D. Wynn
Ms. Wilder
JR HON LA
March 25 , 2012 Annotated Bibliography "Babbitt."Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012
This article offers the most basic summary of "Babbitt" that does not do the story any justice at all. The article barely scratches the surface and covers the plot in the most menial sense and because of that this article offers no real benefit to myself or to anyone else.
Cagle, Charles. "Babbitt: An American Life."The Midwest Quarterly 35.4 (1994): 469+. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
Despite Babbitt's commercial success , Lewis was often thought of and dubbed as one of the worst authors of his time. Most literature expert's would find this horribly wrong but Lewis had a key fault , he wrote too much. Often times Lewis would churn out 40 pages in one day and with that much content in one day he would often lose his style or flow. Babbitt is divided into two sections : The first part examines Babbitt in the 1920's and a critical analysis of his personality. The second part analyzes Babbitt's importance as a novel in the history of American Realism Cagle clearly favors Lewis as he compares him to the likes of Mark Twain. Even though this article is an analysis of a book that is an analysis of another it still serves as a decent motivation to read Babbitt with quotes such as "A book of many strands of aesthetic and social significance, Babbitt is also a work of love, a mocking and yet heroic authentication of the fanatic Americanness of its author."
Trudell, Scott. "Critical Essay on 'Babbitt'."Novels for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
This critical essay on "Babbitt" summarizes the plot of the story but mostly focuses on the relationship between George Babbitt and his friend Paul. In "Babbitt" George Babbitt lives a life devoid of many relationships some would consider necessary to remain sane. George Babbit's only anchor to sanity is Paul Riesling , Babbitt's best friend. Paul Riesling represents everything valuable to George , as he is the only person George can relay his true thoughts to. Throughout this article the author continues to emphasize the importance of Paul to the reader and even goes to say there is an underlying homosexual relationship between the two.
"Explanation of: //The Willow Walk// by Sinclair Lewis."LitFinder Contemporary Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2000. LitFinder for Schools. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
Lewis' Babbitt had quite an influence on American culture as it even spawned a word which can be found in the dictionary today , Babbitt . Lewis' follow up to "Babbitt" was "The Willow Walk". "The Willow Walk" stars a Babbitt character whom possesses a split personality akin to Jekyll and Hyde , one that hosts both Jasper Holt and John Holt. Lewis sets the reader up for a Good and Evil kind of story with Jasper being the kind respectable man and John being the ominous malevolent figure but the reader soon finds out that it isn't so simple. Lewis does this by documenting Jasper's behavior as mechanical and emotionless. John is described as a hermit that does everything in a manner inferior to that of Jasper. As the story progresses the reader realizes that Jasper and John are one and that Jasper is incapable of seeing himself go when he becomes John. This confusing tale becomes even more when it becomes evident that Jasper is trapped within himself. Although this article is not directly about "Babbitt" it does indeed give the reader a clue about Lewis' writing prowess and style.
"Overview: //Babbitt//."Novels for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
"Babbitt" is a satire of the wealthy business class in the 1920's. "Babbitt" documents the life of George F. Babbitt over the course of 2 years. Babbitt goes on a roller coaster ride of life changes , going from conservative conformity to rebellion and the back again. Lewis makes sure to touch on the corruption of American big business and the uncultured population in prohibition era hubs. Babbit is a tough character to analyze , while embodying everything wrong with America he is vibrant and dynamic character that the reader will enjoy following. This article serves as a perfect overview of the book , it highlights every chapter in the book efficiently.
"realism."Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1995. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
The definition of realism states "The theory or practice in art and literature of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization of the most typical views, details, and surroundings of the subject. Realism rejects imaginative idealization in favor of a close observation of outward appearances. The word has also been used critically to denote excessive minuteness of detail or preoccupation with trivial, sordid, or squalid subjects in art and literature." Realism was a movement of writers that saw prominence in America in the first half of the 1900's. Realism was not confined to just one country though , realism has been documented all throughout Europe from the Greeks to the French. This article fails to offer actual insight on the movement but instead it documents the history of the movement. Something more than just a definition and historical facts would benefit anyone else trying to gain an understanding of the realism movement and literature spawned from it.
Lewisohn, Ludwig. "Review of //Babbitt//."The Nation 115.2985 (20 Sept. 1922): 284-285. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Paula Kepos. Vol. 39. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
The article begins with a simple question , "Is Babbitt as good as Main Street?", and the author smugly responds with "yes , it's better." The author goes on to emphasize how much better Lewis masterfully paints the picture of "Babbitt's" setting and how "Main Street" pales in comparison. This article would be useful if I'd actually read "Main Street". On the other hand the author does an excellent job highlighting and touching on all the great aspects of Babbitt such as characters , character development , and story pace. Lewisohn states "The surface is all movement and ironic gayety, marvelously authentic talk and vivid people. Interpretation is limited to a phrase or an adjective. But from the few scenes and phrases that illustrate the relations of George Babbitt and his wife, a history of the inner truth of a typical American marriage could be developed."
