# Miles Bjornstam — Main Street character guide > Miles Bjornstam in Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Bjornstam, old Miles, the Red Swede **First appearance:** 0013-iii ## Snapshot The town's irreverent handyman and self-declared socialist, who sharpens his wit on Gopher Prairie's smugness while fixing its furnaces. ## Who they are Miles Bjornstam is the village's resident heretic, a laborer whose open contempt for boosters, bankers, and church socials makes him both an embarrassment and a strange relief. He nurses a stubborn, unrequited tenderness for Bea Sorenson, the Kennicotts' hired girl, and his blunt honesty cuts through the town's polite fictions. For Carol, he becomes proof that not everyone in Gopher Prairie has surrendered to its creed of cheerful conformity. ## Relationships ### [Carol Kennicott](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/characters/carol_kennicott) _friendship_ Miles is a radical, free-thinking handyman who becomes Carol's ally and kindred spirit in her rebellion against Gopher Prairie's conformity. ### [Carol Kennicott](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/characters/carol_kennicott) _friendship_ Miles is a radical, free-thinking handyman who becomes Carol's ally and kindred spirit in her rebellion against Gopher Prairie's conformity. ### [Carol Kennicott](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/characters/carol_kennicott) _friendship_ Miles is a radical, free-thinking handyman who becomes Carol's ally and kindred spirit in her rebellion against Gopher Prairie's conformity. ## In the story ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/i) Acts as town handyman, fixing furnaces and plumbing; known as 'The Red Swede' and considered slightly insane. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/iii) The 'Red Swede,' a town handyman and radical who criticizes the town's social hierarchy and materialism; invites Carol into his shack for a lengthy discussion. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/vii) Miles challenges Carol's approach to reform, advocating for self-reliance and class consciousness rather than charity. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/i) Miles is at a gypsy encampment, preparing to leave for the summer as a horse trader. He invites Carol to join him. ### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/iv) Returns from Montana, eager to challenge the town's bosses. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/vi) The pariah 'Red Swede' cutting wood, flirts with Bea, shares stories of his adventures. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/iv) Encourages Carol to put on a good show for the town. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/v) Attends the play alone but leaves after the first act, signaling the play's failure. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/vii) One of the Bjornstams who, along with Carol's baby, become her only source of interest over three years. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/ii) Marries Bea; has turned respectable, working as an engineer; disappointed by Jackson Elder's absence. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/viii) Expresses anti-war views but believes Germany must be defeated; happily married to Bea, though socially ostracized. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/iii) Proud father of Olaf; has started a dairy and hopes for a better future for his son. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/iv) Mentioned as a workman who supports heresies and is mocked as a 'crank' and 'half-baked parlor socialist.' ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/ii) Expresses cynical views on the war as a tool of the bosses, unsettling Carol and making her question her own role. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/iv) Bjornstam is humiliated by Bresnahan in a public exchange at Dave Dyer's, as recounted by Nat Hicks. ### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/xxiv) Miles, the town's radical handyman, engages Carol in discussions about social change and the limitations of small-town life. ### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/iii) Miles builds bookshelves for Carol's new room, assisting her in creating her private space. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/i) The 'Red Swede' who runs a dairy and is a heroic figure to Hugh; a true friend to Carol. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/ii) Confides in Carol about his social isolation and love for his family; devastated by the deaths of Bea and Olaf. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/chapters/i) Miles sells his dairy, says goodbye to Carol, and leaves for northern Alberta after being cursed by the town and rebuked by Champ Perry for seditious remarks. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/characters/miles_bjornstam - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/main_street_se/characters