The hypocrisy as seen in the main character of Sinclair Lewis's elmer gantry

Jong, Melita Mulyani (2003) The hypocrisy as seen in the main character of Sinclair Lewis's elmer gantry. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.

Abstract

This thesis deals with the hypocrisy that is dominantly seen through the main character, Elmer Gantry, in Sinclair Lewis?s Elmer Gantry. Sinclair Lewis is a satirist of the American life and the first American who is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Moreover, his works are done by researches in the reality. The novel, Elmer Gantry, satirizes the condition of religion in America at that time which is full of hypocrisy. Through this thesis, the thesis writer wants to show that there are some internal factors, which are Elmer Gantry?s character trait and his ambitions, and some external factors, which are his mother?s influence and the strict regulation of the church where he works as a preacher that make him to be a hypocrite. Here, the thesis writer uses the definition of hypocrisy and hypocrite and related literary theories of characterization and conflict to analyze the problem. From the analysis, she finds that his worldly habits, his arrogance, and his weak character; his ambitions of being a popular and rich man; his mother?s stronger influence; and the church?s strict regulation which is not suitable to his real self have caused him to be a hypocrite. He pretends to be a good and religious person in front of the people when he becomes a preacher although he keeps doing his preference. Moreover, Elmer Gantry could be said to be not fully aware of his hypocrisy.

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