Problem of Individual Adjustment and Negative Knowledge in Sinclair Lewis's Arrowsmith
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Department of English
Abstract
This research maintains the fact that there is a difficulty for working class
people to adjust with the capitalist way of life. As the protagonist, Martin
Arroswmith, assimilates himself with thecapitalistic system, his working class
background cannot make him like a ruling person. And when he isolates himself
from the capitalistic system he cannot become like a working class person because he
has already left his background. Therefore, he suffering from double alienation. His
mind is ideologically manipulated in such a way that he totally fails to see how he is
exploited. He cannot see the politics behind the constructions of different ideals in
the capitalistic system. Moreover, Martin Arrowsmith is blind towards the
exploitation of capitalism till Hunjiker offers him the rank of Director of McGurk
institute. The moment he becomes conscious about the capitalistic ethos, he totally
isolates himself from the society. Therefore, his assimilation as well as isolation from
capitalism are of extreme points. And these extreme positions make him a failed
individual to generate the negative dialectics.