Main Street (novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Sinclair Lewis |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Howe |
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Publication date
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1920 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback), and audiobook |
| Pages | 448 pages |
| ISBN | 1420930923 |
Main Street is a famous novel written by Sinclair Lewis. It was published in 1920. The book is a satirical story, which means it uses humor and exaggeration to criticize something. In this case, it makes fun of life in small towns.
The story happens in the 1910s. It mentions important events like World War I and the start of Prohibition. Prohibition was a time in the United States when making and selling alcohol was illegal.
The novel is set in a made-up town called Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. This town is based on Sauk Centre, Minnesota, which was Sinclair Lewis's real hometown. Main Street is one of Lewis's most well-known books. It even helped him win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1930. The story follows a character named Carol Milford Kennicott. She struggles with the old-fashioned ideas of the people in Gopher Prairie. When it was first published, the book was very popular. Today, it is still seen as an important American classic.
What is Main Street About?
The main character is Carol Milford. She grew up in Mankato, Minnesota. Carol became an orphan when she was a teenager. In college, she dreamed of making towns better. She wanted to redesign villages to be more modern.
After college, Carol went to a library school in Chicago. There, she learned many new and different ideas. She became a librarian in Saint Paul, Minnesota. But she found the work boring. She then married Will Kennicott, a doctor. Will loved small-town life.
When they got married, Will convinced Carol to live in his hometown. This was Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. Carol immediately wanted to change Gopher Prairie. She thought the town was ugly and its people were too old-fashioned.
Carol tried to talk to people about new ideas. She joined women's clubs and handed out books. She even threw a party to make the town more lively. But her efforts did not work. The town's important groups often made fun of her.
She found some friends among people who also felt like outsiders. But even these friends did not fully meet her hopes.
After a political meeting was stopped by local police, Carol left her husband. She moved to Washington, D.C. for a while. There, she worked for a government agency during the war. Eventually, she returned to Gopher Prairie. Even though things were hard, Carol did not feel defeated. She said:
I do not admit that Main Street is as beautiful as it should be! I do not admit that Gopher Prairie is greater or more generous than Europe! I do not admit that dish-washing is enough to satisfy all women! I may not have fought the good fight, but I have kept the faith. (Chapter 39)
This quote shows Carol's strong belief in her ideas. She still believed that towns could be better. She also believed that women could do more than just housework.
Why is Main Street Famous?
Main Street almost won a big award. It was first chosen for the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for literature. But the award's board of trustees decided against it. They gave the prize to Edith Wharton for her book The Age of Innocence instead. Later, in 1926, Lewis was offered the Pulitzer Prize for his book Arrowsmith. But he refused to accept it.
In 1930, Sinclair Lewis made history. He became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Prize is given to an author for all their work. It does not usually name one specific book. However, Main Street was Lewis's most popular book at the time.
When Lewis received the Nobel Prize, both Main Street and Arrowsmith were mentioned. The Nobel committee praised him. They said he had a "vigorous and graphic art of description." They also noted his "ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters."
In 1998, a group called the Modern Library made a list. It ranked the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Main Street was placed at number 68 on this important list.
