"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. Lewis describes George F. Babbitt almost as if he is a living breathing stereotype of the quintessential 20's businessman. Even with his conformist nature , social status , and prosperity he still feels as if his life is off. He seeks to achieve happiness by becoming the radical opposite of himself. When he sees that he has failed in his pursuit of a new lifestyle he retreats to his former self , A dissatisfied conformist.
The reader will encounter many characters as he or she delves into its pages but very few of those actually contribute importance to the story. Mary babbitt is George Babbitt's wife , she too tires of their cumbersome middle-class lifestyle and eventually falls extremely ill in the later portion of the book. Paul Riesling is George's best friend and prompts him to rebel against his life of normalcy when faced with 3 years in prison for shooting his wife during one of her persistent "nagging sessions." Tanis Judique is George's mistress whom introduces him to her inner circle of bohemian friends dubbed "The Bunch."
Lewis' "Babbitt" is an example of a Modern American satire. Literary Satire is defined as "a literary composition, in verse or prose,in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn,derision,or ridicule." The book takes place in the fictional town of Zenith , a modestly sized mid-western city, during the booming and prosperous 20's. The plot of Babbitt revolves around George F. Babbitt , Babbitt on the surface has the ideal American life but he loathes his daily life. After the loss of his dear friend, and only confidant, Babbitt is pushed over the edge and decides to completely terraform the only world he knew and strip himself of the visage he wore every day. George indulges in activities that would’ve previously been the most heinous and radical things he could ever do, that is until his wife , Myra , has a close encounter with death. After his wife’s near death experience “sees the folly of his ways” and returns to his life of conformity and social restrictions thus emphasizing the satirical aspect of this book.
To conclude my essay , I would like to say that "Babbitt" is a skillfully crafted novel that does an excellent job at exposing the similarities between two seemingly parallel worlds . Lewis' mastery of Satire is ever present as he expounds on the foolishness of the middle-class and those that inexplicably rebel against it. Reading this book only strengthened my views on certain aspects of society , such as the repressive nature of our society and the commonality of conformity. One gripe I have with this book is that the book rolls off to a slow start which is horrible for the impatient reader , which is the common reader. All in all , I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking to actually take something away from a finished book.
Lewis describes George F. Babbitt almost as if he is a living breathing stereotype of the quintessential 20's businessman. Even with his conformist nature , social status , and prosperity he still feels as if his life is off. He seeks to achieve happiness by becoming the radical opposite of himself. When he sees that he has failed in his pursuit of a new lifestyle he retreats to his former self , A dissatisfied conformist.
The reader will encounter many characters as he or she delves into its pages but very few of those actually contribute importance to the story. Mary babbitt is George Babbitt's wife , she too tires of their cumbersome middle-class lifestyle and eventually falls extremely ill in the later portion of the book. Paul Riesling is George's best friend and prompts him to rebel against his life of normalcy when faced with 3 years in prison for shooting his wife during one of her persistent "nagging sessions." Tanis Judique is George's mistress whom introduces him to her inner circle of bohemian friends dubbed "The Bunch."
Lewis' "Babbitt" is an example of a Modern American satire. Literary Satire is defined as "a literary composition, in verse or prose,in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn,derision,or ridicule." The book takes place in the fictional town of Zenith , a modestly sized mid-western city, during the booming and prosperous 20's. The plot of Babbitt revolves around George F. Babbitt , Babbitt on the surface has the ideal American life but he loathes his daily life. After the loss of his dear friend, and only confidant, Babbitt is pushed over the edge and decides to completely terraform the only world he knew and strip himself of the visage he wore every day. George indulges in activities that would’ve previously been the most heinous and radical things he could ever do, that is until his wife , Myra , has a close encounter with death. After his wife’s near death experience “sees the folly of his ways” and returns to his life of conformity and social restrictions thus emphasizing the satirical aspect of this book.
To conclude my essay , I would like to say that "Babbitt" is a skillfully crafted novel that does an excellent job at exposing the similarities between two seemingly parallel worlds . Lewis' mastery of Satire is ever present as he expounds on the foolishness of the middle-class and those that inexplicably rebel against it. Reading this book only strengthened my views on certain aspects of society , such as the repressive nature of our society and the commonality of conformity. One gripe I have with this book is that the book rolls off to a slow start which is horrible for the impatient reader , which is the common reader. All in all , I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking to actually take something away from a finished book.