Amazon.com:
"Main Street is the climax of civilization," Sinclair Lewis declared with a typical blend of seriousness and irony. "That this Ford car might stand in front of the Bon Ton Store, Hannibal invaded Rome and Erasmus wrote in Oxford cloisters." Main Street, the story of an idealistic young woman's attempts to reform her small town, brought Lewis immediate acclaim when it was published in 1920. It remains one of the essential texts of the American scene. Lewis Mumford observed: "In Main Street an American had at last written of our life with something of the intellectual rigor and critical detachment that had seemed so cruel and unjustified (in Charles Dickens and Matthew Arnold). Young people had grown up in this environment, suffocated, stultified, helpless, but unable to find any reason for their spiritual discomfort. Mr. Lewis released them."
Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951), was born in Sauk Centre, Minne-sota, and graduated from Yale in 1907; in 1930 he became the first American recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Main Street (1920) was his first critical and commercial success. Lewis's other noted books include Babbitt (1922), Arrowsmith (1925), Elmer Gantry (1927), Dodsworth (1929), and It Can't Happen Here (1935)
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (1 of 32), Read 52
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Ann Davey davey@tconl.com
Date:
Tuesday, September 18, 2001 10:59 PM
In October, Classics Corner will discuss Main Street by
Sinclair Lewis.
I hope many of you will be able to join us.
This is one of the many classics I have heard about for
years, but never read. It should be interesting.
Ann
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (2 of 32), Read 41
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 04:49 PM
Ann,
I started this one today. I've always thought about
reading it, now I will. An acquaintance told me she was
literally depressed for two years after reading this. I'm
most eager to find out why!
Anne
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (3 of 32), Read 44
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 09:55 PM
Anne: I'm picking up MAIN STREET at the library
tomorrow. It's a first-time read for me too, though I've
heard the book mentioned for ages.
Was interested by your friend's comment about its
depressive quotient. Offhand, I'd say that those of us
who made it through Nathanael West's MISS
LONELYHEARTS without being totally bummed out are
probably equal to the test of Lewis. Knock on wood.{G}
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (4 of 32), Read 46
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 10:06 PM
Boy, that 'Miss Lonelyhearts' discussion was a good one.
And I think this one will be just as good.
I plan on picking it up from the library tomorrow, too!
Beej
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (5 of 32), Read 44
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Ann Davey davey@tconl.com
Date:
Wednesday, September 19, 2001 10:51 PM
Dale,
It's great to see you back! Now I'm really looking forward
to this discussion.
Ann
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (6 of 32), Read 42
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Lynn Isvik washualum@yahoo.com
Date:
Thursday, September 20, 2001 04:08 PM
This is a first-time read for me too. I've finished a couple
of chapters now and I'm finding it interesting, maybe in
part because it's set just "up the road" from here in
Minnesota. The small town environment is certainly
something I can relate to!
Lynn
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (7 of 32), Read 43
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
R Bavetta rbavetta@prodigy.net
Date:
Friday, September 21, 2001 02:17 PM
I first read this back about 1968. It sure tapped into
what I was feeling about then.
Ruth
"Citizen!
Consider my traveling expenses: Poetry—all of it—is a trip
into the unknown. " Vladimir Mayakovksy
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (8 of 32), Read 45
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Friday, September 21, 2001 08:15 PM
I'm only a few dozen pages into this one, but have two
quick observations to make:
(1) Lewis sure doesn't hide his hand, does he? It's clear
up front this is an indictment of a whole mindset, if not a
whole culture, and yet...
(2) So far, I don't feel anything mean-spirited or that
seems to be poking fun at these people. They're very
likeable folks. Plus, I think Lewis's fresh observation and
gift for detail makes for some absolutely gorgeous prose.
It'll be interesting to see if he can keep up this tightrope
walk for the duration. Something tells me MAIN STREET is
going to be prime for discussion.
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (9 of 32), Read 50
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Friday, September 21, 2001 10:21 PM
Well, maybe I spoke too soon about Lewis's
even-handed approach to his material. {G}
I've now been introduced to the "...creamy-skinned fat
women, smeared with grease and chalk, gorgeous in the
skins of beasts and the bloody feathers of slain birds,
playing bridge with puffy pink-nailed jeweled fingers,
women who after much expenditure of labor and bad
tamper still grotesquely resemble their own flatulent
lap-dogs..."
I'm currently with Carol at Sam-the-Hardware-Guy's
party, and would gnaw my leg off to get away from this
bunch.
We shall see. I still think it's very well written, though.
And I'm rooting for Carol.
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (10 of 32), Read 50
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Chrees . condrieu@yahoo.com
Date:
Saturday, September 22, 2001 03:29 PM
I was going to post a quick note about the book, but I'm
still laughing at Dale's comments. I first read this when I
graduated high school in Montgomery, Alabama. I totally
sympathized with Carol and wholeheartedly agreed with
the tone of the book.
I'm just a little ways through the book again and it's
interesting to see what 20+ years can do to your
outlook. I don't sympathize with Carol at all. Yet,
anyway. We'll see if that changes or not as we go along.
It's funny to see how many places the clash of
cultures/desires plays through much of literature and
other arts. So far I've been reminded of Madame Bovary
and the recent film State and Main from David Mamet.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (11 of 32), Read 48
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Steve Warbasse wk4@qwest.net
Date:
Sunday, September 23, 2001 10:20 AM
Through the years I have read Kingsblood Royal,
Arrowsmith, Elmer Gantry, Dodsworth, and of course, Main
Street. Of those my own favorite is Dodsworth because it
focuses more on character study. It is a wonderful
anatomy of a marriage. The others are surely
entertaining books. Lewis is the master of the
tongue-in-cheek. However, there’s nothing subtle about
them. Because he saw himself as doing battle with an
overwhelming, self-congratulatory American attitude, he
fought with a broad sword rather than a rapier. I know
many of you would enjoy reading his Nobel Prize
acceptance speech, which you can find here.
