Elmer Gantry is a picaresque novel. A typical picaresque narrative chronicles the exploits of a rogue, an immoral but not criminal character who lives by his wits. There is no character development, and so Elmer, after his character is first established, does not change during the course of the novel. The main purpose of the picaresque novel (a modern example of which is Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March), is satire. Satire ridicules its subject, with the intention of arousing contempt or scorn in the reader. A satire can be aimed at an individual or a group. In Elmer Gantry, the object of Lewis's satire is not only Elmer himself—who after the tabernacle fire ". . . rescued at least thirty people who had already rescued themselves. . . ."—but the entire clerical.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 308 words. This
study guide contains 8,543 words (approx. 28 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our Elmer Gantry Access Pass.
