Babbitt

Sinclair Lewis's *Babbitt* is a razor-sharp satire of American conformity and the pursuit of success that remains startlingly relevant nearly a century after its publication. Meet George F. Babbitt, a prosperous real estate agent in the fictional city of Zenith who epitomizes the self-satisfied businessman of the Jazz Age—successful by all conventional measures yet spiritually hollow and creatively suffocated. Through Lewis's witty, observant prose, we follow Babbitt's daily life of boosterism, social climbing, and careful adherence to middle-class ideals. When a moment of self-awareness threatens to upend his carefully constructed world, he briefly questions the empty materialism around him, only to retreat back into comfortable conformity. Lewis masterfully captures the language, attitudes, and anxieties of 1920s American business culture, transforming his protagonist into an unforgettable portrait of a man trapped by his own ambitions. This satirical novel remains a biting critique of consumerism, groupthink, and the tension between individual desire and social expectation. Perfect for listeners interested in classic American literature, social commentary, or sharp-witted humor that exposes the contradictions of the American Dream, *Babbitt* offers both entertainment and insight into the timeless human struggle between authenticity and acceptance.