Having said all that for whatever it’s worth, I think that
Carol herself is a target of satire here also, whether
Lewis intended that or not. The citizens of Gopher Prairie
are set up as easy targets—so easy that the mockery of
them strikes me as a cheap shot many times. What
exactly is it that Carol craves here? A little Athenian
agora in rural Minnesota? It seems to me that she fails
to grasp that the “fulfillment” she wants is a solitary
pursuit and a lonely one no matter what the venue.
Steve
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (12 of 32), Read 45
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Chrees . condrieu@yahoo.com
Date:
Sunday, September 23, 2001 04:39 PM
One more note now that I can turn back to this
book...warning: much of this is from memory of reading
the book many years ago and my conclusions may differ
upon reading it again *lol*
I see Carol and Will as two sides of Lewis. Carol is the
side wanting to improve everything and make it better.
Wake people up and promote self-improvement. Will is
Lewis' practical side, realizing people don't want to be
changed...a more 'go with the flow' guy, resigned to
whatever life serves him. He has enough courage to
reach out and change what he can, but is smart enough
not to try and change what he has no control over.
As mentioned before, the tone is so shrill that the true
impact of any help this would have tried to engender is
watered down.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (13 of 32), Read 37
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Monday, September 24, 2001 07:18 PM
Steve & Chrees: Interesting comments. I agree that the
author has a large emotional stake in both Carol and
Will, and the book is the stronger for it. Both make some
excellent points, some foolish ones, and sincerely try to
accommodate the other. Just like real life. I also agree
with Steve that Lewis is a mighty keen observer of
marriage.
Maybe my brain hit this one at just the right time, but
MAIN STREET strikes me as a very powerful piece of
work. He could have made Carol a one-note character
and the book purely a rant, but he takes the hard road
and creates much food for thought with no easy
answers. The writing's strong, and there are any number
of observations about the weather and the landscape
that are absolute gems of description, like this one:
The sunset was merely a flush of rose on a dome of silver,
with oak twigs and thin poplar branches against it, but a
silo on the horizon changed from a red tank to a tower of
violet misted over with gray. The purple road vanished, and
without lights, in the darkness of a world destroyed, they
swayed on--toward nothing.
Even his orations on culture, or the lack of it, don't
generally fall back on cliches or other tired language, but
offer images that bring the ideas to life. This is one that
blew me away:
Its conception of a community ideal is not the grand
manner, the noble aspiration, the fine aristocratic pride, but
cheap labor for the kitchen and rapid increase in the price of
land. It plays at cards on greasy oil-cloth in a shanty, and
does not know that prophets are walking and talking on the
terrace.
Amen, brother.
I was disappointed that the guy who wrote the preface
to my edition said Lewis was one of many American
writers who had "outlived their subject," referring to the
relative lack of success of his novels after 1935 or so. To
me, the issues tackled in MAIN STREET are just as valid
today, and in some cases prescient of how far down that
road of homogeneity and one-size-fits-all we would go.
If anybody here's a bit wary of reading this one, fearing
(as I did) that it's a period piece, oddity, or rant, I
encourage you to tackle it. 400+ pages, but I found it
very easy reading. I think skeptics will be pleasantly
surprised both by the quality of the writing and the level
of humanity Lewis depicts.
The sudden delving into the secret life of Vida, I thought,
out-Andersons Sherwood Anderson re: folks who lead
lives of quiet desperation a la WINESBURG, OHIO. A
really virtuoso section.
I look forward to hearing other folks' thoughts on this
one. Questions, I've got in bunches.
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (14 of 32), Read 38
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
R Bavetta rbavetta@prodigy.net
Date:
Monday, September 24, 2001 08:28 PM
Main Street still lives. Absolutely.
Ruth
"Citizen!
Consider my traveling expenses: Poetry—all of it—is a trip
into the unknown. " Vladimir Mayakovksy
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (15 of 32), Read 40
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 12:24 PM
She had tripped into the meadow to teach the lambs a
pretty educational dance and found that the lambs were
wolves.
I'm only a third way through this first read of "Main
Street' but, so far, feel a bit annoyed with Carol. I think
she looks down her nose at these simple folks and I
cannot really blame them for responding in kind.
I don't think Carol has any real malice toward the people
of Gopher Prairie, but I think she's a bit presumptuous
that she can swoop into their town and improve their
lives.
My attitude toward her might change as I progress in the
novel.
Beej
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (16 of 32), Read 44
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 12:36 PM
Beej: I think Carol's heart is in the right place (Gosh, how
many of life's disasters start from THAT premise?). But
she's definitely presumptuous. She also feels superior to
those around her, and is at times (creditably) guilty
about same, but still slow to change.
One of many contradictions that I saw, early on, is that
at one point she's thinking it would be more satisfying to
be a factory worker (?!) than a doctor's wife. But a few
pages later, she's getting ready for bed and wishing she
had a really nifty dressing table with fine mirror for
applying her cold cream, rather than the doc's old clunker
mirror. A disconnect with reality, there? Surely not.{G}
I'll give her credit, she does examine herself and try to
adjust her attitude. But Chree's parallel to Emma Bovary
is still very apt, I think.
