Sinclair Lewis was an American writer and playwright who became the first American to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1930. One of his most successful novels is Main Street, published in 1920. It is a satirical novel that begins with references to the start of World War 1. A satirical novel is a form of fiction in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or exposing the perceived flaws of individuals, corporations, government, or society itself for improvement. Sinclaire Lewis satirizes the small-town life of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota, a fictional town based in Sauk Center, Minnesota. The novel relates the life and struggles of Carol Milford Kennicott as she comes into conflict with the small-town mentality of the residents of Gopher Prairie.
In 1921, Main Street was initially chosen as the winner of the Pulitzer Prize. However, the decision was later changed in favor of the TheAge of Innocence by Edith Wharton. In 1926, Sinclair Lewis was again offered the Pulitzer Prize for his novel Arrowsmith but he refused it. In 1930, Sinclair became the first American to win Nobel Prize in Literature. Both Main Street and Arrowsmith were mentioned in the Nobel committee's presentation speech.
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