Arrowsmith

"Arrowsmith" by Sinclair Lewis, published in 1925 and winner of the 1926 Pulitzer Prize (which Lewis declined), explores the life of Martin Arrowsmith. The novel reflects the cultural shifts in science following the Flexner Report and is considered a major work on the culture of science. Arrowsmith's journey from a Midwest town to the scientific elite involves medical school, romantic entanglements, and professional challenges. The plot culminates in Arrowsmith facing a bubonic plague outbreak on a Caribbean island. The book offers social commentary on 1920s American medicine, addressing career dilemmas, ethical considerations, and the clash between idealism and worldly temptations.