Babbitt

Why Read This?

Sinclair Lewis created in George Babbitt one of the most enduring characters in American literature, a man so perfectly representative of his class and era that his name became a dictionary word. Written in 1922, the novel's portrait of a society drowning in materialism, boosterism, and performative civic pride reads as though it could have been written yesterday. Lewis's ear for the language of self-promotion and empty enthusiasm is pitch-perfect, and his depiction of the subtle social coercion that keeps Babbitt in line remains a chilling study of how conformity operates. Reading Babbitt, you will recognize aspects of contemporary culture with startling clarity, from the worship of property values to the hollow networking of professional clubs. You will also find yourself unexpectedly moved by Babbitt himself, a man who senses that something vital is missing from his life but lacks the courage or the vocabulary to name it. Lewis's great achievement is making you feel both the comedy and the tragedy of a life lived entirely on the surface, and his novel will leave you questioning the invisible social pressures that shape your own choices.