Chapter I:

As the city begins to bustle with hordes of men going to work in the huge factories of the city of Zenith, forty-six-year-old George F. Babbitt awakens in his bed on the sleeping-porch in a residential district of Zenith called Floral Heights. Mourning the retreat from his recurrent, romantic dream about a fairy child, he reflects on how very much he detests both "the grind of the real-estate business" (p. 5) and his family. Begrudgingly getting out of bed at his wife's prompting, he considers his home and congratulates himself because it is almost entirely "up-to-date" (p. 6) with all of the modern conveniences and the latest technology. It is entirely "competent and glossy" (p. 15). But it is far too impersonal to be a real home.

As he performs his morning routine, he finds himself increasingly infuriated by the seemingly normal habits of his wife, Myra, and their children. George and Myra have a humorously mundane conversation about the state of George's suits and about their diet as he completes his regimen. George complains about the lack of occupational direction exhibited by Verona and Ted, but briefly viewing the city from his window fills him with inspiration for "the religion of business" (p. 13).

Chapter II:

George is uncharacteristically irritable when he goes down to breakfast. The sense of disliking his family returns as he argues with Verona about the ills of socialism and complains about the food. Ted and Verona proceed to argue childishly. George complains to Myra and tries to speak with her about the news, but she is clearly uninformed and uninterested. Though he betrays a moment of tenderness for her and her humbleness, he leaves the house still feeling disenchanted, cranky, and tired.

Chapter III:

Disappointed that he had no trouble starting his car as he had expected, he backs out of his garage and enters a conversation with Howard Littlefield about the weather and about the country's need for a real business administration. Babbitt feels calmer and more cheerful after his conversation with Littlefield, and he rediscovers his love for Zenith. Now energized by routine and self-congratulation, he offers a ride to a "respectable-looking man" who is waiting for a trolley car (p. 28) in an act of selfish benevolence. As he drives, Babbitt actively respects the bigness of Zenith and feels "pretty good" (p. 30) by the time he drops off the passenger.

He peacefully enters the Reeves building and goes up to his office, the Babbitt-Thompson Realty Company. Then, as he notices his co-worker Stanley Graff fumbling a deal with a client over the phone, he is reminded of the difficulty of finding competent employees. Suddenly, the "zest of the spring morning [is] smothered in the stale office air" (p. 31). Like his house, Babbitt's office is completely up-to-date, but again he is suddenly overcome by a desire to escape to the wilderness.

Babbitt summons Miss McGoun and provides her with a barely comprehensible dictation of a letter to a client for which, in return, she provides him with a blatantly incomprehensible and mistake-ridden final version. For the most part, Babbitt is pleased with the product. As he looks at Miss McGoun, Babbitt is filled with longing and loneliness. These feelings have predominated during his twenty-three years of marriage, and he identifies her with the "fairy girl of his dreams" (p. 35).

Analysis

The novel opens with a description of the city of Zenith in all of its grandeur. It is a new city, recently built and freshly gleaming, though with remnants of the "fretted structures" of its inferior past. Although the city seems figuratively to rise above the humans who occupy it, Lewis highlights the fact that it is, indeed, the work of humans. People envisioned it and built it, and people run the factories and offices that make it a functioning city. Even so, to Babbitt it exists on a scale entirely beyond average human existence; it is "a city built--it [seems]--for giants" (p. 4).

The rapid shift from the focus on Zenith to a close-up of George Babbitt asleep in his bed, in whose aspect there is "nothing of the giant" (p. 4), establishes a juxtaposition that reveals Babbitt's relative insignificance and characteristic ineffectuality. He is pink, plump, and in a state of utter inaction, which immediately contrasts with the streamlined, metallic bustling of the city. He knows that it is larger than he can be. Even the exciting and romantic dream that he is having (again) about the fairy child is disrupted by the noise of the milk truck, suggesting that there is nothing transcendent in Babbitt's banal life. His is not a world of pleasure and indulgence but material reality, and even his dreams crash against this mundane reality. Such dreams, however, offer the reader a glimpse into Babbitt's inner life--a consciousness that even he does not fully recognize. His dreams and dissatisfactions reveal his longing for a deeper satisfaction. Although we do not yet know what Babbitt has in his life, we already know that it is not quite what he wants.

Shortly afterward, we do learn about what Babbitt has. He has "the best of nationally advertised and quantitatively produced alarm-clocks" (p. 5), he has an almost entirely modern and up-to-date house, he has several objects that he carries around in his pockets and never uses, and he has a car that represents "poetry and tragedy" (p. 23) to him. In short, he has an overwhelming tendency to worship objects and technology, which offers him fleeting moments of gratification and self-importance. He is a reverent and unknowing slave to the objects that govern his life, and as the novel progresses, it becomes obvious that this infatuation has replaced the potential for meaningful relationships with other people or with his community.

The emptiness of his relationships becomes evident through the extended conversation that he has with his wife, Myra, about which suit to wear. The exchange is utterly devoid of any substance. Similarly, his conversations with other community members revolve around little more than the weather. He finds even the most innocuous behavior of his family (such as using towels) to be completely unbearable, and he is plagued by dissatisfaction and fatigue that only his love for city and technology can temporarily improve. Whatever a fairy girl might give him, perhaps, could be the key he needs to something more, or in Babbitt's hands she could become just a more idealized kind of boring partner.

At the beginning of the novel, we learn that his dissatisfaction at home has just started to appear at work. As co-owner of the Babbitt-Thompson Reality Company, he has previously enjoyed the work of selling real estate for far more than its worth. Now, however, he feels "smothered in the stale office air" (p. 31). With satiric sarcasm, Lewis indicates that not even the new "up-to-date, scientific, and right-thinking" (p. 32) water cooler satisfies him, as it usually would. At work, he is also depicted as somewhat of a bumbling egotist. Shortly after he silently bemoans the fact that his salesmanship is far superior to that of his employees, he dictates an incomprehensible letter for Miss McGoun to type up. When she edits it and makes substantial improvements, he wishes she would "quit trying to improve [his] dictation" (p. 33) and does not notice that the word "Realty" is mistakenly replaced with "Reality." Despite his minor frustration with her, Babbitt cannot help but be attracted to Miss McGoun, with whom he associates the fairy girl of his dreams. In fact, in his twenty-three years of marriage, he has looked longingly on every other beautiful woman he has seen, and though he has never been unfaithful, it is clear that Babbitt wants more than what he has.

Chapter IV:

Babbitt writes an advertisement for a cemetery on Linden Lane before returning to the monotony of "routine details" (p. 37), which include constructing an illogical and futile scheme to quit smoking. He calls an old friend, Paul Riesling, and they decide to meet for lunch at the Athletic Club.

Babbitt reflects on his own expertise in the real estate business, yet it is clear that he lacks the exhaustive knowledge of the city required of a truly informed salesman. In fact, his actions and beliefs seem to challenge each other in constant hypocrisy. He has a conference with Conrad Lyte and Archibold Purdy in which he convinces Lyte to buy to lot adjacent to Purdy's grocery store (where he is hoping to open a butcher shop) for thousands of dollars more than it is worth, and subsequently he convinces Purdy to buy the lot for several times its worth.

Chapter V:

As Babbitt makes his elaborate preparations to leave the office to go to lunch at the Zenith Athletic Club, he continues to make promises of self-improvement (such as quitting smoking and getting more exercise) that he blatantly and continuously breaks. At least the promises make him "feel exemplary" (p. 48). As he drives, he takes pride in the familiar setting and in his role in it. On impulse, he stops to buy himself an expensive electric cigar-lighter for the car.

