Babbitt

A detailed Summary of Babbitt

Babbitt is a satirical approach of describing the American middle class and it's culture during the roaring 1920's. The author, Sinclair Lewis, seeks to expose the conformity and emptiness that plagues the middle class community of Zenith and all of America. He shows one man's struggle as he realizes his faults with a dull, conformed lifestyle of himself and his society.

The town of Zenith shines with post World War I prosperity. It has a modern landscape of skyscrapers, factories and bustling automobiles and streets crowded with people. The neighborhood that George Babbitt lives in consists of orderly rows of pleasant, comfortable homes containing all the latest technology offered in modern conveniences and appliances. However, underneath this shiny gleam reveals a false, conformed lifestyle among the middle class. Zenith and its citizen's are characterized by depressing standardization all with very superficial relationships and repetitive thoughts. Lewis portrays the middle class as being motivated by social status, money and material wants.

George Babbitt lives the typical middle class businessman lifestyle as a Realtor. The novel reveals that Babbitt realizes that he is dissatisfied and bored with his lifestyle.

He like others in his class never really think for themselves. They borrow their ideas and attitudes from one another all talking and agreeing about the same things. At the dinner party that the Babbitt's host for Zenith's

As Babbitt begins to realize he is unsettled with his life he decides to take a trip away from Zenith with his best male companion, Paul Riesling, who is very critical of the monotonous lifestyle of the middle class. George needs time away from work and his family. His vacation to Maine with Paul is a chance to release their masculine side and be real men absent of women and their structure. Lewis shows that the new nature of middle class work has impeded on a man's self-esteem making him worry if he had gone soft. Men no longer had to work hard physically. They escape to Maine to fish, play cards and drink away their empty middle class lifestyle. He returns to Zenith feeling rejuvenated from his time spent in Maine.

"keenest intellects and the brightest bunch of little women in town." (p.99)

All the guests agree that it was the best dinner they've ever had. Babbitt and his guests even think alike regarding the economy, politics and the poor people. They even agree that prohibition is good for the poor and working class but is an infringement on their rights. Lewis exposes the fact that the middle class looks down upon the lower classes, feels threatened by them and wishes to keep them in their place. Nothing about these people suggests they are intellectually cultured with vast knowledge and appreciations. They only appreciate and know money and status.

them. They are extremely hypocritical in criticizing the wasteful spending of the working classes. He begins expressing his ideas to his friends and Lewis shows how swift the consequences are when on doesn't conform. His friend begin to watch his every move and try to persuade him back into their circle and thinking his same old ideas. They turn away from him and threaten that if he doesn't conform they will stop doing business.

The Babbitt family and relationships among themselves are very superficial and lack essence. George tries

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Approximate Word count = 1449
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous