History 101:   American Themes: Between the World Wars 

Babbitt Essay

You have just completed reading Sinclair Lewis’ 1922 classic Babbitt.  While undoubtedly a satire of middle-class white America in the 1920s, Babbitt is also a masterpiece of literary realism.  Lewis was a mimic of rare ability, and he deployed this skill in his text to lampoon everything from automobiles and  academia to sex and business to religion and politics.  Babbitt is a work of fiction – but it is also a rich historical document.  Your task is to approach Babbitt as a cultural historian and write a thoughtful, argumentative essay that addresses the question “Is Babbitt the ideal/representative American of the 1920s?”  In formulating your thesis, do not simply rephrase this question in the affirmative or the negative.  This would be too descriptive an approach.  Instead, tell your reader what they can learn about this issue of American identity and citizenship from the example of  George Babbitt.  What larger concepts are at stake in your discussion of Babbitt? 

Some issues to consider before you begin writing are: What is Lewis’ position on this question and how does he support it?  Do you agree?  Why?  If not, how might you counterargue?  What is your understanding of American identity in the 1920s?   Feel free to draw upon class readings, lectures and discussions. 

I strongly suggest you narrow your examination of this topic to a significant subtheme that best enables you to argue your point.  This will make your argument more manageable and your essay less descriptive.  Subtheme examples might include gender, religion, consumption, race, radicalism, civic responsibility, patriotism, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.   Above all, you need to articulate your definition of what constitutes an ideal/representative American in the 1920s.  To support your claims, be sure to deploy relevant examples from the novel (citing the page number in parentheses after the quotation or paraphrase).