At the club, Babbitt makes small talk with Sidney Finkelstein and Vergil Gunch until Paul Riesling arrives. Babbitt hastens away to greet him like a proud and admiring "older brother" (p. 53). In the dining room, Babbitt decides not to sit with his friends, because he wants Paul "to himself" (p. 55). Babbitt confesses to Paul that he sometimes feels dissatisfied with his otherwise complete, successful, and moral life. Paul reacts in strong agreement, describing his resentment for his controlling wife Zilla and suggesting that "this sweet, clean, respectable, moral life isn't all it's cracked up to be" (p. 57). He speculates that many of Zenith's most upstanding men are restless, miserable, and bored with their lives and wives. Though Babbitt counters Paul's claims with appeals to integrity and a work ethic, he begins to agree with Paul in a way that contracts "all his defense of duty and Christian patience," producing a "curious reckless joy" (p. 60). In a fit of rebellion, Babbitt decides that he will scheme to make it possible for himself and Paul to go up to Maine for their annual Babbitt-Riesling trip a few days earlier than their families--for a real vacation.

Chapter VI:

After showing a prospective client a tenement in the Linton district, Babbitt picks up Henry Thompson to find him a discounted Zeeco car from Noel Ryland, a fellow member of the Boosters' Club. Back at the office, he denies Stanley Graff a bonus. He perceives a mocking coldness from his employees as he leaves for the evening.

At the dinner table, George Babbitt argues with his three children about what kind of car to buy, leaving him discouraged again and longing for his trip with Paul. Ted argues that traditional college will only teach him impractical knowledge and that he would be better served by taking correspondence courses designed to teach him the arts of public speaking, toast-making, story-telling, and manliness. Though George is nearly convinced by the many advertisements that Ted has collected, he finally decides that having a B.A. provides too many social advantages to ignore.

In the sun parlor, George reflects that his engagement to Myra was unintentional. He always knew that he did not love her, but he never had the courage to disappoint her. Realizing that she has most likely been as dissatisfied as he has, and admitting that she has been a "Good Wife" (p. 81), he offers her a brief gesture of affection by smoothing her hair.

Analysis

Babbitt's ineptitude, inner conflict, and constant hypocrisy are perhaps most evident in his alleged attempts to quit smoking. He stops smoking "at least once a month" (p. 38) by coming up with a new elaborate plan involving several steps and a very detailed schedule. He does most of what he sets out to do--except stop smoking. He consistently forgets that he has resolved to quit. He even buys himself an electric cigar lighter. This is more than mere hypocrisy. Lewis's biting sarcasm here indicates that Babbitt's behavior is a reflection upon his lack of inner resolve and his inability to determine what he wants and believes.

Appropriately, his professional life is also devoid of integrity and meaning (as well as the self-reflection to make it better). Although he considers himself an honest and competent salesman, Lewis makes it clear through the plot and satire that he is, in fact, regularly unethical in his business dealings and that he does not know nearly "everything about his own city and its environs," despite his claim that this is the "duty and privilege of the realtor" (p. 40). He relies on newspapers and the Church to tell him what to think and believe. His drive toward conformity has completely obliterated his agency as an individual.

Babbitt shows how easily persuaded he is during his conversation with Ted about getting his education by correspondence. Despite the fact that these advertisements, included in full, are the victims of brutal satiric ridicule, he is nearly convinced that with minimal effort and money, his son really can learn the art of "Prosperity and Domination" and can hold all the secrets of a masterful personality. In addition to the ways in which these ads undermine themselves with ludicrous rags-to-riches stories of expensive automobiles and unparalleled social status, Lewis offers an unexpected blow with the address listed on the posting: "Shortcut Educational Pub. Co., Desk, WA, Sandpit, Iowa" (p. 72). These courses offer nothing more than a shortcut to nowhere, and Mrs. Babbitt is the only one sensible enough to notice (although her objections are not acknowledged in Babbitt's final decision) that Ted must go to college in order to attain money and prestige. Far from the decision is any idea that an education is a good in itself as part of an individual's personal development.

The Zenith Athletic Club is subject to a similar brand of satire. Lewis notes that it is "not athletic and it isn't exactly a club" (p. 50). It also has a fireplace without a fire, musicianless musicians, and members who criticize other clubs but join a club the moment they are invited.

Despite the focus on Babbitt's complacent conformity and inept hypocrisy, these chapters also hint at the rebellion that is floating through his consciousness. At lunch with Paul, he reveals that, though he feels guilty about it, he is significantly dissatisfied with his wife and family. He explains that he has fulfilled the requirements of the American Dream ("I've pretty much done all the things I ought to; supported my family, and got a good house and a six-cylinder car, and built up a nice little business... And I belong to the church... and I only associate with good decent fellows" [p. 55]), yet he feels that his life is empty. Paul explains that he, too, is dissatisfied and unhappy, and he suspects that plenty of the other upstanding gentlemen whom they know are in the same position. Their conversation is a reflection on how the merely external aspects of the American Dream, once achieved, leave the superficial person (even the technologically adept person) feeling restless, unhappy, and betrayed.

Chapter VII:

After commenting to Myra that it was a "funny kind of a day" (p. 85), Babbitt decides to go to bed. He shaves while taking a bath, playing childishly with his bath things. After completing his "elaborate and unchanging" (p. 87) rites of bedtime preparation, he falls into "a blessed state of oblivion" (p. 88).

At that moment in Zenith, as George falls asleep on the porch, a vast array of illegal, immoral, or simply very serious things are occurring. Mike Monday, a prize-fighter turned scam-artist evangelist, is concluding an address attempting to defend his reputation and insult his opponents. Simultaneously, Seneca Doane, a lawyer, argues with histologist Dr. Kurt Yavitch over the merits and drawbacks of standardization of lifestyle and thought in Zenith. At this moment, George Babbitt dreams of his beloved fairy child.

Chapter VIII:

The Babbitts decide to host a "highbrow" dinner (p. 94), and George's discouragement with the effort and toil of planning the party is overcome by his excitement for procuring gin for cocktails during Prohibition. He drives to a saloon in the seedy Old Town, where he meets with Healey Hanson and pays for unexpectedly expensive gin. He is so exhilarated by the immoral act that he nearly forgets to fulfill Myra's request to pick up the ice cream.

During the party preparation, Babbitt drinks a cocktail and becomes giddily intoxicated, but he is filled with gloom again by the time the guests arrive. The guests include Howard Littlefield, Vergil Gunch, Eddie Swanson, Orville Jones, T. Cholmondeley Frink, and their wives. While drinking cocktails and eating dinner, the men discuss Prohibition and the benefits of modern city life. Under the influence of the gin, Frink confesses that he is discouraged because he cannot write his Zeeco car company ads as well as others do.

Chapter IX:

George suddenly becomes entirely bored. He wants to "get away from--everything" (p. 113). The ladies convince their husbands to engage in a séance, and the group attempts to contact Dante. Nevertheless, Babbitt is "dismayed by a sudden contempt for his surest friends" (p. 116), and he is uncharacteristically happy when the guests leave.

As George and Myra discuss the party, it becomes apparent to Myra that he did not enjoy it. The topic of the Maine trip arises, and George erupts into an uncontrolled fit of anxiety when Myra suggests going early with him. She is suddenly very understanding and pliable. George takes the sudden freedom she grants him to go early with Paul.

Chapter X:

George and Myra visit Paul and Zilla Riesling at their apartment in the Revelstoke Arms with the intent of convincing Zilla to permit Paul to leave early for Maine. When the Rieslings start to argue and Zilla criticizes Paul, Babbitt comes ardently and ferociously to his friend's defense, chastising Zilla for her "damn nonsense" (p. 123), calling her a fool, and telling her that people speak ill of her behind her back. Zilla reverts to tears and dramatic self-abasement, yet she eventually grants Paul the freedom to go without her. Afterwards, Myra scolds George for being so cruel.

