Mr. Arrowsmith

a backMr. Arrowsmith
by S. Lewis

Sinclair Lewis was a noble American novelist who hit the public with his vigorous and sharp-witted style.
Due to this, his stories seem so vivid and true-to-life and the characters can be easily recognized in our mates, colleagues or neighbours.
The excerpt under analysis is not an exception. “Mr. Arrowsmith” is the story of Martin Arrowsmith, who has a keen interest in science and spends all his free time studying and reading through medical journals and other books.   He studies at the University of Winnemac that deserves our immediate attention. The author uses a lot of epithets on a par with hyperbole and meiosis, irony and humour to bring in to the light the prodigy of such a-list university, which has amazing facilities and equipment to boast with: “The University of Winnemac is... beside this prodigy, Oxford is a tine theological school and Harvard a select college for young gentlemen. ... Its buildings are measured by the mile... its president is the best the money-raiser and the best after-dinner in the United States.”   Judging by this, we can easily realise that the University is highly promoted and its success is triggered by commercialism, which impregnates all the schools in there, including the medical one, where Martin is a student.
Speaking about the protagonist, the technique of the omniscient author is used. Direct description of Martin’s appearance gives us a portrayal of a young and promising scientist yet extremely shy with everyone around: “He seemed pale, in contrast to his black smooth hair...” Martin's isolationist tendencies allow him few friends and very one-sided romantic attachments, though his co-eds find him attractive: “The co-eds murmured that he looked “so romantic”, but merely talked about him at a distance, and he didn’t know that he could have been a hero of amours.”   This fact proves once again, that the passion for medicine and research devours all his mind and attention. Martin... [continues]

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