An Interpretation Of Carol's Image In Main Street From The Perspective Of Spatial Criticism

Sinclair Lewis is the first realistic writer winning the Nobel Prize in American literary history,and his masterpieces include Main Street,Babbitt,Arrowsmith,etc.In Lewis' s writing career,Main Street undoubtedly plays a significant role,because it is this novel that wins him the instant fame.In the novel,Lewis not only portrays a dull and conservative small town Gopher Prairie,but also creates a new woman Carol Kennicott.As rebellious as Lewis himself,Carol is a perfect model in practicing his social ideals.Due to his detailed and vivid portrayal of characters and skillful satirical art,Sinclair Lewis becomes very popular among readers and gains unanimous recognition in academic field.Main Street is a novel filled with spatial factors,but few scholars have attempted to study it from the perspective of spatial criticism.Actually,ever since the “Spatial Turn” in humanities in the late twentieth century,literary studies have witnessed an impressive yield of novel insights from theorists like Henry Lefebvre and Michel Foucault.Thus,in light of Lefebvre and Foucault 's spatial thoughts,this thesis attempts to interpret the heroine Carol's image in Main Street from the aspects of social space,family space and mental space.By analyzing Carol's relations with Gopher Prairie in social space,her relations with her husband in family space and her relations with herself in personal mental space,this thesis concludes that space is critical in shaping Carol's image.The thesis is divided into five chapters.The first chapter contains a brief introduction to Sinclair Lewis and his Main Street,the literature review on the novel and the theoretical framework of the thesis.Chapter two analyzes Carol's images in social space.In this space,she is an unsuccessful reformer,a protector of the vulnerable and a prisoner in Gopher Prairie.Chapter three interprets Carol's images in family space,in which she is a radical feminist and an ambivalent wife.Chapter four explores Carol's images in her personal mental space,in which she is an escapist and an “unfaithful woman”.The last chapter summarizes her images in social space,family space and personal mental space,and stresses that Carol is not completely vulnerable before space,but has the initiative in shaping her own image.