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (17 of 32), Read 45
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 12:47 PM
oh, absolutely..I saw the resemblance to Emma B., too.
I think her heart is in the right place..she's just immature
and naive.
But I have to say, her little Chinese party was a bit
exotic (weird?). Can't you just picture the raised
eyebrows when she suggested that game where they all
remove their shoes and search for them in the dark?
Even when in college, Carol dreamed of making the
world a better place. But I don't think, at least as far as I
have gotten in the book, she was trying to improve
anything for anybody, as much as she was trying to fulfill
a need within herself...maybe bring some glory to
herself.
Beej
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (18 of 32), Read 44
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
R Bavetta rbavetta@prodigy.net
Date:
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 01:20 PM
Having spent quite a few years in a clone of Main Street,
the first time around I totally sympathized with Carol.
Gack, those kinds of places can be stultifying.
On second reading, I began to see how presumptuous
she was. Still, my sympathies are with her in the main. At
least she knew there was a larger life, even though her
attempts to reach it were misguided.
Ruth
"Citizen!
Consider my traveling expenses: Poetry—all of it—is a trip
into the unknown. " Vladimir Mayakovksy
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (19 of 32), Read 42
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 01:43 PM
i feel sympathetic toward her, too, if only because she
really didn't mean to ruffle any feathers.
Lewis says:
"Whatever she might become she would never be
static."
And later:
"then she found a hobby in sociology." (italics mine.)
I think the people, just in the daily process of life in a
small farming town, not only were static, but had actually
become comfortable in this static state, and Carol, just
by her nature, made them feel their town was her new
'hobby'.
And it didn't help that she was an outsider.
Beej
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (20 of 32), Read 34
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Tuesday, September 25, 2001 02:45 PM
Beej: Carol, an outsider. Yes! To folks on Main Street, I
believe the term "uppity, meddling outsider" is a double
redundancy. Plus, she's (a)female, (b)young, and
(c)apparently very attractive, to boot. Gosh, that's six
strikes against her, right there...
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (21 of 32), Read 27
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Wednesday, September 26, 2001 05:29 PM
I'm about two-thirds through right now, and I continue
to vacillate between wanting to shake Carol till her teeth
rattle and wanting to hug her and tell her everything will
be okay.
Main Street in the 20's didn't see the likes of her too
often. It was easy for Carol to be ostracized for trying
new things. But she seems to be such a conflicted
character herself...almost hard to figure her out other
than chalking it up to youth!
Anne
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (22 of 32), Read 29
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Wednesday, September 26, 2001 07:17 PM
Anne: I agree...I'm finding both Carol and her
adversaries (especially Will) to be much more
complicated people than I expected, going in.
By the end of the story Carol seems much less likely to
revolutionize Gopher Prairie, but is actually doing things
to help other people (the women in the rest area, for
instance) and seems to have become a better human
being in the process. Don't most of our enthusiasms get
tempered, most often for good reason, as we age?
One question MAIN STREET raises for me is this: isn't the
division between "idealistic" and "impractical" a much
finer, and grayer, line than we usually assume it to be?
We point with pride to somebody as being "visionary,"
etc., only after the fact, when they've achieved some
great boon for mankind. Up to that point, they've been
mostly a pain in the rear for the folks who have to put up
with them on a daily basis.
I got a kick out of one commentator who described
Sinclair Lewis as "a one-man anti-Chamber of
Commerce." Speaking of which...one of the Chamber's
campaigns in Gopher Prairie is called "The White Way,"
basically an extravagance of outdoor electrical lighting
along the main thoroughfare that's so bright you can see
it from a distance.
When I was growing up (in the 1960s), our county seat
created a "White Way" and made a great to-do about it.
There was even a White Way Restaurant, White Way
Auto Parts, and so on. I had never heard the term
before, and hadn't heard it since until MAIN STREET. Has
anybody else encountered White Ways, or did the
Gopher Prairie concept stay in hibernation for 40 years
before resurfacing with a vengeance in Jasper, Alabama?
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (23 of 32), Read 31
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
R Bavetta rbavetta@prodigy.net
Date:
Wednesday, September 26, 2001 08:28 PM
No White Way for me as a kid, just the Sunset Strip.
Ruth
"Citizen!
Consider my traveling expenses: Poetry—all of it—is a trip
into the unknown. " Vladimir Mayakovksy
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (24 of 32), Read 34
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Wednesday, September 26, 2001 11:01 PM
As I continue to read Main Street, I feel a bit
uncomfortable and I couldn't figure out why. Then it
dawned on me that both Carol and the townspeople are
sort of representative of what is almost a schizophrenia
that is in all of us, and perhaps this is why we all seem
to alternate between thinking of Carol as a
presumptuous catalyst in a comfortable town, and
thinking of the town folk as staid, gossiping, small
minded and sometimes downright rude. We cannot seem
to decide whose side we are on.
I think we might all be a bit like both sides. I mean, we
all yearn for beauty, we all hope for improvement in our
lives and surroundings, and yet often we are so
comfortable in the way things are, we fight change and
resent others who seem to want to force change upon
us.
I'm not at all convinced that 'Main Street' is simply a
portrayal of Small Town, USA, but that it might also be a
portrait of a dichotomy in our human nature to yearn for
change and improvement in life while, at the same time,
finding comfort and solace in familiarity.
In a way, Lewis is playing both sides from the middle.
