Sinclair Lewis

Main Street Sinclair Lewis

Lewis's Main Street ridiculed the monotonous, unnatural, or hypocritical life in a small town in Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. As an author, Sinclair Lewis received national and international recognition through his profound display of American life and his criticism of American materialism and pretentiousness. The main character of this story is Carol Milford who finished her studies from Blodgett College in Minneapolis and then became a librarian for three years in St. Paul until she marries Dr. Will Kennicott who lives in Gopher Prairie, a small Midwest town. After their honeymoon in Colorado, the newlyweds travel by train to Gopher Prairie, a town of 3,000 residents who seem to Carol like lifeless conformists. Main Street is disappointing to Carol, with only a few buildings and no park.