Youth As An Aspect Of George Babbitt

& # 8217 ; s Character Essay, Research Paper

Young person As An Aspect of George Babbitt s Character

The facet of young person and being immature is a prevailing facet found in George Babbitt, the chief character of Sinclair Lewis Babbitt. On the exterior, Babbitt comes across as a really conformist and self-seeking person. However, upon farther scrutiny, Babbitt becomes less and less a prevailing social figure, and more so an person who is haunted by indecisiveness and insecurity. Like a immature kid, he often enters into an inventive universe where he pretends that he is person else. He besides laments over his defects and failure by wanting to return to his young person. He views youth as an flight from the force per unit areas and hinderances of his occupation and household. George Babbitt is besides unable to pass on with the immature people of his twenty-four hours and age, specifically with his ain kids. In short, youth is an of import facet which shapes Babbitt s character.

During many cases in the novel, Babbitt enters into a province of inventive phantasy where he takes on the character of another individual whom he admires or wants to emulate. He frequently times takes on another character in order to do himself believe that he can carry through what that individual did, even though he knows he genuinely can non. He drove merrily place, and to Mrs. Babbitt he was William Washington Earthorne, ( 209 ) , is an case where Babbitt non merely wishes to be in the same economic standing as Eatthorne, the affluent banker, but he besides uses this phantasy to mask the fact that he is unhappy with who his household perceives him to be. His invented military rank of colonel during his clip on the Sunday School run is another illustration of how Babbitt needed others to turn to him as something other that an norm, in-between category citizen. He was plumply pleased by salutations on the streets from unknown little male childs ; his ears were tickled to ruddy ecstasy by hearing himself called Colonel, ( 210 ) . In this case, Babbitt is once more amused and amused by feigning that he is something bigger than what he really is. Lewis uses these inventive sequences to exemplify that George Babbitt is by and large unhappy with who he is, he is non content with merely being a regular real-estate agent, but instead, he is fighting to specify himself every bit something as something that will put him apart from all others.

George Babbitt experiences disaffection with the young person of the 1920 s, particularly with his kids, Verona and Ted. This is apparent in his disgus

T at how the immature people at Ted s party behaved and treated Babbitt. These kids seemed bold to him, and cold, ( 218 ) is an illustration of the indifference the kids showed Babbitt. He wanted his kids to hold no portion in such frivolousness, but instead for them to seek and emulate him, as he wants Ted to travel to the State University, in the same manner that he did. He besides has problem listening to the sentiments of his kids. He frequently dismissed Verona s thoughts as being extremist and foolish.

Babbitt besides has a desire to be immature once more, and get away the hinderances of his occupation and married life. When Babbitt, bought a violent xanthous tie, to do himself look immature, ( 320 ) , he is seeking to recapture his vernal energy in order to affect members of the opposite sex. There was besides an case in the woods of Maine where Babbitt commented on the humdrum of his life with his married woman, If she wouldn t be so darn satisfied with merely settling down, ( 320 ) , and subsequently he denounced the life he had in Zenith by crying I ll be fifty in three old ages. Sixty in 13 old ages. I m traveling to hold some merriment before it s excessively late. I don t attention! I will! ( 321 ) . Babbitt is evidently unhappy with the manner in which his life has turned out, and as such, desires to get away the humdrum which he feels has trapped him by seeking to recapture his young person. Babbitt reflects on how he has wasted his life by going tied down to a occupation that he does non wish to prosecute and a household that he feels is more of a hinderance that a approval, He saw the old ages, the superb winter yearss, and all the long sweet afternoons which were meant for summery hayfields, lost in such brickle ostentation, ( 224 ) .

In decision, young person and the facets thereof are an intricate portion of understanding the character of George Babbitt. His desire to recapture being immature exemplifies his letdown of his household, occupation, and life in general. The pleasance he receives by conceive ofing that he is person else illustrates that he would, in fact, instead be person other than himself. He is nevertheless, incapable with pass oning or understanding the immature people of his ain clip, as demonstrated by his inability to listen and react to his ain kids. To set it bluffly, George Babbitt is scared of aging and as a consequence, wants to be immature once more. These facets of young person and vernal desire aid supply a better, more distinguishable position into the character of George Babbitt. The rigorous conformance which he hides behind becomes a mask, and he becomes a hapless and sorrowful character.