Beej
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (25 of 32), Read 34
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Wednesday, September 26, 2001 11:07 PM
Also, I find it interesting that Carol strives to change
what is familiar to everybody in this town while she is
basically attempting to recreate the type of surroundings
with which she is most familiar. In other words, isn't
Carol trying to bring about change so that she won't
have to deal with change herself?
Beej
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (26 of 32), Read 21
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Thursday, September 27, 2001 09:30 AM
Beej: MAIN STREET as a dichotomy of the individual soul?
I like it.
That could be one reason the story seems so immediate
to me, even though the heyday of literal Main Street life
has supposedly come and gone.
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (27 of 32), Read 21
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
R Bavetta rbavetta@prodigy.net
Date:
Thursday, September 27, 2001 10:56 AM
>>heyday of literal Main Street life has supposedly come
and gone.
But the mindset is still alive and well. Sigh.
Ruth
"Citizen!
Consider my traveling expenses: Poetry—all of it—is a trip
into the unknown. " Vladimir Mayakovksy
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (28 of 32), Read 23
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Steve Warbasse wk4@qwest.net
Date:
Thursday, September 27, 2001 11:30 AM
And thank goodness for it, I suppose. If I call a
repairman to work on my air conditioner, I would prefer
that he be entirely fascinated with air conditioners and
completely fulfilled by his work. I would prefer that he
not be vaguely dissatisfied with the culture as he dreams
of something better and feels intellectually superior to
those who hire him. Most importantly, I do not want him
standing in line for opera tickets. If enough people do
that, the lines become intolerable.
The world would not function if populated entirely by
Carols. One is tempted to admonish her with Sam
Kinneston's word. . ."Move!" Of course Carol did so
temporarily and with very mixed results.
Steve
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (29 of 32), Read 24
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Beej Connor connorva@mindspring.com
Date:
Thursday, September 27, 2001 01:20 PM
Your post makes me think of Bjornstam, Gopher Prairie's
all around fixit man and furnace repairman.
And I loved what he said to Carol;
" Kick 'em in the face! Say, if I were a sea-gull, and all over
silver, think I'd care what a pack of dirty seals thought
about my flying?"
Good advice from the 'lowly' repairman.
Beej
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (30 of 32), Read 27
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
R Bavetta rbavetta@prodigy.net
Date:
Thursday, September 27, 2001 01:36 PM
You've chastized me rightly, Steve. I guess I've a bit too
much Carol in me. Altho I've given up on improving
anybody but myself.
I find it interesting, no actually fascinating, that so many
here are finding all these depths and intricacies and
hidden meanings in this book. I admit that both my
readings of it were long ago, but I always thought of it
as a polemic against small townism/small mindism. If I
read it again after all this discussion, I'll have a different
attitude.
Ruth
"Citizen!
Consider my traveling expenses: Poetry—all of it—is a trip
into the unknown. " Vladimir Mayakovksy
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (31 of 32), Read 20
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Thursday, September 27, 2001 03:10 PM
Steve: Well, now. You've touched on (like a cruise
missile{G}) a lingering question that MAIN STREET leaves
me with.
Is it really possible, or practical, for a person to be
constantly self-examining, existentially minded, trying to
see the bigger picture, and still focus on the detailed,
deadening, time-consuming tasks that go into most any
profession, whether doctor or merchant or
air-conditioner repairman?
And isn't it human nature, when confronted by
do-gooders (such as myself, at times) evangelizing about
the beauties of the arts, to get defensive and say we'd
love to read books (or see the opera or ballet or
whatever) if we only had the time?
How much of the fault is in ourselves and how much in
the capitalist society we all, if implicitly, buy into? And if
the good socialist Bjornstam had the solution, staying an
"agitator" and riding freights with his buddies, why did
he bail out and become a good burgher? Is there really a
better life we're overlooking in our obsession with
stability and respectability?
I'm thinking of some philosopher, whose name I can't
recall, who said, "The unexamined life may not be worth
living, but the over-examined life is not capable of being
lived." It's the 25 million dollar question, for sure.
Ruth: I came to this one expecting a straight rant, and
was taken aback by what I found. I'm sure I would have
judged it differently 25 years ago. Could this be one of
those books that's like a hologram, whose contents
change depending on the angle from which we view it?
Questions, questions. One more impression...when I
read the ending, two things occurred to me: (a) there
was no way Hollywood could have passed this up, and
(b) their (mis)treatment of it was surely a deadly soup of
schmaltz. The Internet Movie Database says it was
indeed made into a film in 1923...a silent one. Has
anybody seen it? And do the cable outlets like Turner
and AMC even touch silent films nowadays?
By the way, my hat's off to whoever nominated MAIN
STREET for CC.
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (32 of 32), Read 17
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Katie Kleczka pkleczka@uwm.edu
Date:
Thursday, September 27, 2001 09:04 PM
Well, I am not very far into the book yet (we are still on
the train with the newlyweds), but I wanted to briefly
comment on Dale's question:
Is it really possible, or practical, for a person to be
constantly self-examining, existentially minded, trying to
see the bigger picture, and still focus on the detailed,
deadening, time-consuming tasks that go into most any
profession, whether doctor or merchant or air-conditioner
repairman?
Personally, I think it is both practical and possible to do
so if what one does is what makes one happy. Maslow
calls it self-actualization and the US Army calls it "be all
that you can be" and anyone can "get" it.
I'm reminded of a girl I worked with in a restaurant
year's ago who approached every task with enthusiasm
and pride. Everything from vacuuming to serving cranky
customers. She once told me that it wasn't the job itself
but what she put into that made her feel accomplished,
satisfied and proud. A PhD in philosophy, her out of work
life was very different (wonderful books, theatre, opera,
etc.) and she approached it in the same way as the work
she did. I think she was and still is by all accounts the
happiest most fulfilled person I've ever met!