On the train to Maine, George and Paul sit and talk with four men who all seem to share the same opinions about Prohibition, hotels, and the rising cost of clothing. Though Paul does not get along very well with these men, George feels "expansive and virile" (p. 132) in their presence. They stay awake talking late into the night, and when George finally goes to bed, he is "very happy" (p. 132).

Analysis

In a horizontal scan of Zenith in a single moment (the moment that Babbitt falls asleep), Lewis juxtaposes the excitement, variety, and potential of city life with Babbitt's dull and mundane routine. Acts of significance are occurring everywhere around him (some political, some intellectual, some illegal, and some immoral), yet he is oblivious to his own potential to make active choices. His most daring and vivid experiences occur in his dreams, where there are no consequences for his actions. At this moment, he is cowardly and incapable of taking advantage of any of the potentialities, since he has fallen into the decision not to choose. Lewis has compared him to an infant during his evening bath, and here Babbitt's implied incompetence and lack of independence are depicted by contrast with others.

During Babbitt's dinner party, the characters exhibit one of the great hypocrisies of the Prohibition era. In private, these respected gentlemen uphold the virtues of Prohibition, presenting a moralistic and obedient stance on the matter, but in private they indulge in liquor whenever they have the opportunity. Babbitt is thrilled by his trip to illegally purchase the gin, and he is drunk before his guests arrive. Two hours before sinking into a cocktail-induced revelry, Chum Frink had written a newspaper lyric denouncing "poison booze" (p. 103) and advocating clear-headed sobriety. Orville Jones explains that he "[believes] in it on principle," but he does not "propose to have anybody telling [him]" what to think or do (p. 105). They all agree that Prohibition is appropriate for keeping the working class in line, but that the middle class should have the right to drink. The alcohol trade was thriving during the 1920s when it was supposed to be illegal, and with this small scene, Lewis illustrates the hypocrisy of a country and a decade through that of a small party and an evening.

This section also reflects upon the mass media and its apparent ability to obliterate real art. Chum Frink is admired for and successful with his "poemulations," yet Lewis offhandedly remarks that they are simple enough to be understood by most children and that they are not, in fact, actual poems. Even the advertisement that Frink reads as an example of artistic genius is rendered ridiculous by lines as bad as "TRY LIFE'S ZIPPINGEST ZEST - THE ZEECO!" (p. 110). Technological advances and the spread of mass media seem to strip the artistry from art, making it impersonal, unskillful, and without intellectual or moral integrity.

When Babbitt's restlessness and boredom reaches a climax, the only possibility that seems to fill him with any hope for enjoyment is his trip to Maine with Paul--an escape--though there is a social value in going with Paul. In fact, Babbitt's relationship with Paul is unique for Babbitt, in that it is the only one that provides any real pleasure for Babbitt. In the face of Zilla Riesling's criticism of her husband, Babbitt finds himself violently defending his friend's honor and subjecting Zilla to cruel verbal abuse. In fact, this is the first time that Babbitt has expressed deep and uncontrolled feeling. He cares for his friendship so deeply and is so desperate for time alone with a friend in the woods that he loses control; his sense of propriety is overwhelmed by his protective instincts. This trip to Maine not only represents an escape from Zenith and from the people who demand things of him, but it is also a chance for what we might today call 'male bonding,' which Babbitt hopes to find restorative. But is this escape to nature going to be that of a tourist--or something more meaningful, like that of Thoreau as expressed in Walden?

Chapter XI:

During their layover in New York, Paul wants to see the Aquitania, declaring that he "Always wanted to go to Europe" (p. 133). As they stare at the line, Paul becomes so tense and agitated that they have to leave.

In Maine, George and Paul spend their time relaxing and sitting at the edge of a wharf. For the week before their families arrive, the men indulge themselves by sleeping late, chewing tobacco, playing poker late into the night, and (for George) not bathing every day. They view the vacation as a chance to get "a good rest... and start over again" (p. 136). Over the course of the week, Paul becomes increasingly relaxed and cheerful, whereas George becomes increasingly weary and overwrought. When his family arrives, he is agitated again and reminded of his troublesome sense of obligation, though he is able to enjoy spending time with Ted and feels somewhat rejuvenated.

Chapter XII:

Returning from Maine, George is convinced that he is "a changed man" and that he is "converted to serenity" (p. 139). He vows to pursue interests and hobbies, such as baseball and movies, and to stop smoking. But he can never remember not to smoke, and he stops attending baseball games within one week. He becomes entangled, once again, with the hustle of life in Zenith.

Chapter XIII:

Cecil Rountree convinces Babbitt to write and present a paper at the State Association of Real Estate Boards's (S.A.R.E.B.) annual convention in Monarch, Zenith's rival city. After much toiling, he is finally able to complete the paper, and he presents it to Ira Runyon.

The delegates and their wives arrive at the station for the midnight train to Monarch wearing badges and buttons and singing songs about the superiority of Zenith. Babbitt is "stirred to hysteric patriotism" (p. 147), feeling proud, important, and eager to tout all of Zenith's charms.

The convention meetings take place in the Allen House ballroom, but "the real convention [consists] of men muttering in hotel bedrooms or in groups" (p. 149). The delegates are entertained by a continuous stream of entertainment, such as banquets and teas. Though Babbitt is nervous about presenting his paper, it is well received by everyone, and the Advocate-Times deems it a sensation. Babbitt is appointed a member of the Committee on Torrens Titles.

Babbitt decides to stay one final evening in Monarch with W.A. Rogers in order to have tea with Jered and Mrs. Sassburger. After tea, they drink excessive amounts of alcohol and go to see a burlesque with strippers. Babbitt dances with a woman and feels a "hot raw desire for more brutal amusements" (p. 158). He returns to Zenith, and his family never learns of the excursion.

Chapter XIV:

During the local election, Babbitt becomes a popular orator, advocating for Lucas Prout for mayor. Prout is a mattress manufacturer who supports "the banks, the Chamber of Commerce, all the decent newspapers, and George F. Babbitt" (p. 160). Babbitt speaks out against Seneca Doane, a lawyer and fellow graduate of the State University, who is running on an "alarming labor ticket" (p. 160).

When Prout defeats Doane, Babbitt's reputation as an effective orator is established. He thus is invited to give the annual address at the dinner of the Zenith Real Estate Board (since the original orator has cancelled due to illness). In this speech, he paints a portrait of the ideal American citizen as a humble and hard-working family man who contributes to "the prosperity of the city and to his own bank-account" (p. 165) and has extensive knowledge of politics and religion. Liberals, he explains, are the "worst menace to sound government" (p. 170). He goes on to explain that Zenith, in addition to being statistically impressive and very modern, has the greatest population of these ideal men, and he applauds the commercial standardization among cities as highly beneficial. He is determined to become a recognized orator and is greatly admired by his wife and friends.

Analysis

In Maine, a more intimate dynamic emerges between Babbitt and Paul. They feel a genuine sense of contentment together, wishing that they could spend the rest of their lives alone in the woods with just each other. Standing by the wharf, Babbitt winks at Paul, and they chew tobacco together. The language in this section is erotic: they spit solemnly together in the "placid water," stretch "voluptuously, with lifted arms and arched backs," and sigh in unison (p. 135). Their friendship seems platonic, but Lewis gives it a homosexual air. There is no other whom Babbitt prefers to be with, and though he is attracted to women, this particular relationship is the most fulfilling and meaningful one in his life. These feelings are never directly and unequivocally stated in the novel, but Lewis alludes to them several times. Later in the novel, Babbitt truly feels that his days are meaningless if they do not include Paul, and this suggests a level of intimacy that may have been unusual among American males at the time.

