Babbitt

In the bustling Midwestern city of Zenith, George F. Babbitt seems to have it all—the successful career, the comfortable home, a loving family, and the social standing that comes with membership in the right clubs. On paper, his life is the very picture of the American Dream. Yet beneath this polished surface, Babbitt wrestles with a restless unease. As his days unfold in predictable routine, unexpected events stir a quiet rebellion within him—a yearning for something more meaningful than material success and hollow social approval.

Babbitt is a sharp, unflinching satire that peels back the veneer of middle-class prosperity in 1920s America. It explores the quiet desperation behind conformity, exposing the fragile illusions of happiness bought with possessions and status. Through Babbitt’s journey, Lewis invites us to question what it truly means to live a fulfilled life—and what happens when the dream itself begins to crumble.

written by Sinclair Lewis, winner of the 1930 Nobel Prize in Literature