns to the indiana town of his childhood to masquerade as a factory hand. one day aline grey, the wife of his employer, becomes suddenly conscious of the newcomer and a strange fascination in him. she finds a way of bringing him into her life and experimenting with love. it is as easy for him to go away with her as it was for him to leave his wife. the "dark laughter" of the title is the chorus that sounds again and again through the book-the laughter of the negro servants in the house, who are conscious of what is taking place between the lovers even before they themselves are