"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. Babbits spirits rise
because he "visualizes himself entering Zenith's most fashionable circles." In addition
to his involvement in politics, Babbit gets involved with the church because he feels it
is a "highly respectable activity to engage in." Babbit concentrates on the improvements
the church makes in his business life when he should be concentrating on important
elements such as religion. Babbits soul concerns are not for the well-being of the
church but rather to make sure that "prospective customers see that he is an active
church member." Babbit becomes enveloped by hypocrisy in society and focuses his
attention on materialistic goals rather than thinking about his friends and family.
Although an active member of Zenith society, many incidents increase Babbits discontent
with life and he revolts against conformity. After the imprisonment of his best friend
Paul, Babbit realizes that his life has no meaning. His dream of acceptance becomes
irrelevant so he engages in a short period of rebellion from everyday society. Not having
the relationship of a good wife or a best friend, Babbit drinks and parties excessively
hoping to end his frustrations but his anxiety's remains. He realizes that besides
material comfort a man needs "someone to easily talk to...and someone who appreciates
him" so he has an affair with a local woman. Nothing positive evolves from the temporary
relationship and Babbit is not able to truly feel joy. Although Babbit recognizes that a
change has occurred he also notices that "nothing has been gained by his rebellion" and
is unsatisfied with his new situation. Even though unhappy, Babbit "asserts his new
independence [and]...refuses to join" a new respected organization formed in Zenith. This
takes much courage and Babbit prides himself for his perseverance. Although Babbit is
proud of his independence, many people end their friendships with him because he will not
conform to their liking. Babbit uses his free time to think through and organize his
life. He realizes that he needs "the mechanical friendships [and]...organizations" in
Zenith. Babbit's rebellion ends in failure because Babbit does not have the courage and
persistence it takes to rebel against conformity.
Lacking the heart to be independent and live a lifestyle of nonconformity, Babbit
succumbs to a hypocritical lifestyle, and eventually regains his position in society. He
ultimately "agrees to join" the new club, conforming to the community's desires,
realizing that the consequences of not joining would be harsher than the embarrassment of
facing his old friends. Babbit realizes he needs to accept the image society wants and
conform to that image if he wants to succeed. Within a few weeks Babbit regains his old
position in the community. Once more he is a loud vocal speaker in the Good Citizens'
League and "all the prosperous citizens and business leaders" also devote themselves to
this establishment. Babbit soon regains the esteem of his old friends and things return
to normal. Babbit uses what he has learned by telling his son to "be unafraid of the
conventions...of the outside world and do what one sees as the right course for himself."
Babbit is sorry that he has learned this valuable lesson so late in his own life. He
realizes that he has grown accustomed to the daily occurrences and that he needs a
regular routine. Babbit decides that he is "going to run things to...suit himself",
which actually means conforming to the middle class lifestyle and to the values of men
like himself. Babbit learns a valuable lesson too late. He now knows that he needs to
live a life of conformity and he can not live his dream of success and happiness without
the influences of a hypocritical society.
Babbit struggles with himself and the community to find a way to make himself happy and
to make a place for himself in a society overshadowed by hypocrisy. He must rebel
against conformity and hypocrisy and try to find activities that actually suit him.
Babbit understands that the community is completely hypocritical but also discovers that
it is the only way he knows how to live. He succumbs to conformity, realizing that he
does not have the strength and courage to live his dream through independence. Babbit
realizes that middle class Americans behave, talk and amass unnecessary material objects.
American society is oblivious to the false faces they put on each day to impress others
and people do not realize that they are using all their energies to reach materialistic
goals. Society's conformity influences the actions, beliefs and dreams of each American.
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