In his book Babbitt (1922), Sinclair Lewis presents George F. Babbitt, a tormented man anchored in the Roaring Twenties. Described at first as an active citizen, satisfied with his work, his club and all the flourishing technological developments of his time, the protagonist of the story soon appears however as an unhappy man dissatisfied with his life. Although he comes from various aspects of his world, Babbitt's relationships with women play a large role in this dissatisfaction. Whether it is his wife, his mistress, or his female acquaintances he is interested in, Babbitt never seems to reach a state of complete contentment in his relationships, as his expectations always turn into disappointment. Furthermore, in the 1920s America undergoes revolutionary changes that cause destabilization in several areas, especially gender roles. In fact, with the progressive emancipation of women starting from the 19th century and with the appearance of national women's suffrage in 1920, many men found themselves in a situation of confusion regarding the gender balance that had prevailed until then. The purpose of this article is therefore to demonstrate that George F. Babbitt is continually dissatisfied with his relationships with women due to two main factors. On the one hand Babbitt suffers the consequences of the imbalance between the sexes in America at the time which led him to adopt a misogynistic attitude towards women and on the other he tirelessly searches for an ideal woman who cannot exist. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The first possible explanation for Babbitt's discontent with his relationships with women is linked to the context in which he is immersed. Fearing the emancipation of women, Babbitt adopts a hypermasculine behavior that prevents him from having a satisfying relationship with a woman, as he restlessly denigrates her. For the sake of contextual framing, it is necessary to remember that the transition between the 19th and 20th centuries in America is a period of radical improvements that affect both the technological, industrial and social fields. As regards this last category and especially the part involving gender roles, an imbalance appears. With the appearance of the "New Woman", a movement that will lead to the right to vote for both sexes in the United States, women take an important step towards their emancipation. Aware that this is only the beginning of a period that will tend to impose gender equality, men are torn by conflicting feelings of confusion and fear about what is about to happen to their masculinity. In her work Babbitt as Veblenian Critique of Manlies, Clare Virginia Eby explains that, as a result of women's suffrage, America is witnessing a "crisis of masculinity" (Eby 6), leading men to adopt "hypermasculine behavior." (7). According to the Collins English Dictionary, hypermasculinity can be defined as “an exaggeration of traditionally masculine traits or behaviors.” George F. Babbitt is not immune to the crisis that American men are going through and Eby explains that “Babbitt. . . he thinks he is in revolt against the pressures imposed by women” (8). Therefore, in response to women's empowerment, Babbitt's hypermasculine behavior, which results through the use of gender stereotypes and misogynistic discourses as will be demonstrated below, prevents him from having any satisfying relationship with a woman, as he denigrates her and beyond. Babbitt's derogatory attitudes towards women appear throughout the book through various processes, but are mostly seen throughgender stereotypes and misogynistic discourse. In fact, stereotyping women is a way for Babbitt to valorize men and combat his fear of women's empowerment by belittling them. For example, a prime example of Babbitt's gender stereotype is when he welcomes his friends' wives to his dinner party, explaining that there were "six wives, more or less - it was hard to tell, so early in the evening, because at first glance they all looked the same, and how they all said, “Oh, isn't that nice!” in the same tone as her determined liveliness” (Lewis 114). In this example, Babbitt reproaches the women for acting in the same superficial and exaggerated way more physical, while washing his forearms, Babbitt states: “Damn hands, like a woman's hands Aah!” (258) This is a typical hypermasculine comment from the protagonist that aims to denigrate female sensitivity. Of course, having soft hands is not something negative but in this context Babbitt probably connects it to an expression of weakness, something that is his. virility forbids him. As for attitudes, he repeatedly criticizes various female behaviors, as when he states that “This is the problem with women is that they never have enough sense to form regular habits” (97). (333), “They always exaggerate like this.” (335) and that “[they] can never understand the different definitions of a word” (303), usually targeting one woman in particular, Babbitt stereotypes her , meaning that he extends his criticism to all women. The effect of such a habit is that by belittling them, Babbitt glorifies their male counterparts. Furthermore, it prevents them from having a successful relationship with a woman due to their constant denigration. Babbitt tends to give a misogynistic speech throughout the story. In addition to simply stereotyping genders, the protagonist tries to assert the superiority of men through various comments. He, for example, rebukes women's lack of gratitude towards men, such as when he notes that "his wife was too busy to be impressed by that moral indignation with which men rule the world" (112) or when he gets angry that women think that "a man does nothing but sit on the his chair and make affectionate conferences with a lot of classy ladies and look at them with happy eyes" (337). Through these two comments, Babbitt defends the image of man as the pillar of an efficient world which once again translates his fear of what is about to happen to his masculinity. Other hypermasculine comments occur when he refers to places