Sinclair Lewis was a prolific writer who published fourteen novels and a book of short stories over a span of nearly forty years. Later in his life, he wrote plays for both the theater and film, and he continued publishing books up until his death in 1951. Yet it seems that Sinclair Lewis will always be inextricably linked to a single decade, the 1920s. This ten-year period saw the publication of Lewis's five greatest novels, beginning in 1920 with Main Street and ending in 1929 with Dodswortb. In between he wrote Babbitt (1922), Arrowsmith (1925) and Elmer Gantry (1927). His fame and his success, both popular and critical, reached their zenith during this decade, culminating in 1930 with Lewis being awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. He was the first American to receive this award.

When Babbitt was first published in 1922, fans gleefully hailed its scathing portrait of a crass, materialistic nation; critics denounced it as an unfair skewering of the American businessman. Sparking heated literary debate, Babbitt became a controversial classic, securing Sinclair Lewis"s place as one of America"s preeminent social commentators.

Businessman George F. Babbitt loves the latest appliances, brand names, and the Republican party. In fact, he loves being a Solid Citizen even more than he loves his wife. But Babbitt comes to resent the middle-class trappings he has worked so hard to acquire, Realizing that his life is devoid of meaning, he grows determined to transcend his trivial existence and search for greater purpose. Raising thought-provoking questions while yielding hilarious consequences, Babbitt"s quest for meaning forces us to confront the Babbitt in ourselves--and ponder what it truly means to be an American.

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34