Although Babbitt is convinced that his trip to Maine will propel him into a healthier and happier lifestyle, he almost immediately reverts to his former habits. Moreover, his fixation on social status becomes more pronounced as his career as a recognized orator evolves. In fact, the rise of his prestige marks his rapid moral decline. He is overcome with pride and bigheadedness at this sudden acknowledgment, and he extends his trip in order to stay in Monarch, flirt with Mrs. Sassburger, drink too much alcohol, and visit a brothel, where he presumably has sex with one of the girls. For a man so outwardly focused on morality and propriety, this trip marks a significant turning point for Babbitt. The event is "not officially recognized even by himself" (p. 159), but it suggests that something in Babbitt has suddenly changed and that he is now capable of severing some of the chains that have bound him to his life as a respectable Republican family man.

In light of his recent transgressions, Babbitt's address to the Zenith Real Estate Board is rendered extremely ironic and hypocritical. In this self-serving and narrow-minded speech, Babbitt offers an image of the Ideal Citizen (which he alternately refers to as a Solid American Citizen and a Standardized Citizen). This man, according to Babbitt, is productive, hard-working, and an exemplary husband and father. He is "a supporter of the hearthstone which is the basic foundation of our civilization, first, last, and all the time" (p. 165). He goes on to argue that Zenith holds a monopoly on these men, and the implication is, of course, that Babbitt himself is the paragon of this Ideal Citizen. It seems as though, on some level, this is actually the view of himself that he nurtures and maintains, yet because this speech immediately follows an account of moral debauchery and a disregard for fundamental family values, his speech becomes a biting commentary on his own declining moral integrity.

Even aside from these obvious moral ironies, the speech is a powerful work of satire that exposes the prejudices of such persons in middle-class, postwar America. In comparison to Zenith, Babbitt describes the European population as "moth-eaten, mildewed, out-of-date, old, European dumps" (p. 167). He also appropriates the work of talented Europeans, claiming that the United States is responsible for "the best operas, such as Verdi" (p. 165). With every sentence, Babbitt reveals even greater depths of ignorance and intolerance, and this speech serves as a compact version of the novel's overall satiric agenda.

Chapter XV:

Despite Babbitt's fame as an orator, he and Myra do not achieve the social advancement that they believe they deserve. At a dinner for the State University class of 1896, Babbitt tries desperately to win the favor of Mr. McKelvey, who represents the apex of the Zenith social hierarchy. After a few invitations, McKelvey agrees to have dinner at the Babbitts' home.

After rescheduling the dinner, the McKelveys arrive late to the house, where several other guests (including an oculist, a lawyer, and Howard Littlefield) have gathered. Despite his energetic attempts, Babbitt cannot launch the dinner conversation, and the evening is laborious and "without soul" (p. 178). The McKelveys leave early, casually suggesting that they meet for lunch sometime. The Babbitts are extremely disappointed with the dinner, but they are further disappointed later when the McKelveys do not invite them over for a meal, even when they host a party for Sir Gerald Doak. Babbitt is depressed and embittered, yet he finds himself in the position of snubbing Ed Overbrook, who is socially inferior to Babbitt, in a way that directly parallels the behavior of the McKelveys.

Chapter XVI:

Following a service at the Chatham Road Presbyterian church, Reverend John Jennison Drew invites Babbitt into his office with Chum Frink and William Eathorne. He asks them to devise a plan to make money for the Sunday School in order to make it the largest in Zenith. Babbitt is not interested in any of the truly pious aspects of religion, and he takes this opportunity to turn it fully into a business ("Christianity Incorporated" [p. 191]) by consulting practical Sunday School journals and learning tips on scouting and signing up prospects.

Chapter XVII:

At the mansion of William Eathorne, where a Sunday School Advisory Committee meeting is being held, Babbitt is admiringly and reverently overwhelmed by the wealthy extravagance of Eathorne's lifestyle. As a money-making tactic, Babbitt proposes that the school be divided into four armies, with everyone being assigned a military rank, in order to motivate people to work harder. He also suggests that the school hire a "real paid press-agent" (p. 196), and they eventually decide on Kenneth Scott, a reporter for the Advocate-Times. When Babbitt has Kenneth at his house for dinner, Kenneth and Verona discover that they share a passion for politics, and they spend the entire evening discussing their ideas.

When Babbitt is unsuccessful at enticing Eathorne to have dinner at the Babbitts' home, he convinces Dr. Drew to host a dinner, knowing that Earthorne "would not refuse his own pastor" (p. 200). At the dinner, Babbitt and Eathorne become friends and join forces in unethical financial transactions.

Chapter XVIII:

Despite Verona's protests that she and Kenneth Escott are "just good friends" (p. 203), Babbitt remains hopeful of their alliance and tries to unite them. He is worried about Ted, however, who lacks educational and professional direction and spends far too much time with Eunice Littlefield, whose sexiness and youthful liberation make Babbitt uneasy.

Ted hosts a party for the senior class at the Babbitt household. When Howard Littlefield arrives to find Eunice dancing close with Ted, he tears Eunice from the party, resulting in months of "coolness between the Babbitts and the Littlefields" (p. 208).

When Myra's parents move to a boarding house, Babbitt's mother comes for a three-week visit along with Babbitt's half-brother and the family, and Babbitt is suddenly "sick of it" (p. 211) again. While bedridden from a bout of food poisoning, he reflects on the mechanical nature of his business, his religion, and his life, and though he decides that he will not go to work anymore, he returns the very next day.

Analysis

In Chapter XV, Lewis establishes a satiric parallel that is, in effect, so blatantly mocking that it almost overrides the novel's standard of realism. The fact that Babbitt now worships the McKelveys with their wealth and influence (whereas he used to criticize and resent them) indicates that his morals and values have undergone a change. He sticks by Charles McKelvey at the reunion dinner, feeling "slight and adoring" (p. 174) at his side. After he tosses George a quick and empty compliment about his recent speeches, "Babbitt would have followed him through fire" (p. 175). This attitude lies in sharp contrast with the one that Babbitt expressed to Myra at the beginning of the novel, when they discussed "Charley McKelvey and all that booze-hoising set of his." Babbitt once suggested that McKelvey cares so much about appearances that he buys nice dress suits--but "'hasn't got a decent set of underwear'' (p. 21). The greatest irony centers around Babbitt's original assertion that he "wouldn't want to go there with dinner with that gang of, of highbinders'" (p. 21), because he now spends the entire reunion heartily attempting to charm McKelvey into inviting him. This change indicates that, with his recent "fame," Babbitt has shed some of this resentful insecurity beside those who are more prosperous than he is and that he now sees himself as capable of entrance into their ivory towers. This change also indicates Lewis's skillful critique of people like Babbitt. The irony here is vast and nuanced in that it requires the conjunction of two very distant moments in the novel.

Lewis's next satirical brushstroke, however, is an example of a two-part character condemnation that occurs in quick succession. Lewis draws the parallels between the dinner with the McKelveys and the dinner with the Overbrooks in a way that borders on heavy-handed and unartistic. He presents a scenario where one socially superior couple (the McKelveys) tolerates and then snubs a socially inferior couple (the Babbitts), and then he creates a virtually identical situation between the Babbitts and the Overbrooks that occurs immediately afterwards. Lewis describes the pathetic hopefulness of both inferior couples as they await an invitation and their crestfallen resentment when this invitation never comes. In order to be sure that the reader has not possibly missed this parallel, both sections end with the sentence, "They did not speak of the [McKelveys/Babbitts] again" (p. 181). Of course, this is not only a merciless criticism of the boot-kissing, social-climbing Babbitts and Overbrooks, but also a negative portrayal of a society that creates such a hierarchy of social class.

