Literature Study GuidesIt Cant Happen Here

It Can't Happen Here | Study Guide

Sinclair Lewis

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Course Hero. "It Can't Happen Here Study Guide." Course Hero. 13 Mar. 2020. Web. 2 July 2022. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/It-Cant-Happen-Here/>.

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Course Hero. (2020, March 13). It Can't Happen Here Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved July 2, 2022, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/It-Cant-Happen-Here/

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Course Hero. "It Can't Happen Here Study Guide." March 13, 2020. Accessed July 2, 2022. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/It-Cant-Happen-Here/.

Footnote

Course Hero, "It Can't Happen Here Study Guide," March 13, 2020, accessed July 2, 2022, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/It-Cant-Happen-Here/.

Overview

Author

Sinclair Lewis

Year Published

1935

Type

Novel

Genre

Dystopian, Satire

Perspective and Narrator

It Can't Happen Here is told in the third person by an omniscient narrator. Much of the story, however, is told from the perspective of the main character and hero, Doremus Jessup.

Tense

It Can't Happen Here is written in the past tense.

About the Title

The title refers to the hero's belief that his country is too steeped in democratic traditions to succumb to fascism as other countries have done. The title has a larger resonance as well: Sinclair Lewis did not coin the phrase "it can't happen here"; rather, it was a common remark during the period, reflecting Americans' belief that their country was immune to tyranny. Moreover, versions of this remark are still in circulation. The title of the novel is also a piece of verbal irony since in fact what "can't happen" does happen—an American slide into fascism fully narrated in the novel.

Diagrams

Father and mentor Lovers and comrades Adversaries Revered leader Revered leader Right-hand man Mentor Beau Friends Doremus Jessup Liberal newspaper editor Julian Falck College student Lorinda Pike Innkeeper; feminist Sissy Jessup Student in high school; feminist Lee Sarason Fascist kingmaker Shad Ledue Unskilled laborer; fascist soldier Buzz Windrip Fascist demagogue Karl Pascal Skilled laborer; communist
Character Map
timeline
Timeline
plot-diagram
Plot Diagram

Summary

This study guide for Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.

Characters

Doremus Jessup Shad Ledue Lorinda Pike Sissy Jessup Karl Pascal Buzz Windrip Lee Sarason

Symbols

Five-Pointed Star of the Minute Men Wheel of the Minute Men Zero Hour

Themes

The Allure of Security The Fragility of Democracy Most People Lack a Moral Compass
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