aimed only at men, such as when he states that “They were free, in a man's world” (139), when he addresses Joe offering to “[get] away from these damn soft summerites and these women and all” (285) or finally when she “[wants] to escape to a harsh, safe and emotionless male world” (348). All these places free from women are therefore portrayed as calm, genuine and far from any useless superficiality. The separation between the male and female worlds, as well as the glorification of male places, are a further way for Babbitt to valorise men and combat his fear of female emancipation. This is what Eby confirms when he states that these types of manly comments are “anxieties of this transition from macho to domesticated man: George Babbitt flees from . . . women in a frantic search for a separate masculine culture that would help him demonstrate his virility” (Eby 8). Consequently, if Babbitt is not entirely satisfied with any of his relationships it is, first and foremost, because he reacts to female emancipationwith hypermasculine behavior that prevents him from having a successful relationship with a woman, as he constantly belittles them. The second possible explanation for Babbitt's dissatisfaction with his love relationships is that he is looking for an ideal woman who cannot exist in real life. Babbitt always had the firm belief that “[he was] haunted by the ancient thought that somewhere there must exist the not impossible one who would understand him, appreciate him, and make him happy” (Lewis 281). The protagonist, in fact, is looking for the perfect partner who has all the necessary requirements to satisfy him and allow him to finally be completely satisfied. The idealistic girl so desired by Babbitt appears recurrently throughout the story, but especially in his dreams since she is a fruit of his imagination. The fairy girl, as the protagonist calls her, possesses a set of characteristics that respond to the perfection that Babbitt seeks. First, what emerges from Babbitt's recurring description of this fairy creature is a mix of youth, beauty, and sexual attraction when, for example, he dreams that "[s]he was so thin, so white, so eager" (12) . The fairy girl also has the gift of understanding Babbitt, which other women do not understand. For example, in one of his dreams, when he finds himself surrounded by strangers who mock him, he runs away and joins her (105). As for when the fairy "shouts that he was gay and brave [and] that she would wait for him" (12), she gives the protagonist a feeling of admiration, another sensation that he expects to find in his ideal woman. . Finally, as Graham Thompson states, “closer reading of the fairy child in Babbitt has suggested that this fictional character acts as a way for Babbitt to express his desire to escape from his wife, his friends, and the world to which he belongs.” (Thompson 53). Therefore, in addition to youth, beauty, sexual attraction, understanding and admiration, what completes the archetype of the ideal woman is the aspect of escape and freedom it provides Babbitt. Although it seems that some of these characteristics can be found in each of his female acquaintances, none of them possess them all and, consequently, the insatiable expectations created by the fairy child are another way to explain Babbitt's dissatisfaction with women. women. At first glance, the woman who seems to be most opposed to the fairy child is Myra, to whom Babbitt has been unhappily married since the beginning of their relationship. Mrs. Babbitt, in fact, does not possess any of the requirements that Babbitt expects from her ideal partner and therefore, this is proof of the impossibility for the protagonist to find satisfaction in his married life. First of all, Myra disappoints Babbitt's first expectation of the perfect woman of youth and attractiveness. Already in her introductory description, Mrs. Babbitt is chastised for not maintaining her physical appearance when she is said to be “decidedly mature” and “as sexless as an anemic nun” (16). This distaste for Myra's physique has existed since Babbitt met her as even then, young Myra appeared in his eyes as "a good girl – you didn't kiss her, you didn't think of her that way at all" unless you were going to marry her. " (93). This reflection of Babbitt, in addition to being ironic in the moment in which he ended up marrying her, demonstrates very well that he never saw her as potentially attractive. When Myra is not discredited for her physical appearance, she is simply described for her function as “a good wife” (93) but is never associated with flattering terms regarding either her age or her physical appearance. Understanding is also not part of Myra's qualities according to Babbitthe emphasizes several times in the story, such as when he states that “And Myra, no use expecting her to understand” (361) or when he talks about politics and complains that she doesn't understand his point (304 ). As for admiration, the reader cannot dispute that Myra is sympathetic to her husband. Whether scribbling in a notebook (158) or giving public speeches (176), Mrs. Babbitt never misses an opportunity to praise Babbitt. However, he seems to only notice a couple of times when his wife remains silent, such as when he comes home after a drive and has the feeling that "to Mrs. Babbitt he was a William Washington Eathorne, but she doesn't fail to notice it." (213) or when he reproaches her for being "too busy to be impressed by the moral indignation with which males rule the world" (112). As for freedom, Babbitt seems to experience from his wife the opposite effect to what he is looking for. Indeed, when Myra has to leave, Babbitt “[is] happy that his wife was away. He admitted it without justifying it." (269) and when he has to pick her up at the station, he simply doesn't want her to come back (281-82). As for when he's absent, Babbitt can't help but enjoy his freedom by acting childish and doing things usually forbidden by Myra, like raiding the refrigerator. The fact that he calls this last action “one of