The Magnificent Ambersons _ The story is set in the Midwest, where George, the spoiled and oblivious scion of an old-money family, must cope with their waning fortunes and the rise of industry barons in the automobile age _The Magnificent Ambersons a fascinating and forward-thinking novel _ Emphasis on the theme of progress as the destroyer of family, community and the environment _ Winner of the 1919 Pulitzer prize and second in Tarkington's Growth trilogy of novels.