Lewis then turns his criticism to the entirely unreligious religion in Zenith (and much of post-war American) society. The first sentence on this topic alerts the reader to the hypocrisy that will pervade not only Babbitt's personal experience of religion, but also the institution as it exists in Zenith: "Nothing gave Babbitt more purification and publicity than his labors for the Sunday School" (p. 185). Here, Lewis ironically joins and almost equates the concepts of purification and publicity, which clearly are intended to contrast sharply--and which often obstruct each other. There is nothing pure or purifying about publicity as it occurs in this novel. In fact, publicity has emerged as a contaminating force that is closely related to a lack of moral and professional integrity. At the outset, we are informed that Babbitt's devotion is about to suffer a serious attack.

Lewis describes Babbitt's rudimentary and ill-considered version of religion in the scene where he tries to convince himself that he will not go to Hell. In fact, his religion is "rarely pondered" (p. 188). For Babbitt, religion becomes not directly about God or spirituality but about business and money making. Reverend Drew's two honorary degrees and editorials explaining "The Dollars and Sense Value of Christianity" subject him to the same unfavorable scrutiny, yet Babbitt devises a plan to initiate "a real virile hustling religion. Sort of Christianity Incorporated" (p. 191). He cannot stay awake in Sunday School classes, and he is clueless about what happens between the Bible's covers, but he has a brilliant plan to completely and shamelessly commercialize an institution that ought to bear no resemblance to a real estate company and that should be free from Babbitt's scheming salesmanship. Religion in Zenith is no less polluted by social ills than by the broader social patterns of business and politics.

Chapter XIX:

Using insider information, Babbitt extorts a high price from the Street Traction Company for land that it needs to rebuild some car-repair shops. Despite protests from the purchasing agent, the vice president, and the president of the company, a compromise is reached. Babbitt makes three thousand dollars from the deal.

When a significant complaint is made against Stanley Graff for breaking a lease, Babbitt fires him. In the process, Graff accuses Babbitt of being "crooked in the first place" (p. 216) and of forcing Graff into being dishonest by not paying him enough. Feeling uneasy about these claims, Babbitt decides to take Ted with him on a trip to Chicago. The two men talk, laugh, and see a musical comedy together, and Babbitt is very lonely after Ted returns to Zenith.

Dining by himself at the Regency Hotel, he runs into Sir Gerald Doak, and they go to see a movie and then have a drink back at Doak's hotel room. They had both previously been so lonely, discouraged, and bored that they are now extremely glad for each other's company, and Babbitt fantasizes about telling Mrs. McKelvey and others at the Athletic Club about how chummy he and "Jerry" are. But his spirits are dampened when he sees Paul Riesling with a woman back at the Regency Hotel. Paul coolly and begrudgingly introduces Babbitt to May Arnold, and Babbitt determines to meet Paul later at his hotel to discuss the situation.

Chapter XX:

At Paul's hotel, Babbitt tells the clerk that he is Paul's brother-in-law in order to be allowed to wait in Paul's room until his return. After three hours, Paul arrives, upset with Babbitt for "butting into [his] affairs" (p. 228). When Babbitt chastises him for being an immoral husband, Paul breaks down and explains that he "can't go Zilla's hammering any longer" (p. 229) and that he is too tired of her torture to be moral. With May Arnold, things are pleasant and simple. Babbitt apologizes and agrees to help Paul by telling Zilla that they ran into each other in Akron, where Paul is supposed to be.

After sending her a postcard from Akron on the way home, Babbitt drops in on Zilla back in Zenith to casually remark that he ran into Paul in Akron. Zilla confides that she is extremely worried that Paul is having an affair, and Babbitt denies it, convincing her that she should be nicer to Paul or she will eventually drive him into the arms of another woman after all. When Paul returns, Zilla is much kinder, but Paul tells Babbitt that "it's too late now"; he is determined to "break away from her" (p. 232) someday.

Chapter XXI:

At the second March lunch of the Zenith Boosters' Club, after much mingling and Chum Frink's address about why Zenith must have a Symphony Orchestra in order to compete with New York and Boston, Babbitt is elected Vice President in the presence of Mayor Lucas Prout. Having never known a "higher moment" (p. 237), he returns to work where, over the phone, Myra informs him that Paul is in jail for shooting Zilla.

Chapter XXII:

Shocked, George drives to see Paul at the City Prison. He waits half an hour until 3:30, which is the designated visiting time, only to learn that Paul refuses to see him. George convinces Mayor Prout to issue an order to the warden to permit George to see Paul.

Paul shows pained remorse for what he has done, recognizing that Zilla "hasn't had too easy a time" (p. 240) either, and explaining that he pulled a revolver on her when she started to nag at him. He did not mean to do it, and he hopes that she will not die. When Paul's lawyer, P. J. Maxwell, arrives, George steps out of the cell and does not return, because Maxwell has ordered the doctor to give Paul morphine.

George drives to the City Hospital and learns that Zilla will not likely die. At home, he forbids his family from discussing the matter. After dinner, he visits Maxwell and offers to commit perjury in the courtroom--lying to claim Paul's innocence. Maxwell assures George that the most helpful thing he can do is keep "strictly out of it" (p. 242).

The trial lasts only fifteen minutes, during which Paul is partially pardoned on account of temporary insanity and is sentenced to three years in the State Penitentiary. Back at the office, Babbitt does not want to face "a world which, without Paul, [is] meaningless" (p. 243).

Analysis

In a passing, casual way, Lewis's allusion to the unethical deal that Babbitt makes with the Zenith Street Traction Company emphasizes the moral depravity indicated by the previous chapters on inadequate religion. Eathorne makes an off-the-books loan to Babbitt to complete the "triple-crossing" (p. 214) deal. In the past, Babbitt has been professionally dishonest, but he has always been able to convince himself that his actions were just. In this case, Babbitt acts in a way that he knows to be dishonest. He has fallen so far from his image of the Solid Citizen (who at least tries to appear moral to himself even if he is not) that he no longer upholds his former values and standards. Lewis's explanation that "In the midst of closing this splendid deal ... Babbitt was overwhelmed to find that he had a dishonest person working for him" (p. 214) drives the nail into the coffin of this moral condemnation in that it reveals Babbitt's shameless hypocrisy.

The focus of this section now shifts back to the relationship between Babbitt and Paul, who has an affair and is convicted of killing his wife on the grounds of temporary insanity. When Babbitt sees Paul at the table with May Arnold, his reaction is strongly negative. He has "so strong an impulse to go to Paul that he [can] feel his body uncoiling, his shoulders moving, but he [feels] desperately that he must be diplomatic" (p. 225). He finds May Arnold "doubtful" and " withered" (p. 225) and a "dried-up hag" (p. 226). These feelings betray his jealousy. George is so persistent that he waits in Paul's hotel room for three hours in the middle of the night, reminding himself that he must be careful not to say "foolish dramatic things to Paul" (p. 228). After a brief argument about morality upon Paul's return, Babbitt stands beside Paul, "patting his shoulder, making soft apologetic noises" (p. 229). Later, in the cab on the way home, "Babbitt incredulously [finds] tears crowding into his eyes" (p. 230). Reviewed together, all of these reactions indicate a possessiveness, intimacy, and depth of emotion that exceed the boundaries of a typical male friendship. Babbitt is more shaken by Paul's affair with May than he has been about anything else thus far. He does not even understand his emotions, since he realizes that the situation does not call for such anxiety and distress. The suggestion of a homoerotic attraction seems stronger now.

