新乡学院外国语学院美国文学课件 第14章.pptVIP

Sinclair Lewis 1885--1951 Sinclair Lewis About the Author Works Babbit Summary Babbit, the man Babbittry in Modern Society About the Author Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, (the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature )for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters. His works are known for their insightful and critical views of American society and capitalist values, as well as for their strong characterizations of modern working women. Works Main Street (1920) Babbitt (1922) Arrowsmith (1925) point of view – satirical critic of American middle class Lewis showed the villagers to be narrow-minded, greedy, pretentious and corrupt. He attacked middle class for its indifference to art and culture, and its assumption that economic success made it superior. style photographic, verisimilitude colloquialism characterization: he often created a type of character rather than an individual old fashioned in theme lack in psychological exploration Babbit 1. A novel that satirizes the American commercial culture and boosterism. The story was set in the fictional Midwestern town of Zenith, Winnemac, a setting to which Lewis would return in future novels. 2. Largely a satire of American culture, society, and behavior, it critiques the vacuity of middle-class American life and its pressure on individuals toward conformity. Summary of Babbit The book takes its name from the principal character, George F. Babbitt, a middle-aged partner, with his father-in-law, in a real-estate firm. When the story begins, in April 1920, Babbitt is 46 years old. He has a wife, Myra; three children (Verona, 22; Ted, 17; and Tinka, 10); and a well-appointed house in the prosperous Floral Heights neighborhood of