Katie
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (33 of 42), Read 38
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Chrees . condrieu@yahoo.com
Date:
Wednesday, October 03, 2001 12:23 AM
A few quick thoughts. I haven't had time much to read
lately, much less bring any thoughts together on the
book. I'm only halfway through the book, which
disappoints me since I'm about to have less time for
reading. Time to "make time."
I really like everyone's comments I have read, but forgive
me if I fail to attribute a quote or thought correctly. I'm
trying to shake off a (hopefully) minor injury from this
past weekend that is restricting reading.
I agree that there is a lot more complexity to the
townspeople than I expected or saw the first time
through the book as a teen. Things were so much
simpler then (for me) when things were black and white.
As was mentioned, there are so many more shades of
gray now. Will, especially, when he is allowed to say
anything of depth disperses all notions of simplicity.
The town strikes me as a tribe, everyone bound closely
together and the success of one is dependent on the
success of the whole. It is so funny for Lewis to make fun
of this, when in today's world we complain that we don't
even know our neighbors! "What a shame," people
mouth over that fact, without realizing what the impact
was for people that had to worry about *really* knowing
their neighbors.
Regarding Carol, I wouldn't call her behavior
presumptuous at all. She is continually led on by people
that the town wants to improve...that she is what the
town needs...etc. If you are predisposed to feel like you
can improve something, how could you not feel like it
was your calling given the hints and prods she received?
I think it was Dale who brought up the difference
between intent and reality. It cuts both ways for the
town. Carol is the obvious target for this, but what about
the rest of the town? Self-improvement was the litany for
many for quite a while, and many people everywhere
believed that belonging to clubs, doing their "civic duty"
was all that was required of them to improve their town,
their own lot, and civilization in general.
Not to try and drag in other recent works, but I saw this
echoed in another post. What does it mean to be truly
good? I realize this is a rhetorical question to some
extent, but banging your head against the framework
and getting nothing achieved vs. slowly changing things
from within has been a debate (not to mention diverse
approaches) to doing good in society. The grounding of
what we can do from within holds some merit, but at
what point does it become a cop-out?
Another point or two before the pain medication kicks
in...sorry for the stream of consciousness right now, but
that's all I'm able to do.
I've lived in Main Streets throughout the southern U.S. I
think that is why I could identify with Carol so much on
first reading. And why I can identify with Will so much
more on second pass. But rather than stop there, I think
it makes me realize the heroic qualities of those who
were able to make a social difference **constructively**.
Last point, and I'm fading fast, is the selective nature of
Lewis' historical references and context. He is so willing
to include many things that the small town is ignoring.
But so many things are left unsaid. It's like a very
selective historical context. Published in 1920, I'm
wondering here how many of the families were affected
by World War I? How many of the townspeople were lost
to the subsequent influenza? And of course, it's hard not
to judge based on what we know of upcoming (to them)
world events. How was this town affected by the
Depression? And aren't these the people, or their sons
and daughters, who had to step forward in WW II? What
we view as hard-edged, unforgiving and unChristianlike
in this context (and I won't argue with you there) are
some of the same qualities needed to face the next 20+
years.
I understand Lewis' contempt (and have to admit I've felt
it myself), but looking at it from now, devoid of context
and slanted mostly from one angle, I find it hard to
agree. OK, the medication is kicking in, so hopefully I'll
continue this more lucidly later...
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (34 of 42), Read 39
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Wednesday, October 03, 2001 07:17 AM
Chrees: Enjoyed your thoughtful, and thought-filled,
post. If it's a result of medication, I've got to try some of
that brand...{G}
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (35 of 42), Read 34
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Chrees . condrieu@yahoo.com
Date:
Wednesday, October 03, 2001 11:50 PM
Thanks Dale. Headed your way for the holidays to visit
family, and I look forward to feeling "at home" for a
change. Regardless of all that entails...
I had most of that written in my mind before I posted,
but looking at it in type now, I realize it wasn't anything
like I intended to say. Oh well, time to drop some more
medication. Maybe I can get Ralph Steadman to illustrate
my posts, too...
I remember the thing that hit me the most the first time
through Main Street was the hypocrisy in the town.
Moreso the "we are acting Christianlike" attitude versus
the actual deeds. And that part is still as powerful today
to me as it was upon first read.
What hit me this time, in addition to the obvious
hypocrisy, is the stratification with which everyone in the
book views their town. So it's not just the elite, or the
middle-class. It's the conclusions drawn by
**everyone** within the book regarding people outside
their "class." I won't comment on the veracity of their
conclusions, but I found it interesting that everyone in
the book assumed a caste system. And we probably are
not that far out of that assumption (for most people,
anyway)
However, it is like Lewis is striking out at so may
things--just like Carol--and not hitting anything directly
that grates on me. You want to make a point?
Stick...jab...and move on. Maybe do it another time or
two. But constantly, and you wonder if the boxer has
shown all his tricks too soon in the bout.
I did run across a comment in the book today that
obliquely mentioned world events (to address one of my
complaints of last night), but it was worded so
generically that it had little meaning. OK, the colors of the
monitor are really pretty right now... I think I'll
concentrate on that...
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (36 of 42), Read 35
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Barbara Moors bar647@aol.com
Date:
Thursday, October 04, 2001 11:38 PM
I'm about a third of the way through Main Street. So far,
there are sections that I find to be absolute gems.