Crabbe, George. "Satire."The Poetical Works of George Crabbe. George Crabbe. Ed. A. J. Carlyle and R. M. Carlyle. Oxford University Press, 1914. 581. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
Lewis is known around the world for his mastery of satire and how he employs it in his novels , this poem also exhibits satire. For those that do not know satire is defined as "a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn." Satirical literature employs the use of devices such as irony and sarcasm to expose and criticize subject matter. Crabbe writes " Attack a book -- attack a song -- You will not do essential wrong; You may their blemishes expose, And yet not be the writer's foes. But when the man you thus attack, And him expose with critic art, You put a creature to the rack -- You wring, you agonise, his heart. " This excerpt embodies satire entirely and allows the reader to understand the motives of satirical work. This article/poem was actually beneficial. It gave me a time to actually view some satire that i'd never got a chance to view before
Lewis' character George Babbitt , goes through large psychological changes throughout the novel and because of this , the author of this article decides to do a psychoanalytic study on the character. Many would call George Babbitt a prime candidate for psychoanalytic study but surprisingly there have been very few willing to conduct studies on him. That may have something to do with Lewis' large disdain for Sigmund Freud , The father of psychoanalysis. Morefield has done just that in this article. Throughout the article Morefield links psychology and "Babbitt" with psychoanalytic terms like "repression" and "reintegration". The sheer amount of psychological development documented in this one article goes to show how developed Lewis' characters are. This article proved to be beneficial in aiding me of giving me a further understanding of George Babbitt and why he makes the decisions he does. The psychoanalytic approach is something I have never seen before and is refreshing to see.
"Sinclair Lewis."Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.
Sinclair Lewis , a world renowned author and master of satire , was born Feb. 7 , 1885 in Sauk Centre Minnesota. The Nobel Laureate graduated from Yale in 1907 and continued to write his first novel "Mr. Wrenn" 7 years later. Though "Mr. Wrenn" did not see much success his big break would occur when he published "Main Street" in 1920. Lewis followed up "Main Street" with his most famous novel to date "Babbitt" in 1922. He continued to write more books throughout the 20's but his success met its demise in the 30's where his career began to decline and with the compliment of failed divorces he spiraled out of control into a violent drinking habit. This article did not aid me that much because it provided me with a lot of information that I already knew and barely grazed the typical topics that a biography covers.
Ms. Wilder
JR HON LA
March 25 , 2012
Annotated Bibliography
"Babbitt." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012
This article offers the most basic summary of "Babbitt" that does not do the story any justice at all. The article barely scratches the surface and covers the plot in the most menial sense and because of that this article offers no real benefit to myself or to anyone else.
Cagle, Charles. "Babbitt: An American Life." The Midwest Quarterly 35.4 (1994): 469+. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
Despite Babbitt's commercial success , Lewis was often thought of and dubbed as one of the worst authors of his time. Most literature expert's would find this horribly wrong but Lewis had a key fault , he wrote too much. Often times Lewis would churn out 40 pages in one day and with that much content in one day he would often lose his style or flow. Babbitt is divided into two sections : The first part examines Babbitt in the 1920's and a critical analysis of his personality. The second part analyzes Babbitt's importance as a novel in the history of American Realism Cagle clearly favors Lewis as he compares him to the likes of Mark Twain. Even though this article is an analysis of a book that is an analysis of another it still serves as a decent motivation to read Babbitt with quotes such as "A book of many strands of aesthetic and social significance, Babbitt is also a work of love, a mocking and yet heroic authentication of the fanatic Americanness of its author."
Trudell, Scott. "Critical Essay on 'Babbitt'."Novels for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
This critical essay on "Babbitt" summarizes the plot of the story but mostly focuses on the relationship between George Babbitt and his friend Paul. In "Babbitt" George Babbitt lives a life devoid of many relationships some would consider necessary to remain sane. George Babbit's only anchor to sanity is Paul Riesling , Babbitt's best friend. Paul Riesling represents everything valuable to George , as he is the only person George can relay his true thoughts to. Throughout this article the author continues to emphasize the importance of Paul to the reader and even goes to say there is an underlying homosexual relationship between the two.
"Explanation of: //The Willow Walk// by Sinclair Lewis."LitFinder Contemporary Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2000. LitFinder for Schools. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
Lewis' Babbitt had quite an influence on American culture as it even spawned a word which can be found in the dictionary today , Babbitt . Lewis' follow up to "Babbitt" was "The Willow Walk". "The Willow Walk" stars a Babbitt character whom possesses a split personality akin to Jekyll and Hyde , one that hosts both Jasper Holt and John Holt. Lewis sets the reader up for a Good and Evil kind of story with Jasper being the kind respectable man and John being the ominous malevolent figure but the reader soon finds out that it isn't so simple. Lewis does this by documenting Jasper's behavior as mechanical and emotionless. John is described as a hermit that does everything in a manner inferior to that of Jasper. As the story progresses the reader realizes that Jasper and John are one and that Jasper is incapable of seeing himself go when he becomes John. This confusing tale becomes even more when it becomes evident that Jasper is trapped within himself. Although this article is not directly about "Babbitt" it does indeed give the reader a clue about Lewis' writing prowess and style.