This suggestion is strengthened by Babbitt's reaction to the news that Paul has been thrown in jail. In an act of selflessness of which he seems almost incapable, he offers to commit perjury in order to save his friend. He will not tolerate it if his friends or family discuss the event. When Paul is finally thrown in prison, Babbitt must confront "a world which, without Paul, [is] meaningless" (p. 243). It becomes clear now how much of Babbitt's life has really centered around Paul in a way that seems to surpass Babbitt's relationship even with his wife. Although extremely close male friendships do not have to be homoerotic, this one, on Babbitt's part, might be.

Chapter XXIII:

In June, Myra and Tinka Babbitt travel to visit relatives. On one night when Ted and Verona are both out, George has the house to himself. Unsure what to do with this unusual freedom, he again feels a "discontent with the good common ways" (p. 245). As he broods, Chum Frink walks by the house, drunk, calling George a fool and wallowing in self-pity for the writer that he could have been but will never be.

Suddenly, George is struck with the sense that "all life as he knew it and vigorously practiced it was futile" (p. 247). He questions his desires for wealth and social position and falls asleep thinking of pretty young women, sensing that he is making a "terrifying, thrilling break from everything that [is] decent and moral" (p. 247).

The next day, he leaves the office to see a mid-day movie (for which he is teased at the Athletic Club, having been spotted by Sidney Finkelstein). Later that evening, Babbitt attends a Sunday dinner hosted by Eddie Swanson. There, he flirts with Louetta Swanson, who appreciates his compliments and dances with him--but she ultimately rejects him.

Chapter XXIV:

Babbitt visits Paul in prison, understanding that he "[is] already dead" emotionally (p. 253). Back at the office, Mrs. Tanis Judique, a pretty middle-aged widow, seeks George's expertise in finding a flat. "Nervously attracted by her smartness" (p. 253), Babbitt offers her a new apartment that he has been holding for Sidney Finkelstein. She decides to buy it. In the car, he flirts with her and pursues her casual offer to give him dancing lessons. Although he senses that he can put his arm around her, he rebukes himself and takes her home with "excessive politeness" (p. 256), later regretting that he missed his chance with such an alluring woman.

George finds himself increasingly attracted to young women, such as the manicurist at the Pompeian Barber Shop, Ida Putiak. He goes there and gets a manicure so that he can talk to her. He finds her enchanting and successfully invites her on a dinner date. That evening, his car breaks dow, so he picks Ida up in a taxi. After dinner, he is able to kiss her in the taxi on the way home, but she refuses to extend their date, so George is left feeling rejected and ashamed.

Chapter XXV:

The next morning, though George sees no sense in his rebellion, he realizes that he cannot "regain contentment with a world which, once doubted, became absurd" (p. 264). He dreads Myra's return in August, and though he feels moments of reconnection with his former identity as husband and father, he still decides to take a solitary trip to Maine in order to "seek Paul's spirit in the wilderness" (p. 265). He takes out more money than he needs from the bank and bids Tinka farewell as though he will never return.

When he arrives at the guide's shack in Maine, he is not received with the warmth and excitement that he expected. He joins in a game of stud poker and asks Joe Paradise to guide him for a few days. Joe arrives at George's cabin the next morning and, after much persuasion, agrees to guide George on a long hike to Box Car Pond. George enjoys the sense of being rugged and manly as they walk. But after supper and after Joe has gone to sleep, George feels extremely lonely and cannot stop thinking about his family, friends, and business back in Zenith. Thus, he realizes that he can "never run away from himself." He returns home, vowing to "start something" (p. 270).

Chapter XXVI:

On the train returning to Zenith, George speaks with Seneca Doane, trying to explain why he campaigned for Proust for mayor, defining himself as an "organization Republican" (p. 272). Doane reminds George that, back in college, he used to be liberal, and they talk about being visionaries with ideals. Doane asks for George's help, requesting that he speak to businessmen about being "more liberal in their attitude" (p. 273) toward Beecher Ingram, a preacher banned from the Congregationalist Church. Babbitt agrees, feeling "idealistic and cosmopolitan" (p. 273) in Doane's presence.

Shortly after his return to Zenith, George calls on Zilla, feeling very sorry for her. He is disturbed by her "bloodless and aged" (p. 274) appearance in the boarding house. He asks Zilla to be generous and have Paul pardoned, but Zilla explains that she has recently become very religious and it is God's blessing that Paul is in jail--for him to repent and save his soul.

At home, Verona and Kenneth Escott are finally engaged. Ted enters the State University as a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, though he repeatedly proposes to George that he transfer to the School of Engineering to study mechanical engineering or mining engineering.

Analysis

Until this point in the novel, Babbitt has wavered between a sense of commitment to the value system to which he has subscribed throughout the entirety of his adult life and the growing sense of unrest and dissatisfaction that urges him to seek something new and more exciting. He has approached the edge of the board several times, but he has never made the jump. Now, two conversations have the cumulative effect of propelling him forth into the rebellion that briefly wreaks havoc in his life. (Eventually, though, this rebellion will allow him to return to his former life with greater hope, satisfaction, and assurance.)

The first of these conversations is the one that he has with an intoxicated Chum Frink. Late one night, Frink passes by the Babbitt house, calling George a fool and explaining that he is a "traitor to poetry" (p. 246), bemoaning the loss of his potential and imagining what he could have been. With the words "Could have written - Too late!" (p. 246) he runs off, and Babbitt is left questioning the wealth and social position that he has been striving to attain. For the first time, he is able to identify his longings (for pretty women, for Miss McGoun, for Paul). He suddenly feels as though he has "found something in life, and that he [has] made a terrifying, thrilling break with everything that was decent and normal" (p. 247).

Thus, he follows through with the break the next day, when he not only notices but also obeys his desire to leave work and catch a midday movie. Then, at a dinner hosted by Eddie Swanson, he flirts with Louetta. He also flirts with Tanis Judique and kisses Ida Putiak after taking her on a date. In the span of a few days, he has pursued several women who appeal to him, which is a far more active approach to understanding and doing what he wants than he has ever taken. All of these thoughts, feelings, and actions testify to the complete change that Babbitt feels just on the verge of making.

It is not until he speaks with Seneca Doane, however, that Babbitt is able to make this leap completely. Doane reminds Babbitt of his former potential as a liberal student at the State University, when Babbitt had intended to do work very similar to Doane's. In fact, Babbitt had actually been an inspiration to Doane. This confrontation with his own lost ideals and failed potential (which resonates with Chum Frink's drunken message) is what finally motivates Babbitt to adopt the new lifestyle that he has been seeking since the beginning of the book. Like a young, naive student back in college, he seems to think that nothing but complete rebellion can quench the thirst that he has for excitement and fulfillment.

Not even his solitary trip to the woods could restore him. In fact, he is out of his element in the woods, unable to deactivate his restless mind and realizing he can "never run away from himself." Nature is too natural and not wild enough. He returns home, vowing to "'start something'" (p. 270). In an uncharacteristic moment, he follows through on his decision to act.

Chapter XXVII:

In September, there are worker strikes and protests that turn Zenith "into two belligerent camps" (p. 279). All of the newspapers and the white-collar members of Zenith oppose the strike and try to reinstate order. Babbitt suddenly becomes publicly liberal, siding with the feared Seneca Doane and criticizing political services. In front of Chum Frink, he calls "rot" Dr. Drew's sermon about how love should prevent this chaos (p. 281).

