The American Dream in Sinclair Lewis' Babbit

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"Do as most do, and men will speak well of thee."

[Thomas Fuller (1654-1734):Gnomologia]

Men have a dream to improve their lives and better their social status but each

man does not realize that he pursues this dream in hopes of pleasing others and

not for his own well being. Fuller's quotation demonstrates that people find

success and social mobility if they act and do what others want them to do. The

American dream of success and happiness can not be reached independently because

people need to feel accepted to achieve satisfaction. Each man strives to

improve his place in the community oblivious to the hypocrisy around him.

Everyone works to impress others rather than pleasing himself. Paralleling

Fullers quotation, Sinclair Lewis' Babbit is a satirical portrayal of a man in

search of himself enveloped by a society of hypocrisy . George F. Babbit, a

middle class man, struggles to find social mobility and beatitude. Babbit

overlooks the essential items of life and concentrates his attention towards

material goals and impressing the upper class. Due to the loss of his best

friend, Babbit realizes his life has no meaning and rebels against society's

conformity destroying his reputation. Lacking the courage to be independent,

Babbit's dream of true ecstasy crumbles when he succumbs to hypocritical

lifestyle realizing that he needs conformity. Strongly influenced by a

sanctimonious society, Babbit, a man in search for himself, realizes that he

needs conformity to live.

Babbit dreams of improving his status in the community, not realizing that

hypocrisy is influencing every decision or action he makes. Babbit concentrates

his time and energies towards activities and events that impress the upper class.

His life revolves around material items and goals. Mr. and Mrs. Babbit host a

dinner party, only inviting the utmost respectable couples. They plan a

"highbrow affair…with evening clothes required" in hopes of impressing their

prosperous guests. The evening is filled with meaningless conversation and the

men tell crude and unsophisticated jokes. Everyone seems to be having a

wonderful time even though there is no real meaning in the evening. Shortly

afterwards Babbits "name and face" become noticed throughout the city. In

another attempt to impress the upper class, Babbit delivers a stirring speech

and suddenly finds that he has become one of the most "popular and well-known

figures" at the convention. Babbit's dream of improving his position is coming

true, although Babbit is oblivious to society's hypocrisy. From a solid citizen,

Babbit becomes an important citizen and volunteers his services as an orator for

a political campaign.

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