However, there are other sections that I find to be very
repetitive and uninspired...those pages that leave my
attention wandering and my body thinking about moving
on to other things. Has anyone else here had that
reaction?
However, I would continue to persevere indefinitely if
only for an occasional gem like the following:
Mrs. Bogart lived across the alley from the rear of Carol's
house. She was a widow, and a Prominent Baptist, and a
Good Influence. She had so painfully reared three sons to
be Christian gentlemen that one of them had become an
Omaha bartender, one a professor of Greek, and one, Cyrus
N. Bogart, a boy of fourteen, who was still at home, the
most brazen member of the toughest gang in Boytown.
Mrs. Bogart was not the acid type of Good Influence. She
was the soft, damp, fat, indigestive, clinging, melancholy,
depressingly hopeful kind. There are in every large
chicken-yard a number of old and indignant hens who
resemble Mrs. Bogart, and when they are served at
Sunday-noon dinner, as fricasseed chicken with thick
dumplings, they keep up the resemblance.
Ah, the acid, but I know Mrs. Bogart and I knew many
more of her when I was growing up in Middletown, USA
(Muncie, Indiana) which made me learn to love the
anonymity of the big city.
Barb
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (37 of 42), Read 35
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Lynn Isvik washualum@yahoo.com
Date:
Friday, October 05, 2001 12:23 PM
I feel somewhat the way you do Barb. I think it's why I'm
languishing about 2/3 of the way through. There are
moments where I chuckle or say "I know just what he's
talking about!" and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. But
then I hit stretches that just don't hold my interest
enough to keep going.
I've noticed that several others have said they seem to
be having trouble finishing this as well. Is it just a matter
of too many demands on your time, or difficulty
maintaining your interest?
Lynn
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (38 of 42), Read 29
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Friday, October 05, 2001 07:01 PM
Keep reading, folks. I felt the same at the point you find
yourselves now, and I'm usually the first to let
impatience win out and throw in the towel. But the story
picked up toward the end, and I really wanted to see it
through to the conclusion.
Anne
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (39 of 42), Read 29
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Barbara Moors bar647@aol.com
Date:
Saturday, October 06, 2001 09:40 AM
Thanks, Anne. I needed that bit of reassurance. And, you
and I have similar tastes. Actually, I hadn't really thought
about not finishing it. I just lose patience from time to
time. Hang in there with me, Lynn!
Barb
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (40 of 42), Read 28
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Lynn Isvik washualum@yahoo.com
Date:
Saturday, October 06, 2001 05:52 PM
Don't worry, I will hang in there and finish! But there are
just a couple of other books claiming my attention first :-)
Lynn
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (41 of 42), Read 27
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Ernie Belden drernest@pacbell.net
Date:
Sunday, October 07, 2001 12:20 AM
Barb,
I know just what you mean. The book is important and
has a message but I don't consider it very good
literature. I did read it in my teens and at that time
thought it was great. Also I read it in Europe and was
fascinated by the American Way of Life. I have read
about 1/4 of the book and don't quite understand the
main characters. I may have mentioned that I have been
around Sauk Center twice, the last time about 3 years
ago when we attended my wive's family reunion.
Her father grew up there and went to school with S.L.
and told her that this guy was an ornery brat (in school
that was).
Incidentally I liked the town and the people I met, mostly
Pat's cousins. The lakes and countryside were absolutely
fantastic. Our group met a number of times at ancient
fraternal halls, Masons or Knights of C. Yes, everything
there appealed to me but mostly the people and the
scenery.
Ernie
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (42 of 42), Read 24
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Ernie Belden drernest@pacbell.net
Date:
Sunday, October 07, 2001 11:46 PM
After reading some of the postings I have been thinking
some more about the people and the setting. First of all
the the elite G.P. is not unique. A group will sociologically
stratify and the upper strata often made it by being very
clever and practical at the expense of what you may call
cultural depth. Now these people see Carol, the doctor's
wife as one who does not fit in as she does not seem to
value her exclusive status. Carol let them know that she
is a clever, educated, sophisticated gal who perversely
seems to identify with the people the elite looks down
on. They wonder about what gives with this girl? Is she
"Off her rock, a mental case. a trouble maker or perhaps
just a show off. In other words these smart and
successful people, mostly their wives, don't know what
to make of her. And all of a sudden she becomes part of
the secret hyper elite led by a Scandinavian handyman of
all things. So the women in this town look aghast and
wonder what to make of her.
At the half way mark of the book I also can't make heads
or tail of Carol and what makes her tick. Well she would
fit in well enough working as a University Librarian as I
found out as I worked my way through UC as a Page at
the Bancroft Library. These ladies were usually shy,
introverted, intellectual and some of them actively
worked on bringing about social changes. But can't
remember any of them being on the exhibitionist side like
Carol.
Ernie
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (1 of 2), Read 17
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Jody Richael
Date:
Monday, October 08, 2001 05:18 PM
This is my first reading as part of this book club and this
was the first time I have read Main Street. I enjoyed it
but I am not sure what to conclude from it. I have
enjoyed many of the previous comments on this book
and as some have stated I also am not quite sure what
to make of this book.
Carol obviously feels dissatisfaction with the life she
wants to live and the life she leads and I was assuming
Lewis would propose some solution to her dilemma. But
at the end of the book her dilemma is still unresolved.
Throughout the book I cannot really discern if he is
promoting the Carol's of the world and wishing there
were more people like her or exactly the opposite.
