Summary Martin’s duties in assisting Max Gottlieb involve sixteen hours a day. Dr. Silva, dean of the medical faculty and devotee of Sir William Osler, is revered by the young medic, but Dr. Roscoe Geake is hated. Upon leaving the university for the vice-presidency of a powerful medical furniture and […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapter VIIISummary and Analysis Chapter VII
Summary Martin’s relations with Leora seem calm and serene after his more turbulent connection with Madeline. When Digamma Pi is giving a dance, he and Leora shop together for his clothes, finally deciding on dinner jacket and black waistcoat. When they arrive at the ball, however, many of the men […]
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Summary Martin returns from Ontario more in love with Madeline than ever, and they are re-engaged. Twenty minutes later, she is sneering at Clif Clawson, at fishing, and at all schoolteachers. The junior year of medicine is “a whirlwind.” Martin does his first original research in a manner that evokes […]
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Summary Bacteriology dominates Martin’s life now, although he is also studying pathology, hygiene, surgical anatomy, and several other subjects. His roommate, Clif Clawson, though still a joker, supplies cheerfulness, for “The whole of Clif was more than the sum of his various parts.” Martin seldom thinks of his former fraternity […]
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Summary Professor Max Gottlieb infects a guinea pig with anthrax germs before a nervous bacteriology class, too respectful to stand close. He advises his students to be careful about infecting themselves when handling deadly germs and that the most important part of experimentation is not the experiment itself but taking […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapter IVSummary and Analysis Chapter III
Summary Two more teachers in the medical school of the University of Winnemac are introduced: Back Bay Bostonian Dr. John A. Robertshaw, professor of physiology, and Dr. Oliver O. Stout, professor of anatomy. Both are erudite but colorless men. Members of Digamma Pi, thirty in number, aid each other in […]
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Summary The mythical state of Winnemac, bounded by Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana, is half Eastern, half Midwestern, with Zenith, its largest city, surrounded by fields of corn and wheat. The University of Winnemac is at Mohalis and has a student body of twelve thousand. Young doctors of philosophy give […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Chapter IISummary and Analysis Chapter I
Summary In a flashback fifteen lines long, Sinclair Lewis recites an episode from the life of the great-grandmother of his hero, Martin Arrowsmith. As a motherless girl of fourteen, the great-grandmother has chosen to go on westward in a wagon with her sick father and her tattered brothers and sisters […]
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Martin Arrowsmith, M.D. scientist and leading character Leora Tozer Arrowsmith Martin’s first wife Dr. Max Gottlieb professor of bacteriology and true scientist Dr. Terry Wickett Martin’s associate in scientific research Madeline Fox to whom Martin at one time is engaged Joyce Lanyon Arrowsmith Martin’s second wife Gustaf Sondelius colorful Swedish […]
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Introduction Sinclair Lewis considered several titles over a period of months before deciding on Arrowsmith for his novel about the medical profession. Some of those discarded were The Stumbler, The Barbarian or just Barbarian, Martin Arrowsmith, M.D., Dr. Martin, Martin, and even Doc. The last, suggested by his publisher, Alfred […]
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