Freud

            "Readers of Main Street today must be struck by its masterful depiction of a fundamental truth" stated Paula Cohen in her essay "Return to Main Street: Sinclair Lewis and the Politics of Literary Reputation," which is "that no matter what roles we occupy and how well we have balanced multiple, traditionally competing roles, we have not achieved satisfaction and that satisfaction is fated to elude us." She further states that the main character, Carol Kennicott, represents this "fundamental truth." However, Cohen makes an incorrect assertion through only taking Carol's attitude into consideration when making her claim. Carol essentially exhibited a pessimistic point of view, which kept her from being happy. More so, other citizens of Gopher Prairie apparently led fulfilling lives in their own eyes even if they were observed to be unhappy by Carol. Finally, if Carol's perspective were simply changed she presumably would have found happiness. .
             Happiness has a range of definitions by different people. Some people may perceive happiness as living a quiet, relatively uneventful life. Others may pursue happiness by attempting to make some sort of impact on society. Carol seems to match the latter description through her actions within Main Street. On the other hand, the other citizens of Gopher Prairie give the impression that they are happy with their unexciting lives. Cohen clearly didn't take both of these points of view into consideration when making her assertion. This mistake by Cohen resulted in an incorrect generalization of what happiness is by defining happiness with relation to Carol only. .
             It is apparent that Carol was a pessimist even from the start of the novel, which contributed to her unhappiness, contradicting Cohen's claim that unhappiness is destined to everyone. Without any evidence Carol concluded that Gopher Prairie needed reform simply because it is a small town. Carol's hasty conclusion was the start of her unhappiness as Carol took an impossible task upon her shoulders: to reform a town that did not want change.