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Babbitt Summary

George F. Babbitt is a 46-year-old American real estate salesman living in the Midwestern city of Zenith. He is successful, having a thriving business, a wife and three children, a very nice house and car, and all the modern conveniences. But Babbitt is profoundly dissatisfied. His family irritates him, and he generally has the sense that his life is empty. He consistently dreams of a young fairy girl with whom he is happy and free, and he notices every pretty woman he sees.

He plans a trip to Maine with his closest friend, Paul Riesling - who is also dissatisfied with his marriage and career - in order to escape from his wife, Myra, and his three children (Verona, Ted, and Tinka). Although he finds the trip refreshing, he reverts to his…

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Posted By curt m #168871 at Feb 12, 2011 5:14 AM

Is there areny evidence that Sinclair Lewis chose the Roman Stoic Seneca as a prototype for the character Seneca Doane?

It seems to me that Lewis chose the name Seneca to emphasize the Stoic way of life in both Seneca and Epictetus. Also Seneca was a significant influence in Elizabethan literature, especially in influencing Shakespeare's Portia speech on mercy in the Merchant of Venice. Please point me to a critical paper to verify this ASAP as I am presenting a graduate seminar on my theory.

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Posted By mona m #89153 at Apr 17, 2009 2:07 PM

Heteroglossia and Polyphony in Mrs. Dalloway

hi

Can you help me in finding Heteroglossia and Polyphony in Mrs. Dalloway ?

regards

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Posted By gregory m #43426 at Jul 23, 2007 8:25 PM

setting in Babbitt

Why is the novel set in Zenith?

Babbitt | Answers: 2