THE IDEAS OF CULTURAL REFORMIN SINCLAIR LEWIS’ MAIN STREETSyamsudin
Abstract: This article is aimed
at revealing Sinclair Lewis’ vision about America in the twenties. Referring to
the American history this era is regarded as one of the gloomiest eras,
characterized especially by provincial mentality attitudes in the American small
town. In particular, this article is aimed at revealing Sinclair Lewis’ ideas of
cultural reform toward those mentality attitudes as reflected in his Main
Street. This research uses an interdisciplinary approach, which involves
historical, sociological, and cultural perspectives. The result of the research
shows that provincial mentality attitudes as reflected in the novel is still
pervasive in American small towns. People tend to be self-satisfied,
hypocritical, and chauvinistic. Through Carol Kennicott, the main character of
the novel, Sinclair Lewis tries to launch cultural reform in the efforts to
develop or improve education sector, society, town, worker, and women’s
organization. Carol cannot implement all of her ideas of cultural reform
immediately because the villagers still maintained their traditional values.
This implies that cultural reform can not be launched revolutionarily but
gradually.
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