"Overview: //Babbitt//."Novels for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
"Babbitt" is a satire of the wealthy business class in the 1920's. "Babbitt" documents the life of George F. Babbitt over the course of 2 years. Babbitt goes on a roller coaster ride of life changes , going from conservative conformity to rebellion and the back again. Lewis makes sure to touch on the corruption of American big business and the uncultured population in prohibition era hubs. Babbit is a tough character to analyze , while embodying everything wrong with America he is vibrant and dynamic character that the reader will enjoy following. This article serves as a perfect overview of the book , it highlights every chapter in the book efficiently.
"realism."Merriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1995. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
The definition of realism states "The theory or practice in art and literature of fidelity to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization of the most typical views, details, and surroundings of the subject. Realism rejects imaginative idealization in favor of a close observation of outward appearances. The word has also been used critically to denote excessive minuteness of detail or preoccupation with trivial, sordid, or squalid subjects in art and literature." Realism was a movement of writers that saw prominence in America in the first half of the 1900's. Realism was not confined to just one country though , realism has been documented all throughout Europe from the Greeks to the French. This article fails to offer actual insight on the movement but instead it documents the history of the movement. Something more than just a definition and historical facts would benefit anyone else trying to gain an understanding of the realism movement and literature spawned from it.
Lewisohn, Ludwig. "Review of //Babbitt//."The Nation 115.2985 (20 Sept. 1922): 284-285. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Paula Kepos. Vol. 39. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
The article begins with a simple question , "Is Babbitt as good as Main Street?", and the author smugly responds with "yes , it's better." The author goes on to emphasize how much better Lewis masterfully paints the picture of "Babbitt's" setting and how "Main Street" pales in comparison. This article would be useful if I'd actually read "Main Street". On the other hand the author does an excellent job highlighting and touching on all the great aspects of Babbitt such as characters , character development , and story pace. Lewisohn states "The surface is all movement and ironic gayety, marvelously authentic talk and vivid people. Interpretation is limited to a phrase or an adjective. But from the few scenes and phrases that illustrate the relations of George Babbitt and his wife, a history of the inner truth of a typical American marriage could be developed."
Crabbe, George. "Satire."The Poetical Works of George Crabbe. George Crabbe. Ed. A. J. Carlyle and R. M. Carlyle. Oxford University Press, 1914. 581. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
Lewis is known around the world for his mastery of satire and how he employs it in his novels , this poem also exhibits satire. For those that do not know satire is defined as "a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn." Satirical literature employs the use of devices such as irony and sarcasm to expose and criticize subject matter. Crabbe writes " Attack a book -- attack a song --
You will not do essential wrong;
You may their blemishes expose,
And yet not be the writer's foes.
But when the man you thus attack,
And him expose with critic art,
You put a creature to the rack --
You wring, you agonise, his heart.
" This excerpt embodies satire entirely and allows the reader to understand the motives of satirical work. This article/poem was actually beneficial. It gave me a time to actually view some satire that i'd never got a chance to view before
Morefield, Kenneth R. "Searching for the fairy child: a psychoanalytic study of 'Babbitt.'."The Midwest Quarterly 37.4 (1996): 448+. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 25 Mar. 2012.
Lewis' character George Babbitt , goes through large psychological changes throughout the novel and because of this , the author of this article decides to do a psychoanalytic study on the character. Many would call George Babbitt a prime candidate for psychoanalytic study but surprisingly there have been very few willing to conduct studies on him. That may have something to do with Lewis' large disdain for Sigmund Freud , The father of psychoanalysis. Morefield has done just that in this article. Throughout the article Morefield links psychology and "Babbitt" with psychoanalytic terms like "repression" and "reintegration". The sheer amount of psychological development documented in this one article goes to show how developed Lewis' characters are. This article proved to be beneficial in aiding me of giving me a further understanding of George Babbitt and why he makes the decisions he does. The psychoanalytic approach is something I have never seen before and is refreshing to see.
"Sinclair Lewis."Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.
Sinclair Lewis , a world renowned author and master of satire , was born Feb. 7 , 1885 in Sauk Centre Minnesota. The Nobel Laureate graduated from Yale in 1907 and continued to write his first novel "Mr. Wrenn" 7 years later. Though "Mr. Wrenn" did not see much success his big break would occur when he published "Main Street" in 1920. Lewis followed up "Main Street" with his most famous novel to date "Babbitt" in 1922. He continued to write more books throughout the 20's but his success met its demise in the 30's where his career began to decline and with the compliment of failed divorces he spiraled out of control into a violent drinking habit. This article did not aid me that much because it provided me with a lot of information that I already knew and barely grazed the typical topics that a biography covers.