Summary of “Babbitt”
The novel takes place in a fairly large American city under the loud name Zenith.
The main hero of the novel, George Babbitt, a forty-five-year-old owner of the agency that sells and leases real estate, lives on the outskirts of the city, in the prestigious, rapidly developing area of ”Blooming Hills.” He has a family consisting of his wife and three children. Babbitt is content with life,
his position, both social and material, but more often at night he dreams of a young wizard, for whom he runs and, bending over to her knees, finds peace and understanding. He married twenty-three years ago without much love for the daughter of his current companion. studied at the university, dreamed of becoming a lawyer, had a friend, Paul Riesling, since his student days, to whom he was slightly paternal and felt more affection than ever experienced the woman. Paul is married to Zill, an eternally dissatisfied life, a grouchy and rude woman. Once he dreamed of becoming
when he, along with Paul Riesling and the newly-found hero McKelvey, is bawling the old-school song with all his might. The Babbitts invite the McKelvey couple to dinner, to which after a few dates the transfer is in the end. In addition to them at the dinner there are several more couples. Reception is extremely boring, as Babbitt does his best not to go beyond the established, in his opinion, in the highest light of decency. After this lunch, Babbitty has been following the secular chronicle for a whole month and are waiting for a reciprocal invitation, which they are not expected to wait.
But the name of McKelvey all week does not come off the first pages of the newspaper for a different reason: they have a guest EnglishEnglish, Sir Gerald Dowk, in honor of which McKelvey even arrange a grand ball. In such an unhappy time, Babbitt, as luck would have it, has to think about Overbrooks. Ed Overbrook, Comrade Babbitt of the university, was a failure. He is extremely proud of his acquaintance with Babbitt and invites him and his wife to visit him. The dinner at them makes on Babbitt an equally depressing impression, which, apparently, made a dinner with the Babbits on McKelvey. After lunch about Overbrook, the Babbitt family is no longer remembered, nor is it remembered that they were going to invite them to the house. When Babbitt finally becomes convinced that McKelvey does not take him into his circle, he feels himself in a ridiculous position and,
He takes an active part in the meetings of several clubs, of which he is a member. However, the greatest popularity Babbitt gets due to his activities at the Sunday School,
which he helps to reach second place in attendance throughout the state. One day, Babbitt is on business to Chicago, where he finds a lonely, cruelly bored Sir George Dawck, the recent guest of McKelvey, who, it turns out, has incredibly suffered from the need to wage a violent social life in America, to which he was forced by the local pillars of the community, and now enjoys spending the evening with Babbitt, first in the movie, then in my room with a bottle of whiskey and talk “heart to heart.” Babbitt is unbearably sorry that he did not meet with a high-born Englishman in Zenith. The day after the evening spent with GeraldDowk, Babbitt accidentally meets with Paul Riesling, diner in the company of an unfamiliar Babbituzhenshchina, which surprises and upsets him. Returning home, Babbitt is present at the second in March of the club “Pushers” where the president is elected every year. Babbitt is elected vice-president, he immediately wants to inform Paul, but, to his amazement, he learns that Paul is in prison,
because in the afternoon I shot at Zillah, my wife. Zilla after the injury safely gets better, and the Pole is sentenced to three years in prison, which undermines Babbitt no less than his friend. One day a certain lady of about forty is coming to Babbitt’s office, who wants to rent a small apartment.
Babbitt has exactly what she needs, and he takes the opportunity to get to know her better.
He is unsettled by misfortune with Paul, he does not count on understanding his wife, managed to fail in an attempt to look after a young girl and comes to the conclusion that his new acquaintance, widow named Tanis Djudyk, with a soft voice and affectionate gaze – is what he needs to be at least somehow comforted and again to feel the taste for life. Taking advantage of the absence of his wife, Babbitszavetset stormy affair with Tanis. At that time, mass strikes began in the city, splitting up Zenit into two hostile camps – white and red. Babbitt shows indulgence towards the workers, which causes discontent of all business layers of the city, which support supporting the undertaking coming from the eastern states, and create in Zenit a League of honest citizens as a bulwark against all kinds of troublemakers. They offer in a very urgent way and Babbittuvshit in the League. Babbitt does not like that he is forced to do something, and he refuses to join the ranks. The wife of Babbitt, who was staying with relatives, returns home for several months. Meanwhile, Tanisayeva also has more and more rights to him. Babbitt decides to win more freedom for himself and breaks with Tanis. Babbitt’s refusal to join the League in the most deplorable way affects the attitude of his teammates to him, and also on the affairs of the firm. The most profitable orders now go to its competitors. But most of all, he is hurt by the fact that his stenographer, Miss McGaun, suddenly leaves him, as if escaping from a sinking ship. Babbitt’s testimony and at the same time his companion, Mr. Tompson, convinces the son-in-law to take emergency measures, with which Babbitt is heatedly and agrees. He decides to join the League of Honest Citizens, as soon as he is offered again. However, in high circles,
it seems, they do not remember anymore. He begins to feel that everyone is making a fuss about him, his nerves are growing bigger and more unstable. He already regrets that he lost Tanis, he needs a man with whom he could speak openly, his wife seems alien to him. One night, an attack occurs with Myra.
Babbitt calls a doctor who reports the need for surgery. Babbitt embraces fear that he may lose his wife and remain alone. In the morning, after a sleepless night, Myra seems to him not even just a woman who can be compared to any other, but his own “I”, he can not break with the scotch. During the operation, he only dreams of seeing her again and saying,
that he always loved only her; mentally, he swears allegiance to Maira… in loyalty to Zenith, the club “Pushers” … loyalty to everything that the Clan of Decent People believes. The operation is successful; after it no one is whispering about Babbitt, but, on the contrary, – they are all worried about Mrs. Babbitt’s health. He again, but without pressure, but in a friendly manner, to join the League, to which Babbitt, without dignity, agrees and forever ceases to be a room revolutionary. He is again greeted with open arms in his clubs, and financial matters are once again going up the hill. He presents his future not very clearly, but he feels that he got into the same networks, from which he wrestled with such fury, and, ironically,
He was made to rejoice that he was caught again. However, he now treats his son with much understanding and allows him to choose his own way of life.
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