Main Street Themes

In Main Street, when it comes to religion, the good folks of Gopher Prairie don't mess around. Sure, not everyone is as crazy about the Bible as the old Mrs. Bogart, but it's pretty clear that non-...

Don't get married on Main Street, folks. Chances are it ain't gonna be pretty; after all, it's hard to have a good marriage if you actually hate your life.At least that's what happens to Carol Kenn...

In Main Street, once Carol is married, she's expected to start having kids so that she and Will can have a true family. Now, Carol lost both of her parents by the age of eleven and grew up an orpha...

It's fair to say that in Sinclair Lewis's time, women didn't enjoy the same opportunities that men did. In Main Street, when Carol marries Will Kennicott, she's saddened to find that instead of wid...

It's hard to say what love means for Carol Kennicott in Main Street. She's never been the type of person who defines herself as part of a relationship; she's an independent woman who puts her perso...

In Main Street, class is a complicated thing. Make no mistake: Gopher Prairie likes to refer to itself as a democratic place, but there are limits to how much the wealthy folks in town are willing...

In Main Street, you have to be careful about what you do even when you think nobody's watching. That's because everybody is watching. Folks around Gopher Prairie don't think very highly of people w...

If you ask Carol Kennicott, the best thing about the world of Main Street isn't, you know, Main Street—it's the vast field and forest right outside of Gopher Prairie.Carol often retreats to the g...