At the strikers' parade, Babbitt becomes conflicted. Initially, he feels viscerally that the strikers are "scoundrels who [are] obstructing the pleasant ways of prosperity" (p. 282), but when he sees Seneca Doane and a State University Professor among the marchers, he decides that the strikers have "just as much right to march as anybody else" (p. 283).

At the Athletic Club, Babbitt opposes popular opinion about the strike, arousing the disdain and suspicion of Vergil Gunch. At home, George argues with Myra, who warns him that he will be misunderstood if he takes such a rebellious position. Babbitt is confused by this change as well, and he is frightened by the dismay of his friends.

Chapter XXVIII:

Tanis Judique calls George at the office about a leak in her apartment, and George goes to look things over. To him, Tanis represents the height of feminine class and grace, and he is enchanted by her. He stays for a cup of tea, and they talk for a great while, agreeing about most things as George basks in the "glorious state of being appreciated" (p. 290). He confides in her about his friendship with Seneca Doane and about the tension that developed with Vergil Gunch at the Athletic Club (although the strike is now over). They rejoice in mutual understanding and comfort, and Tanis reveals herself to be somewhat of a rebel as she smokes a cigarette. They decide to have dinner together, and George calls Myra from the deli with a lie about being out on business. They talk through the night, feeling utterly content in each other's company, and George returns home at dawn.

Chapter XXIX:

Tanis Judique's approval makes Babbit more confident and daring about advocating for Seneca Doane and his liberal politics at the Athletic Club, which only further convinces his friends that he has "'turned crank'" (p. 296). He becomes enamored of her, meeting her at the movies and at her flat as often as he can. He is, however, often afraid that someone will see them together or that Myra will learn of the affair. When George returns from a brief visit with Tanis at Christmas, Myra's reaction makes it clear that she suspects his infidelity.

Myra suddenly and uncharacteristically leaves, supposedly to care for her ailing sister. Babbitt becomes involved with Tanis's group of friends. They are a varied set of middle-aged bohemians who throw parties every night, and Babbitt awakes every morning with "his head throbbing, his tongue and lips stinging from cigarettes" (p. 299). At first, he does not like "the Bunch," but as he spends more time with them, he starts to enjoy and embrace the feeling of being wild and free. As a result of his new lifestyle, Babbitt begins to understand the Doppelbraus, whom he previously abhorred. He even goes to a party at their house, where he flirts more successfully with Louetta Swanson.

After attending parties every night, George stops feeling as ill and miserable from all of the alcohol, and "to be the 'livest' of them [is] as much his ambition now as it had been to excel at making money" (p. 305). One night, Fulton Bremis warns George that he is drinking too much. He even overdoses on womanizing, flirting with so many women that Tanis no longer seems like his "one pure star" (p. 306). At the Athletic Club, his friends (especially Vergil Gunch) are angry and suspicious, and Babbitt senses that they are always talking about him.

At a skating rink one day, Professor Pamphrey sees Babbitt as he is skating with the Bunch and as Tanis kisses him. At lunch at the Hotel Thornleigh, Vergil Gunch sees them together. Later that afternoon, Gunch approaches Babbitt at the office to request that he join the Good Citizens' League in order to check the influence of the liberals, socialists and, specifically, Seneca Doane. George declines the offer, saying that he will think it over. Gunch takes the opportunity to inform him that everyone at the Athletic Club is confused and angry with him. They are upset by his politics and by his affair, and there is a subtle threat behind Gunch's final request for George to join the G.C.L.

Chapter XXX:

Myra returns to Zenith, confessing her fears that George neither missed her nor needed her. As soon as George feels the pressure of obligation to satisfy Tanis while keeping the affair a secret, he is suddenly resentful of Tanis and of "women and the way they get you all tied up in complications!" (p. 312). Still, he continues the affair somewhat carelessly and unapologetically. During an argument about George's smoking and drinking, Myra reveals that she is resentful of the fact that George gets to "run around with anybody" (p. 316) he pleases while she stays home, still a slave to routine. When George blindly agrees to help her gain culture, she requests that he accompany her to Mrs. Opal Emerson Mudge's New Thought meeting on Cultivating the Sun Spirit.

Mrs. Mudge's speech is hypnotizing and incoherent, concluding with an announcement about the monthly magazine that costs a "mere pittance" (p. 318) per year. Though the audience (mostly women) listens with rapt adoration, Babbitt is unimpressed by this form of escapism, which upsets Myra. After another argument, George is unable to offer any assurance as Myra insinuates that their marriage is ending.

Analysis

Even at his most rebellious, Babbitt is plagued by the indecisiveness that is inevitable for someone without any thoughts or beliefs that are entirely his own. Although it is not necessarily inconsistent, he still vacillates between an elitist disapproval of the protesting workers and a feeling that they have "just as much right to march as anybody else" (p. 283). He requires the influence of Seneca Doane, once again, to temporarily subscribe to the liberal support of the strikers. Even still, he refers to them as "a bad element" (p. 283) and is confused by his own contradictions. This is, perhaps, the result of his living and having bought into a society so focused on conformity and so saturated by various forms of mass media. Finally, though, he is bold enough to support the socialist agenda in front of the men at the Athletic Club, and this results in the manipulative disdain that soon will contribute to Babbitt's renunciation of this rebellious phase. His rebellion is not strong enough to withstand such disdain among his colleagues.

Although Babbitt believes that his relationship with Tanis Judique is based on a strong connection, mutual understanding, and respect, Lewis suggests that it is, like most things in Babbitt's life, a mere frivolity. During the long evening that they spend talking together, Babbitt feels as if they agree on everything. This, of course, might be an indication of their deep compatibility. Yet, Lewis informs us that "They agreed that Prohibition was prohibitive. They agreed that art in the home was cultural," and they agreed that short skirts were short. The utter lack of substance in these impressions is made even more ridiculous by the fact that they interpret so much from this "frank speaking" (p. 290).

Lewis also emphasizes that Babbitt's attraction to Tanis results mainly from her willingness to offer him unlimited attention and sympathy. She feeds his ailing ego, but the moment she becomes burdensome, he no longer cares to exert the energy on their relationship. His eventual carelessness and lack of discretion in the affair may also indicate that his commitment to her is never as strong or complete as he believes it to be.

Mrs. Mudge is one of several characters in the novel through whom Lewis critiques and satirizes the state of Jazz Age religion. She is a representative of the all-inclusive, nondescriptive religious category of New Thought, and her hour-long speech sounds (like her name) like nothing more than verbal sludge. Although her sermon hypnotizes the audience, leaving them mesmerized, no one can extract any comprehensible message from her great ocean of words. The entire sermon contains no punctuation whatsoever; it is merely a blur of pseudo-spiritual phrases that the audience clearly does not understand, even though they seem to carry significance. The lack of grammatical meaning is reflective of the sermon's lack of meaningful content, revealing Mrs. Mudge as a religious quack and suggesting that real spiritual salvation is especially needed in a culture so concerned with material objects.

Chapter XXXI:

Although George tries to avoid Tanis and to sever the affair, she reels him back in through phone calls and letters. Though he hates his sense of obligation, he goes to see her. He is immediately drawn to her sympathy and limitless interest in him, but he becomes discouraged when she begins to talk about her own troubles, which revolve around petty misunderstandings among her friends. The conversation wanes, and Tanis suddenly reveals her fear that Babbitt does not love her. She forces him to assure her of his love, and this pressure maims his attraction and makes him want to flee. He abruptly calls off the affair, feeling guilty about hurting Tanis but rejoicing again in his freedom.

