Arrowsmith · Chapter
XXVIII explained
Martin Arrowsmith, now a celebrated hero after his work on the plague in St.
What happens
Martin Arrowsmith, now a celebrated hero after his work on the plague in St. Hubert, returns to New York and is caught up in the social and professional demands of fame. He marries Joyce Lanyon, a wealthy socialite, but finds himself increasingly dissatisfied with the luxurious but empty life of lectures, banquets, and high society. He longs to return to pure scientific research and eventually abandons the institute and his new life to retreat to a wilderness laboratory with Terry Wickett.
Themes in this chapter
The Cost of Ambition
Martin's rise to fame and marriage to Joyce Lanyon come at the cost of his scientific integrity and personal happiness, leading him to abandon it all.
The Ideal of Pure Research
Martin's ultimate choice to join Terry Wickett in a wilderness lab underscores the novel's critique of institutional science and the value of pure, untainted inquiry.
Characters to notice
- Martin Arrowsmith
Returns to New York as a hero, marries Joyce Lanyon, but becomes disillusioned with fame and high society, ultimately leaving for a wilderness lab.
- Joyce Lanyon
Marries Martin and tries to integrate him into her social world, but their lifestyles clash.
- Terry Wickett
Represents the ideal of pure research; Martin joins him in a wilderness laboratory at the end of the chapter.
- Rippleton Holabird
Director of the McGurk Institute, pressures Martin to give lectures and conform to institutional expectations.
- Gustaf Sondelius
Mentioned as having died of plague on St. Hubert; his memory influences Martin's reflections.
Key passages
“He was a hero, and he was sick of it.”
Martin is tired of being celebrated and the demands of his public image.
Captures Martin's disillusionment with fame.
“He wanted to get back to work, to the laboratory, to the quiet and the cleanliness of pure science.”
Martin longs to return to the simplicity and integrity of scientific research.
Highlights the theme of pure research.
“He had married Joyce Lanyon, and he was living in a house that was like a museum, and he was giving lectures to women's clubs.”
Martin's marriage to Joyce has trapped him in a life of social obligations and superficiality.
Illustrates the cost of ambition and social conformity.