the greatest domestic crimes” (263) shows his irritation with Myra's rules and further highlights his enjoyment of freedom when she is not present. Finally, it can be summed up by recognizing that if Babbitt lives an unhappy married life, it can be explained, at least in part, by the fact that his wife does not possess any of the qualities he looks for in a woman. Babbitt mentions many of his female acquaintances throughout the story, but the female being who most resembles the fairy child due to the similarity of their characteristics is in his opinion Tanis Judique. Tanis, in fact, meets all of Babbitt's expectations except one and if he fails to have a satisfactory relationship with her, it is probably because of this one missing characteristic. Babbitt first meets Tanis as one of his clients at the real estate agency and quickly finds in her the youth, beauty and attraction he seeks. Babbitt actually immediately focuses on her age, thinking that "[s]ought to be forty or forty-two, but he thought her younger" (269) and continues the description of her body and face in an exhilarating tone (269-70 ), implying that Tanis meets Babbitt's first requirement of the ideal woman In addition to her physical appearance, Tanis also offers Babbitt the chemistry he desired. When they spend an evening together, they continue to agree on every topic: the weather, the ban, art, young modern girls and so on (308) Tanis makes up for the understanding that Myra does not provide Babbitt and realizes this once that Tanis is gone when he says, “I thought I was so smart and independent, that I would shut out Tanis. , and I need her, Lord, how much I need her! . Myra simply cannot understand that all she sees in life is moving forward being just like other people. " (358), moreover, the admiration that Babbitt expects from the ideal woman is also part of the qualities of Tanis, who has never spared compliments towards Babbitt, nor regarding his questionable skills in driving and dancing ( 270-71) knowledge in DIY (307) and so on. Overall, Tanis's personality and appearance seem to closely resemble that of the child fairy and, consequently, the ideal woman that Babbitt is looking for he believes in when he says: “I found it! I've dreamed of it all these years and now I've found it!” (316). However, being a manirresolute, Babbitt is still not satisfied with his relationship with Tanis, in fact, later in the story, when she telephones him in his office, he realizes that he is annoyed by such a request for attention and begins to do so. they feel trapped in their relationship and he finally ends their relationship after many contradictory thoughts and once he does, even though he is not entirely convinced to let her go, he is overcome by a feeling of relief and freedom (349). Therefore, despite all of her characteristics resembling those of the fairy child, Tanis cannot provide complete satisfaction to Babbitt because she lacks the ability to provide Babbitt with the freedom he expects from his ideal woman. Babbitt also fails to build successful relationships with other women due to his way of behaving. In fact, due to Tanis and Myra's inability to satisfy Babbitt's need for freedom, the protagonist desperately initiates a kind of rebellious behavior. sentimental. This amorous revolt is illustrated throughout the book when he tries, in vain, to seduce or impress some of his acquaintances. What prevents Babbitt from having a successful relationship here is not his lack of expected qualities, but his behavior towards women. A similar process actually applies to each of his attempts to seduce a woman. First of all, whether it is Miss McGoun, Louetta Swanson or the manicurist Ida Putiak, Babbitt finds in each of these women a particularity that does not leave him indifferent. For example, he mentions Ida Putiak as "[the] girl who particularly disturbed him" (273) or even associates Miss McGoun and Louetta Swanson with the fairy child, his ultimate ideal. Next, he tries to seduce the girl in question and since she does not respond positively to his advances, he usually becomes too insistent, fails badly and eventually accumulates frustration. With Miss McGoun, Babbitt repeatedly tries to become more private with her, but each time the conversation returns to the professional level. Disappointed, he convinces himself that he “knew there was nothing to be done” (265) but his detachment is betrayed when he recognizes that he misses her when she is absent (357). As for Louetta Swanson, at Babbitt's dinner, sitting next to her, the protagonist begins with a flattering description of her (126). He then compliments her on her looks and proceeds to openly flirt with her in front of his friends and wife. Later in the story, when invited by the Swansons, he insists on helping Louetta, holds her hand, sits next to her, and even has “the belief that they have always had a romantic attraction to each other” (266 ). He continues to flirt with her until she rejects him. At that moment, Babbitt changes his attitude and, full of frustration, claims that he never wanted anything from her and childishly avoids her for the rest of the night (268). The same process repeatedly applies to other women to whom he makes sexual advances, such as Ida Putiak. Although Babbitt criticizes men who "cool off with [her]" (276), he does exactly the same by inviting her to dinner only minutes after he learns her name (277-78) and when he taxis home after their one evening together, he becomes too insistent towards Ida with his “hungry hands”, begging her not to interrupt their kisses (279). Babbitt ends up once again "cold with failure" (280) and once again full of frustration. It is not very surprising that Babbitt is unhappy with his relationships since the same doomed process applies repeatedly. As long as he continues to behave in the same way, getting emotional and therefore insisting too much towards his recipient, he will never be able to build a successful and satisfying relationship. George F. Babbitt appears throughout the story as a man, 2003.