This novel is about feminism, mostly, as it explains the birth of feminism in the life of a young socialite. At the beginning of the novel, Carol Milford accepts a marriage proposal by a small town man, and unknowingly condemns herself to a life that is dreary, boring, and often racist and misogynistic. The plot revolves around small episodes that show Carol being pushed a little further along in her distaste for this conservative life she has. Finally, she leaves, but not even city life can remedy her injuries, and in the end, she settles for the normalcy of married life, praying for a better life for her daughter. Her silent dream is for a future with feminism, because she discovers that even though emotionally, her problems feel localized, they are actually systematic issues that are beyond her control.
In light of all of this, Main Street can be called a feminist criticism of polite society. The picture of marriage offered in the book is that marriage allows intelligent women a platform to make a difference. In other words, a woman's influence is only tolerated through her marriage, which is morally wrong. The picture of female life offered in the novel is that because of the social pressures of society, marriage doesn't actually meet the emotional needs of the women condemned to them, and she finds herself constantly flirting with townsmen, unsatisfied and hoping for sexual release.
This depiction of life as a woman is deeply repressed, and what's worse, the town continually demonstrates harsh judgment against women, especially for sexual indiscretions. These things gnaw at Carol, and by the end of the novel, she silently converts to the cause of feminism, out of longing for her daughter.
