urately portrayed as they were in the 1920s. Lewis presents two different scenarios in the novel, but both of these cases can follow the same mannerisms. First, Lewis depicts the loving housewife. Myra, Babbitts wife, continually comforts Babbitt throughout the whole novel. Myra even accepts the blame when Babbitt decides to cheat on her. Women are depicted throughout the novel as inferior when compared to men. They stay home and cook. Unfortunately, Zilla and Paul, friends of the Babbitts, dont have a similar relationship. Paul is Babbitts best friend and they experience many of troubles together. Zilla, like Babbitt, wants to change her current situation and takes her frustration out on Paul. Zilla, Pauls wife is overbearing in the marriage, and uses this tactic to cover up the insecurity she feels in her life. The strife between Zilla and Paul is so deep that it affects every aspect of Pauls life. It even brings him to the act of shooting his wife. Both George and Paul have the same attitude toward their wives, and it takes a private vacation to Maine for them to realize that they must treat their wives better. Later in the novel, when George is experiencing a downward spiral in his life, he realizes that his marriage is becoming similar to what Paul experienced. Babbitt begins to experience many new things and women when he finds himself in these circumstances. He begins flirting with women, and also begins to suffer a mid-life crisis. This is Babbitts attempt to break the norm of everyday life, and acting on impulses is his way of doing this. Women can dramatically affect the way society thinks, and therefore play a crucial role in the novel.Babbitt experiences a cultural clash everyday in the novel. Babbitt is extremely hypocritical in the way he improves his ranks in society, as is rest of the world. Every person wants to associate with a group of people that are higher than them. A perfect example would be the McKelveys and the ...
