Babbitt - Readings

Description

The masterpiece of Nobel Prize winner Sinclair Lewis

A Penguin Classic

George F. Babbitt, a conniving, prosperous real estate man from Zenith, Ohio, revels in his popularity, his success, and, especially, in the material rewards they bring. He bullies his wife, flirts with other women, and patronizes the less successful. But when his best friend is sent to prison for killing his wife, Babbitt's middle-class complacency is shattered, and he rebels, seeking a more "meaningful" life. His small revolt is quickly defeated, however, by public opinion and his own need for acceptance. Babbitt captures the flavor of America during the economic boom years of the 1920's, and its protagonist has become the symbol of middle-class mediocrity, his name an enduring part of the American lexicon.

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About the Author

NovelistHarry Sinclair Lewissatirized middle-class America in his 22 works, includingBabbitt(1922) andElmer Gantry(1927) and first received a Nobel Prize for literature in 1930.Middle-class values and materialism attach unthinking George F. Babbitt, the narrow-minded, self-satisfied main character person in the novel of Sinclair Lewis.People awarded "his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters."He knowingly, insightfully, and critically viewed capitalism and materialism between the wars. People respect his strong characterizations of modern women.Henry Louis Menckenwrote, "[If] there was ever a novelist among us with an authentic call to the trade...it is this red-haired tornado from the Minnesota wilds."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclai...