Arrowsmith Essay -- essays research papers

Arrowsmith is a classic American novel compose by SinclairLewis. Lewis wrote this book in the early 1900s as acurrent outlook on the world of scientific discipline in that time. The important theme it focuses on is moneymaking(prenominal)ism and its effect onscience. During this time full point there were many advancesin the field of medicine every(prenominal)one was racing to convey the cureto deadly diseases and then patent it and profit off it. constituent manity was more of a agate line than a service to the humanrace as doctors and institutes became more and morecapitalistic. Like a business trying to maximize its profit,many doctors and scientists cut corners and guessed at manythings so they could get their reapings or methods on themarket as fast as possible. However, there were a fewscientists who stayed strictly devoted to their science, notlet money, glory, and success corrupt them. Scientistssuch as this despised commercialism and held condescensionagainst the other doctors and scientists who fell into thatsystem of capitalism. The book follows the life of MartinArrowsmith, a scientist who is separate between pure scienceand commercialism. He wants to be a full-strength scientist just he ispushed into commercialism by everyone he meets, exceptfor a select few. Among the few is Max Gottlieb, who isMartins model for everything a aline scientist should be.Gottlieb is a bacteriologist who is completely against thecapitalist values of commercial doctors and scientists hedevotes himself scrupulously to his science, and he believes inbeing completely thorough and not reckon or acceptingthings without completely understanding them. TerryWickett, a supporter of Gottliebs, holds entirely the same valuesand attitudes as Gottlieb toward capitalism andcommercialism. He helps Martin bomb away fromcommercialism, and become a true scientist. Another personwho greatly helps Martin in his life is his first wife, LeoraTozer, who stands by and suppo rts Martin no matter what.She devotes herself to Martin as much as Gottlieb devoteshimself to his science. She supports him in whatever decisionhe decides to make, she helps and comforts him in his timesof need, and she remains completely loyal to him at all times,even when he is not completely loyal to her. The story startswith Martin Arrowsmith as a medical student at WinnemacUniversity, where he was first introduced to commercialscience and pure s... ...from the Plague. What is ironic about this is that this purescience tends to profit humanity more than commercialismscience in the long run. The plan that one significantimprovement over a long uttermost of time is better than aseries of failures and half-successes is drowned out by thepropaganda of commercialism. sublimate science producesmethods and medicines that argon certain. They have beenthoroughly tested and proved to be successful, as opposedto the medicines produced by commercial scientists. Whilethey produce more, they are not certain as to what effectthey will have. They hope that if their product works in onesituation, it will work in every situation. However,commercial science does have positive points as purescience has negative points. While pure science is morecertain it is as well much more long term. Commercial sciencegives immediate do and help, despite how much it mayactually help. Pure science is presented as something thatlooks toward and works for the future, while commercialscience deals with what is happening at the moment, butcommercialism hinders pure science so much that, in effect, itmay be bringing about the destruction of its own future.