Chapter XXXII:

Back at home, when Myra confronts him about his whereabouts, George admits that he has been with a woman. But he accuses Myra of being responsible for his infidelity. He manipulates her into sharing that view.

At the Boosters' Club the next day, George criticizes a conservative congressman in the presence of Dr. Dilling, a surgeon who is considered one of the most important men in the club. This results in an office visit later that afternoon by Dr. Dilling, Charles McKelvey, and Colonel Rutherford, three extremely powerful men in Zenith. They invite George to join the Good Citizens' League and, when George responds that he has to "think it over a little" (p. 330), they become threatening. They blackmail him, using his recent impropriety as leverage and warning him that his business will no longer prosper if he does not join, but George refuses to be bullied. At home, Myra complains that he should have joined. George becomes lonely for Tanis.

Suddenly, as expected, George is being ignored by his former associates. He starts losing business. Miss McGoun leaves Babbitt-Thompson Realty for their rival company. George is filled with fear, paranoia, and stubborn defiance. Though "he would like to flee back to the security of conformity ... he would not be forced back" (p. 335). Wanting Tanis's sympathy, he appears at her door late one night, but she responds coldly and he retreats, defeated.

Chapter XXXIII:

Babbitt awakes in the middle of the night and hears Myra groaning from a pain in her side. Forgetting his resentment, he brings her ice and calls Dr. Earl Patten to come examine her immediately. When the doctor says that her appendix is inflamed and that he will return in the morning, George is "caught up in a black tempest" (p. 339) of alarm. The full vigor of his faithfulness and commitment revive in the face his wife's possible death. He stays by her side throughout the night.

Dr. Patten returns with Dr. Dilling, the surgeon from the Boosters' Club, who explains that Myra has acute appendicitis and that he must operate immediately. Babbitt is overcome by a renewed love for her, and she is overcome with relief at this change. Thus, "in muttered incoherencies they [find] each other" (p. 343). George vows to himself that his rebellion is over. They ride in the ambulance to St. Mary's Hospital.

In the waiting room, Babbitt accidentally opens the door to the operating room. He is utterly shaken by the sight, and subsequently he swears undying faith to every icon of middle-class conformity (including his wife, his city, business efficiency, the Boosters' Club, and the Good Citizens' League).

Myra returns home after seventeen days. In this time, Babbitt's former friends regain their faith in him and he joins the Good Citizens' League, "tearful with joy" (p. 346) at being invited by Vergil Gunch. Within two weeks, he denounces Seneca Doane, labor unions, and immigrants as wicked.

Chapter XXXIV:

Babbitt wins back Zenith's respect and approval through his work with the G.C.L. (which is mainly ensuring that the wealth of the city is held by a small percentage of the population, and which is enforcing conformity of thought and morals), as well as through his return to the Boosters' Club and to church.

Despite the resumed social order and peace at home (especially once Verona and Kenneth Escott are finally married), Babbitt's greatest joy is his "return to being one of the best-loved men in the Boosters' Club." When they tease him about his middle name (Follansbee), he knows that all is well. The very last "scar of his rebellion" (p. 352) is healed when he regains his most important business client. He now rejoices in all of the conformity and restraints that he had so desperately sought to escape.

But when Ted suddenly elopes with Eunice and tells George that he would rather become a mechanic than complete his college education, George displays the insight and perspective he has gained through his rebellion. He expresses approval of Eunice and tells Ted to do exactly as he wants with his life without being afraid of his family, his society, or (worst of all) himself.

Analysis

Babbitt's rebellion is shallow. His behavior during his rebellion often straddles the border between principle and childish stubbornness. His refusal to join the Good Citizens' League, when asked, is not so much a matter of wanting to remain faithful to his set of liberal beliefs, but rather of not wanting to be bullied into making a decision. In fact, he reflects several times on the fact that he would actually like to join, but he will not do so if it is not clear to everyone that the choice is wholly his. Although there is an element of maturity and self-respect in his defiance, it is adolescent, and he puts himself through the grief of fearing other prominent members of Zenith society.

In this state of inner conflict, the reader is left to question Babbitt's final return to his old commitments as well. He returns like the prodigal son to his wife and his conformist republican life. But his return comes not from poverty or principle; he seems completely overcome with grief and worry when Myra falls ill with appendicitis. He feels and shows a love and tenderness for her that we have never seen, and he is driven to distraction by his concern for her life. One must wonder if Babbitt's sudden renunciation of his wicked ways and his enthusiastic return to the institutions that used to govern his life are sincerely driven by his deep love and broadened perspective, or if he is simply seeking a good excuse to do what he has been too stubborn to do. Perhaps Myra is a mere convenience, as she has been throughout the novel, and he uses her in a way that is almost as uncaring and inhuman as he typically does.

But this is one section of the novel where satire, sarcasm, and irony seem to disappear entirely. The strength of Babbitt's emotions is expressed in prose that is simple and direct. Given its uniqueness, it seems as though this section is Lewis's declaration that Babbitt does care deeply for his wife despite his unreflective social choices; Babbitt does seem to care for the life he had and which he is no longer willing to give up.

If before he jumped completely into rebellion, by the end he has jumped all the way back. Still, the process of acknowledging his dissatisfaction, trying to satisfy it, realizing that parties, liberalism, and affairs can still feel empty, and being frightened into remembering that he cares for Myra, has changed him. The process may have made Babbitt more human even if it has not made him fully reflective. This last section of the novel is not full of complaining or object worship, but it records his new acceptance and appreciation of the people and communities constituting his life.

Nevertheless, Lewis explains that, as a result of the rebellion, he is not able to participate in the most extreme campaigns of the G.C.L., nor can he completely commit himself to the church. He is no longer morally vacuous, with the ability to promote or denounce any cause at the will of others. A more solid and consistent ethical code guides his decisions.

Furthermore, his response to Ted's elopement and decision not to complete his college education reveals this change more clearly. In the face of doubt and anger expressed by the rest of the family, Babbitt is able to take his son aside and ask him what he plans to do, implying his assertion of Ted's right to make independent choices (which is something that Babbitt himself never did). Ted's response ("Gosh, dad, are you really going to be human?" [p. 355]) reveals Lewis's underlying conclusion: Babbitt has become more complete as a human who appreciates the complexities of life. Babbitt encourages his son to pursue his own path, acknowledging that he has "never done a single thing [he's] wanted to in [his] whole life" (p. 356). George Babbitt now has the perspective to realize that Ted can and should be happier.

This ending provides a new hope for a deepening in the pursuit of the American Dream. Babbitt will pass this dream on to the next generation in the hope that Ted will have the insight and determination to engage more thoughtfully and deeply with the ideals, not just with the outward appearances of success. Lewis does not provide much of an opinion about this hope that Ted will really accomplish his goals (in fact, his prospects seem bleak), but the novel's introduction of this possibility is itself a moment of triumph. Babbitt may not have changed in very many tangible ways. He is still a conformist, he is still somewhat cowardly, and he is not entirely satisfied. But he has derived a greater understanding of himself and his world from his brief period of rebellion, and Lewis's straightforward depiction of this change is an undeniable testament to the possibility of a better, more satisfying, fulfillment.

• Biography of Sinclair Lewis
• About Babbitt
• Character List
• Major Themes
• Glossary of Terms
• Short Summary
• Full Summary and Analysis
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters I-III
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters IV-VI
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters VII-X
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters XI-XIV
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters XV-XVIII
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters XIX-XXII
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters XXIII-XXVI
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters XXVII-XXX
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters XXXI-XXXIV
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