Throughout the book he makes her appear to be no
better or different than the other residents of GP with
her elitism, vanity, and pettiness. Every citizen of GP
feels he/she is superior to all the other residents of GP.
Are we to laud Carol for her desire to improve her
community or are we to condemn her for wanting to
change the world to fit her personal vision of utopia?
Who is to decide if her 'improvements' are really
improvements at all?
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (2 of 2), Read 17
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Dale Short dshort@bham.rr.com
Date:
Monday, October 08, 2001 07:23 PM
Jody: Good to hear from you. You pose some very potent
questions, I think.
I believe the reason Will is so comparatively harsh on
Carol is because of the strong emotional investment he
had in Gopher Prairie and its people before she ever
arrived on the scene. It's as if she and the townspeople
are competing for the doc's affection, and she's clearly
outnumbered.
Despite the couple's difficulties and their individual
weaknesses, I think Will and Carol were both basically
good, well-meaning people who thought they were doing
the right thing.
Which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, from
director Ingmar Bergman: "The supreme tragedy of
human existence is that everyone has their reasons."
>>Dale in Ala.
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (3 of 3), Read 17
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Barbara Moors bar647@aol.com
Date:
Thursday, October 11, 2001 10:51 PM
Jody,
You make an excellent point. But, I think that Carol's fallibility
is one of the most appealing things about the book. She is
riddled with faults and vanity herself. like all of us, but she
simply wants to play on a bigger, more varied field.
Barb
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (43 of 46), Read 17
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Barbara Moors bar647@aol.com
Date:
Thursday, October 11, 2001 11:09 PM
With about 200 more pages to go, I feel like I've been reading
some of the gold in Main Street. I love Carol and Will's visit to
Minneapolis to see the plays. Lewis' portrayal of their
relationship on this trip makes me understand a bit more of
what kept them together. And, I loved the story of putting on
"The Girl From Kankakee", Carol's dawning thought that she
couldn't act and her realization just as the play begins that "...it
was a bad play abominably acted." I also liked the little
vignette describing the library board. I think that when Lewis
fights off his temptation to preach, exude sarcasm and/or paint
with a broad brush, he writes some lovely little nuggets.
I don't know if I believe this sudden conversion of Miles
Bjornstam. It just seemed to happen too quickly.
And, I'm surprised by the prejudice felt towards Scandanavians
though I've heard of it before. My mother's family were Danes
who immigrated and settled in Nebraska and there were many
Swedes there as well. I don't remember much talk about that
kind of prejudice in her experience.
Barb
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (44 of 46), Read 15
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Friday, October 12, 2001 04:20 PM
Barb,
I agree with your assessment of Miles Bjornstam. For all his
intelligence and independence, once he got married he turned
completely around. Instead of maintaining his contempt for the
local society, he yearned for its acceptance. I just don't see it.
As far as Scandinavian prejudices, my Mom's father (and his
family) were Swedes, fresh off the boat. They never had a
good word to say about the Fins.
Anne
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (45 of 46), Read 12
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Sherry Keller shkell@starband.net
Date:
Sunday, October 14, 2001 08:28 AM
I don't agree about Miles. I think it may just have seemed like
he changed overnight, but time in that part of the book was
compressed. I didn't get the impression that his socialist views
changed much, just his way of earning a living. Bea wanted
acceptance in the community, and he wanted her to be happy.
When Bea and her son became ill, it was the saddest thing to
me. I had a hard time going to sleep after reading that section.
I've been pondering a question since I finished this a couple of
days ago. Do you think that the paradox that the people of
Main Street display is a totally American affliction?
Simultaneously they want to better themselves but look down
on betterment. They claim to value freedom but get angry and
defensive in the face of people who try to be free.
I grew up in a small town community and Lewis is absolutely
accurate when he shines his spotlight on these petty
characteristics. He is especially good at the "good ole boy"
character. Weren't you just absolutely p-o'd at that (male)
character towards the end of the book who got the town all
excited about "boosterism"? Since he couched his agenda in
vocabulary that didn't threaten, but in the good ole boy patter,
he was embraced. But because Carol couldn't speak their
"language" they ignored her.
Sherry
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (46 of 46), Read 10
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Sunday, October 14, 2001 05:59 PM
Sherry,
I think you summed up the paradox well. It's infinitely easier to
dream about change but maintain the status quo--whether as a
society or an individual. When someone comes along to
attempt the change, we're threatened by the very thing we
thought we desired.
Anne
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (47 of 49), Read 13
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Ernie Belden drernest@pacbell.net
Date:
Saturday, October 20, 2001 07:00 PM
Sherry,
Only now at this late date read your posting and wanted
to let you know that I agree with your analysis. Carol
used the wrong words, she could not relate to the
people, she took offense at "nothing" and did not fit in,
even though she made some attempts to do so.
Ernie
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (48 of 49), Read 12
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Sherry Keller shkell@starband.net
Date:
Saturday, October 20, 2001 08:19 PM
What do you all think about Carol returning to Gopher
Prairie? Did anyone else beside me wish she had stayed
in Washington? She seemed to be bettered suited to the
people there. But then she would have had to work, and
I think the work bored her, too.
Sherry
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (49 of 49), Read 6
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Anne Wilfong anne.wilfong@gte.net
Date:
Monday, October 22, 2001 07:55 PM
I couldn't really figure out why she went back, except it
fit with the fickleness I felt in her character. Perhaps it
was an example of "absence makes the heart grow
fonder" or maybe she really missed her husband?
In any event, I wonder what kind of old lady Carol would
grow to be--a hateful woman full of unarticulated regret,
or just another flighty, intolerant housewife raising kids
she didn't particularly want.
