Comic Inspiration

Sinclair Lewis really engages the reader by the disturbing correctness of his character’s pure thought pattern. Pure in a sense far from pure; the original thought pattern which then became polished and refined over time. Much of the conversation within Babbitt then takes the reader to the comical state where the characters personal desires are interjected into the later logical line of thought. It has been suggested that his characters are merely caricatures which obtain no real humanity and simply exemplify a “type”. This is mistaking an element of Lewis’s style; he has an undistinguished line between comic and reality. When reading you must read as if every word of the character has humor behind it, yet the tale is not to be laughed about. It is almost righteous in this respect; providing light humor for an instructive end. Quite different from Fitzgerald’s characters who exemplify the absurdity of everything but are harder to digest in their ordinary actions. Lewis then picks an upright character to show the confusion of selfish desire and the overall logical system that character upholds. He still thinks highly of the logic of a good system, not casting it all to the wind. This is illustrated by the set up of the novel and of course Babbitt’s blusterous manner. Talking to his son about the spiritual and mental side of America’s power; in defense against the accusation that it was all “material” he expounds, “they think that these mechanical improvements are all that we stand for; whereas to a real thinker, he sees that spiritual and, uh, dominating movements like Efficiency, and Rotarianism, and Prohibition, and Democracy are what comprise our deepest and truest wealth” (65). This is really comical. He stumbles upon himself and ends up letting off that the real purpose he finds in these “spiritual” ideas is domination. Further Babbitt shows a continued inability to grasp the broader state of the affairs which people live for and wrestle with. Freedom, self-control, and purpose escape him completely. We find out that he does not even love his wife, but was suckered into accepting her like he was coxed into buying into all of his ideals.

A Profound Wit

Dorothy Parker--a woman with that rare ability to belittle people and make them feel better then ever. She really does have an excellent wit. She is a person who can take melodramas of life, experience them, and make a graceful about face which carries force. Within "Resume" (lacking accents which supersede my technical skills) she lists out all that a person might destroy themselves in a manner which convinces you that she has seriously considered them all. With lines like, "Gas smells awful" she does not pine after the person to consider the values of life by saying, "But in the end when you are trying to kill yourself; don't you think you will regret it? Self harm is so horrible, you're sure to hate the smell of gas...". No just a simple "smells awful" with a touch of lightness she sums up the whole experience and in an almost condescending way lets you know that your humanity will prevail and that it is absolutely ridicules at the same time. She ends off "Gas smells awful,/ You might as well live." Live, and continue being human, just not so stupid. She thus puts one at the top of themselves by encouraging you to be what you are at your best a well rounded human. And only through her ability to bear all the small unhappiness's of existence can she call you out on them. Excellent.

Symposium

Fitzgerald is excellent in "The Beautiful and Damned". His prose has a wonderful rhythm and brilliant intensity. But his theme is what I found to be astounding. For the storyline is very depressing. Coming on half of the novel one feels despair and the faintest hope that the characters will achieve some sort of rebirth. That Anthony would just learn to suffer in the smallest of ways, through a days work, and thereby start a life set on discipline and advancement. But contrary to the back cover description; the novel is not a good satire if it is meant to be one, in fact it is lousy. For Anthony falls to ruins, everything is right on track for a good moral satire, then right when you think hes done--he gets everything he was fighting for and succeeds in staying firm to his vision of life. It is a beautiful and damned vision, but as an up lifter of the values of a working existence, it was not. For the key to this is the Symposium not of love but of self and self futility.