National Avenue

In Booth Tarkington's *National Avenue*, the final installment of his 'Growth Trilogy,' we witness the relentless march of industrialization through the eyes of Dan Oliphant, a boisterous Midwesterner with grand visions. Unlike his cultured, traditional brother Harlan, Dan dreams of transforming his sleepy hometown into a bustling industrial suburb, Ornaby Addition. Despite the scorn and mockery of his family and townsfolk, Dan pushes his vision into reality, ushering in a new era of noisy cars, smoky factories, and towering, unappealing buildings that irrevocably alter the landscape and the community's way of life. Tarkington masterfully portrays the human cost of progress, as Dan's ambition, while initially sympathetic, leads to a deeply unhappy family life and the environmental degradation of his beloved homeland.