Babbitt

“”Babbitt”” by Sinclair Lewis, published in 1922, is a satirical novel that explores the life of George F. Babbitt, a prosperous real estate agent in the fictional Midwestern city of Zenith. Babbitt epitomizes the middle-class, conformist values of early 20th-century America, living a life marked by material success and social status. Despite his outward achievements, Babbitt experiences a growing sense of dissatisfaction and existential crisis, prompting him to question the societal norms and values he has always embraced. Through Babbitt’s internal struggle and brief rebellion against convention—including an affair and a flirtation with progressive political ideas—Lewis critiques the emptiness of materialism, the pressure to conform, and the disillusionment with the American Dream. The novel’s keen social criticism and portrayal of the conflict between individuality and societal expectations make “”Babbitt”” a timeless reflection on the human condition and a landmark work in American literature. —- ISBN: 9798333564528