Sinclair Lewis's novel, Babbitt, details the life of the titular character, Babbitt, who finds himself dissatisfied with his life but is unable to change it. Lewis uses this character to satirize the American lifestyle of the 1920s by highlighting the hypocrisy and hollowness of Babbitt's life. Babbitt's friendships appear to be false and serve only functional purposes. Booster club members only form bonds to better themselves politically or socially. Babbitt, like the others, makes these connections as soon as he can, without realizing how foolish his motives seem. Once, he attempts to outdo his class by inviting the respectable McKelveys to dinner. However, despite careful planning and good behavior, "for no good reason that was clear to Babbitt, the heaviness was over [McKelveys] and they spoke laboriously and unwillingly." After the party, the McKelveys make an empty promise to have lunch with the Babbitts later and never speak of it again. Babbitt is unaware that the displeasure shown by the McKelveys is a result of his disappointing status. They regard him the same way Babbitt regarded his less prosperous friend, Overbrook. When the Overbrooks invite the Babbitts to dinner, Overbrook praises him just as Babbitt praised McKelvey, right down to trivial questions about travel and social life. Eventually, Babbitt confesses to his wife, "'[I] just bluffed about having to have lunch with him sometime,'" mirroring McKelvey's promise to have lunch with Babbitt, and reveals the folly of crossing class boundaries to ascend to new social positions. levels. Those who seek to expand further through connections only appear foolish to their peers, a truth many have failed to see. // The idea of ​​getting past your partners...... middle of paper ......t the night before. Babbitt's blatantly hypocritical policies on alcohol and partying reflect common sentiment among Americans during Prohibition. The rich were quick to defend their choice to drink because they believed they had the right to do so and that no one else was virtuous enough to argue the same. It is proven that morals were not as important as pride and reputation when it came to upholding the law. Babbitt is unable to control himself even when it comes to smoking. Babbitt condemns smokers and smoking, tries to reduce his own cigarette consumption, and preaches the benefits of a smoke-free life; “He did everything, in fact, except quit smoking.” Babbitt's inability to stop his habits and his tendency to correct others of their vices before correcting his own shows the perceived morality of the middle class, despite being incapable of controlling himself.