Babbitt: Conformity

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to measure the worth of an individual. In fact
the readers first encounter with Babbitt sees him praising modern
technology. "It was the best of nationally advertised and quantitatively
produced alarm-clocks, with all modern attachments, including cathedral
chime, intermittent alarm, and a phosphorescent dial. Babbitt was proud of
being awakened by such a rich device."(Babbitt pg.3) Babbitt praises the
technology of his alarm clock only because it is a symbol of material worth
and therefore social status.
All of Babbitt's actions and thoughts are controlled by the
standards of Zenith. "His every action is related to the phenomena of that
society. It is not what he feels and aspires to that moves him primarily;
it is what the folks around him will think."(Mencken). All of Babbitt's
thoughts are those of society, and thoughts that are not society's are
ridiculed Babbitt works simply to raise his social status by means of
increasing his material worth. Babbitt ...

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Babbitt is controlled by
society his goals are also controlled by it. The goals set by society are
economic and material worth, social standing, and conservative thought.
Since Babbitt has achieved, at least in part, these goals he is in a sense
fooled into believing he is truly happy. Babbitt's true desires however
are not those of society he dreams of nature instead of modernization,
young women instead of his wife, adventure instead of standardization, and
he secretly sympathizes with certain groups he is supposed to despise
because of their non-conformist nature. Babbitt can dimly see the flaws in
his life but feels powerless to change his fate and become a better man.
Babbitt ...

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