ARROWSMITH

ARROWSMITH, a novel, by American author, Sinclair Lewis, was first published in a signed edition of 500 copies printed on handmade paper and published in 1925, It won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize (which Lewis declined). Lewis was greatly assisted in its preparation by science writer Paul de Kruif, who received 25% of the royalties on sales, although Lewis was listed as the sole author. Arrowsmith is an early major novel dealing with the culture of science. It was written in the period after significant reforms in medical education. Lewis describes many aspects of medical training, medical practice, scientific research, scientific fraud, ethics, public health, and personal/professional conflicts that are still relevant today. Professional jealousy, institutional pressures, greed, stupidity, and negligence are all satirically depicted, and Arrowsmith himself is exasperatingly self-involved. But there is also tireless dedication, and respect for the scientific method and intellectual honesty. The book was adapted for the 1931 film, “Arrowsmith,” starring Ronald Colman and Helen Hayes.