Keeping up with Lizzie

** "Keeping Up with Lizzie" by Irving Bacheller is a story set in the early 1900s that follows the residents of Pointview, Connecticut, as they struggle to maintain their status in their community. The story begins with Socrates Potter, a wise lawyer who watches as Lizzie Henshaw's increasing social status causes others in the town to try and copy her expensive lifestyle. Lizzie's family pressures her father's grocery business while he attempts to fund her aspirations, which has negative financial consequences for the rest of the town, creating a humorous and critical view of the pressures of societal status. The plot shows how dreams of achievement can cause personal and social problems. **