The Everlasting Fight

Sinclair Lewis is the first writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in the history of American literature. Lewis dedicated to writing in his entire life and during his splendid 1920s, he wrote a few world famous novels, such as Main Street, Babbit, Arrowsmith. In these novels, his critical eye focused on what most bears American characteristics: small towns and town people, bustling and flourishing cities and businessmen, the world of medicine and science, doctors and scientists. With his cynical, realistic and meticulous writing style, he reflected the conservative and stubbornness of small towns, the cold and business-oriented world of medicine and the essence of a business society-interests are the priority. The everlasting theme, a person's indecision, conflict and rebellion against the environment was particularly embodied. Furthermore, the middle class, which is the backbone group in the American society, was the focus of his criticism.The conflict between man and environment holds the dominant position in Lewis' novels. This theme does not only show the writing style of the novelist, but also his critical view on the narrow-minded town, interests are the priority in the business world and the ignorance of scientific theory in the medicine world.The dissertation chose three widely-acknowledged novels of Lewis-Main Street, Babbit and Arrowsmith, analyzing the theme of conflict, so the depression in a cold business world, the disillusionment of an ideal image of towns and his ambivalent feelings for the middle class can be unfolded.