Anne
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (4 of 4), Read 11
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Ernie Belden drernest@pacbell.net
Date:
Saturday, October 20, 2001 06:49 PM
I may have posted at one time that I did not see Sinclair
Lewis as being a literary genius deserving of the Nobel
price. Well, I changed my mind. He presented an
excellent picture of conflicts within and between people. I
see Will as the happier and healthier of the two. Carol is
the daughter of a judge and her intellect and college
background have added to her wish to re-create the
world in her own image. I have the feeling that if she
actually would have accomplished that feat, she would
continue to feel unhappy and dissatisfied. Yet she made
various attempts to compromise, keep her mouth shut
when she listened to out-rageous and over simplified
view of life on Gopher prairie. But then she goes upstairs
to her room, probably cries for a bit, and returns
downstairs to will and "the enemy". I feel I understand
her and her unhappiness and really feel she can't be
helped. Perhaps she would have been better off had she
stayed with the Library or some University position.
She is one of the many people on this earth who can not
really perceive life on a deeper and more profound level
than meets the eye. Everything she wants of society and
people is really there, but she is has a large blind spot
for it. Is she half educated??? Why can't see that on the
basic level what she wants and is looking for is really
there.
In real life, I would have been very ambivalent about her.
I would have admired her wish to go beyond the obvious
and ugly, but may have noted that she does not see
beauty and profundity when she meets up with it. When
she watched her husband perform a serious and difficult
piece of surgery she seems please and admiring. But,
this is gone in a minute or two and she becomes her true
self once more, condemning the people and culture of
Gopher Prairie.
Ernie
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (50 of 53), Read 9 times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Barbara Moors bar647@aol.com
Date:
Sunday, October 28, 2001 05:08 PM
Checking in late once again, as I finished Main Street, I had lots
of conflicting feelings. I kept thinking of the people who live in a
small town near here who always say that no one ever leaves
their town forever, that they always come back, that no place
ever lives up to this one. It's an okay town, but incredibly
boring and mediocre. I instinctively have always wanted to slap
them when they slip into that smug tone. Halfway through Main
Street, I realized that the people in Gopher Prairie had that
same complacent content with mediocrity and I understood
Lewis' anger at more of a gut level. However, something stands
in the way of him being able to truly develop these characters
with any depth, even Carol.
My edition has some short commentaries on Lewis by various
writers and Lewis Mumford hits on some of what bother me in
his article. I'll try to excerpt a bit of it here:
...Lewis' satires have the value of photography, and to say this
is not to disparage his achievements but to reinforce the claims
of photography. His best satirical effects are obtained simply by
holding in sharp focus something that actually exists, and
forgetting, for the moment, all that historically or spatially
enters into the object to qualify it....All the phenomena that Mr.
Lewis shows are real; but, by the nature of his method, he is
unable to indicate a more comprehensive reality....The pursuit
of his particular satiric gifts, however, has led him to neglect his
larger opportunities as a novelist.
Sorry that sounds a bit choppy, but I wanted to excerpt the
main things that spoke to what troubles me without requiring
everyone to read a long quote.
What do you all think...that is, if you still feel like talking about
the book?
Barb
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (51 of 53), Read 10 times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Sherry Keller shkell@starband.net
Date:
Sunday, October 28, 2001 07:09 PM
That's a very interesting quotation, Barb. I'm not exactly sure I
really understand it (but maybe that's because I'm on the
second glass of wine for the evening). Let me give it a shot: he
criticized and satirized, but never got to the heart of the matter,
or the "art" of the matter. His characters were in focus, but
without depth. Is that anywhere near where you are?
Sherry
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (52 of 53), Read 10 times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
R Bavetta rbavetta@prodigy.net
Date:
Sunday, October 28, 2001 10:45 PM
That's how I read it anyway, Sherry. And I think it's a pretty
good summing up of SL as a writer.
Although I have to admit, that people here found much more
depth to these characters than I was aware of on my previous
readings of the book, so perhaps depth is in the eye of the
beholder?
Ruth
"I don't have a favorite song. I only have the song I'm singing
today" Berenice Reagon
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (53 of 53), Read 2 times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Ann Davey davey@tconl.com
Date:
Monday, October 29, 2001 08:37 AM
I got about 50 pages into this book and couldn't get motivated
to read further because I didn't have any feelings for the
characters. In all probability I didn't give it enough of a chance,
but I didn't get any further when I tried to read Lewis when I
was young.
From the discussion, I think this book is a lot more interesting if
you grew up in a small town. I grew up in a much more
cosmopolitan setting :) -- a small city of about 60,000.
Ann
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (54 of 55), Read 1 times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
R Bavetta rbavetta@prodigy.net
Date:
Monday, October 29, 2001 11:53 AM
I loved this book when I was in my 20s. I grew up in the
small town of Los Angeles. But I was living then in the
small city of San Bernardino, about 100,000 at the time,
and I thought I saw all kinds of correspondences to SB.
Ruth
Topic:
October: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (55 of 55), Read 13
times
Conf:
Classics Corner
From:
Barbara Moors bar647@aol.com
Date:
Monday, October 29, 2001 09:58 PM
I probably made Mumford a bit hard to understand by
just excerpting pieces of what he said. Basically, what I
got was that Lewis does an exceptionally good verbal
picture of the surface of what is there but very little of the
human depth and complexity underneath. And, that jives
with my feelings about it. It also probably is another
reason why you had trouble relating to it, Ann.
Barb
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Sinclair Lewis
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