Title: Main Street Author: Sinclair
Lewis Synopsis: The story centers around Carol Kennicott, a woman who is from
Minneapolis, but moves to the small town of Gopher Prairie when she gets married.
Carol hopes to reform Gopher Prairie so that it will be like the cities, in that
it will have culture. Carol's plan fails because the people of Gopher Prairie
see her as too radical and they shun her. Carol recognizes the fact that she does
not fit in and tries to fit in by becoming a parent and playing bridge with the
other women of the town. In doing so, Carol sees how the women are prisoners of
their husbands and of the high moral standards of the town. Carol recognizes that
she does not have to be like the other women and she leaves Gopher Prairie for
Washington D.C., but returns home after two years when she realizes that she must
stay with her family. Themes: The themes present in Main Street are Women's Rights,
Religion and how it affects people's lives, racism, and the right of free speech.
Point of View: Main Street is told from an omniscant or all-knowing point of view.
Characters/types: Carol Kennicott is the protagonist and the society of Gopher
Prairie is the antagonist. The society of Gopher Prarie is represented through
secondary characters such as Mrs. Bogart, Vida Sherwin, Mr. and Mrs. Dyer, and
Juanita Haydock. Figurative Language/literary devices: note extensive or unique
uses as well as describing the overall effect. Imagery is used to describe how
ugly and unplanned Gopher Prarielooks and explain why Carol thinks that it needs
reforming. Direct and Indirect Characterization is used to describe the eccentric
qualities of the secondary characters like Erik Valborg and to show how Carol
sees the other characters. 1. Which element was the most important to the development
of the novel? Explain why. The apparent contrast made between Carol and the other
characters was important because it further exemplified the fact that she did
not fit in with the citizens of Gopher Prairie and that she struggled to fit in
while struggling to keep her own identity. 2. Identify the elements of plot below.
Justify your answer. A. initial incident The initial incident occurs when Carol
meets Dr. Kennicott at a party and they discuss social reform for towns such as
Gopher Prairie. When they get married, Kennicott has the impression that Carol
would like Gopher Prairie and decides the take her with him to live there. B.
climax The Climax occcurs when Carol decides that she can no longer take living
in Gopher Prairie and acting just to please the people of the town instead of
doing what she wants to do. Carol leaves Kennicott but takes her son Hugh with
her. Carol goes to Washington D.C. where she finds work in an office. 3. Give
an example of conflict. Identify the type of conflict and how it is / why it is
not resolved. Conflict occurs when Carol sees how the women of the town have to
beg their husbands for money. It just so happens that the very day of this observation
Kennicott forgets to give Carol her grocery money. Carol thinks that Kennicott
is becoming like the other men, so she storms into his office and begins to yell
at him. The conflict is resolved whenKennicott realizes his mistake and gives
Carol the money and promises never to do it again. 4. Give an example of irony
from the novel. Identify the type and explain how or why it is ironic. Irony occurs
in the character of Mrs. Bogart. Mrs. Bogart is the most religious and most strict
woman in town, but her son, Cy Bogart, gets in the most trouble. It would be expected
that such a strict woman would punish her son, but she puts the blame on everyone
else and does not accept responsibility for her son's misbehavior. 5. Identify
a flashback from the novel and explain the effect of the use of this device. A
flashback occurs when Fern Mullins leaves Gopher Prairie on a train after she
has been rejected by the people of the town. Carol remembers that Miles Bjornstam,
a man who had also been hated by the town, also left on a train and she remembers
how hard his life was and wonders what he is doing now. 6. Give an example of
foreshadowing from the novel. Explain the effect of the use of this device. An
example of foreshadowing occurs when Carol notices Erik Valborg for the first
time while at a talk about how Mormons should be rejected and cast out from society.
This foreshadows that Erik Valborg will also be cast out of the society of Gopher
Prairie. 7. From what point of view is the story told? What effect does this point
of view have on the reader? The story is told from an omniscant or all-knowing
point of view and this allows for all of the characters to be described in their
actual states, not as how Carol sees them to be. 8. Describe the setting of the
novel. The story takes place in the small town of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. Gopher
Prairie is mostly cut off from the rest of the world except for the train that
stops there. The town is not well planned, but the people are proud of it and
resent the fact that Carol wants to change it. The people of Gopher Prairie are
very close, which is why it is hard for Carol and other newcomers to fit in. 9.
Identify two major characters from the novel. For each character: A. Identify
the type. B. Give three quotes, with page numbers, which illustrates the character.
Character one: Carol Kennicott A. Protagonist B. "As for Carol, she was an
orphan; her only near relative was a vanilla-flavored sister married to an optician
in St. Paul." (p.19) "...Say Carol, you could do a lot for people......Oh
well you know your sympathy and everything..." (p. 20) "...Carol retained
a willingness to be different from brisk efficient book ignoring people; an instinct
to observe and wonder at their bustle even when she was taking part in it."
(p. 23) Character two: Miles Bjornstam A. Secondary Character B. "The universal
sign of winter was the town handyman- Miles Bjornstam, a tall, thick, red-mustached
bachelor, opinionated atheist, general store arguer, cynical Santa Claus."
(p. 98) "He was known as 'The Red Swede,' and considered slightly insane."
(p. 98) "Bjornstam could do anything with his hands..." (p. 98) 10.
Give a one sentence statement of theme for the novel. The theme of Main Street
is the struggle between what women truley desire to do and what society expects
them to do. 11. Identify one symbol from the novel and explain the symbolism.
A symbol is Main Street. It not only represents the business center of the town,
but the town itself with all of its citizens. 12. Identify one allusion from the
novel and explain the allusion. References to a play by Ibsen are mentioned when
Carol tries to produce it for the town in her drama club. 13. Identify six different
types of figurative language or literary devices used in the novel. For each type:
A. Identify type. B. Give a quote with page number. C. Explain the effect. 1.A.
Direct Characterization B. "I'm what they call a pariah, I guess. I'm the
town bad man Mrs. Kennicott: town atheist, and I suppose I must be an anarchist
too." (p. 132) C. This explains why many people do not like Miles Bjornstam,
because he has different political views from the rest of the town. 2.A. Imagery
B. "The houses on the outskirts were dusty old red mansions with wooden frills,
or gaunt frame shelters like grocery boxes, or new bungalows with concrete foundations
imitationg stone". (p.42) C. This shows Carol's first impression of the town
and how ugly the houses appear to her. 3.A. Similie B. "...face like the
back of a spoon bowl." (p. 43) C. This thought shows Carol's cynical attitude
when she arrives in Gopher Prairie. Sam Clark is trying to be nice to her and
all she can do is compare him to a bowl. 4.A Indirect Characterization B. "Carol
ran back into the living room and jerked open the windows. 'That woman has left
damp fingerprints in the air', she said." (p. 87) C. This demonstates how
Mrs. Bogart can make people feel guilty, since she is so religious. Therefore
she is hard to get along with. 5.A Personification B. "Early May; wheat springing
up in blades like grass; corn and potatos being planted; the land humming."
(p. 156) C. This describes the beauty of the land around Gopher Prairie and inspires
Carol, since she wants to make the town just as beautiflu through her reforms.
6.A. Imagery B. "Washington gave her all the graciousness in which she had
faith: white columns across leafy parks, spacious avenues, twisty alleys. (p.
446) C. This shows that Carol really likes the way Washington looks and wants
to bring those looks to Gopher Prarie in hopes of making it look more civilized
