68 pages 2 hours read

Sinclair Lewis

It Can't Happen Here

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1935

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Essay Topics

1.

During the 2016 US Presidential Election, It Can’t Happen Here returned to bestseller lists with many commentators comparing Donald Trump to Berzelius Windrip. Compare and contrast the two figures, both as candidates and as presidents.

2.

It Can’t Happen Here has frequently been adapted into other mediums since its original publication in 1935. Why does the novel continue to resonate with readers? If you were tasked with producing a contemporary adaptation of the novel, what elements would you emphasize and how would you change or update the story?

3.

The title of It Can’t Happen Here is ironic. What arguments does Lewis make that totalitarianism can happen in America? Do you find the thesis of the book persuasive?

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