Babbitt

             Sinclair Lewis's Babbitt is an extremely satirical novel that portrays a prosperous, middle-class businessman living in the modern city of Zenith during the 1920's. Lewis used the main character, George F. Babbitt, to illustrate a society that was becoming decadent in culture, morality, and ethics. Babbitt is the story of a man who seeks individuality and truth in life, but ultimately was unable to attain it in a world that was suffocated by total conformity.
             George F. Babbitt is the main character in Lewis's novel and he was a man that epitomized the materialism and mediocrity of the American middle class. The Babbitts" lived in the neat, uniform community of Floral Heights with a comfortable home that was full of all of the most modern appliances and conveniences. Due to Babbitt's flourishing real estate business, he was able to afford a car, "the best of nationally advertised and quantitatively produced alarm-clocks, with all the modern attachments", an electric toaster, an electric percolator and countless other expensive, up to date conveniences. Babbitt was a man obsessed with things and though he realized that this was unfulfilling, he was not quite aware of how to attain a life that was fuller and meaningful. .
             Throughout the novel, Lewis expressed his viewpoint that society was becoming a population of people conforming in order to be safe, to be one with the crowd and to be successful. Lewis also showed that this is an unfulfilling way to live. The ability for Babbitt, and the other businessmen in Floral Heights, to afford and acquire all of these objects is representative of the economic boom that America was in during the time that Lewis wrote Babbitt. .
             Babbitt takes place during the early twenties and portrays the consumerism that was rampant. This materialism is shown in one way by Babbitt's intense need to show off his expensive purchases. "At the Nobby Men's Wear Shop he took his left hand off the steering-wheel to touch his scarf, and thought well of himself as one who bought expensive ties "and could pay cash for "em, too, by golly" .