Sinclair Lewis

Babbitt turns the spotlight on middle America and strips bare the hypocrisy of business practice, social mores, politics, and religious institutions. In his introduction and notes Gordon Hutner explores the novel's historical and literary contexts, and highlights its rich cultural and social references. --from publisher description

In the beginning of the story we meet our "Mr. Wrenn" a very mild, very ordinary American clerk. Mr. Wrenn was the sales-entry clerk of the Souvenir Company. He is described as "a meek little bachelor-a person of inconspicuous blue ready-made suits, and a small unsuccessful mustache, who was always bending over bills and columns of figures at a desk behind the stock room."Mr. Wrenn is not happy with his life; he does not want to work for the Souvenir...

Describes the lonely predicament of Carol Kennicott, who is caught between her desires for social reform and individual happiness. Her dilemma is intensified by the fact that she lives in a small, self-satisfied, midwestern town.

After a family member tragically falls ill, Una Golden was forced to move from Pennsylvania to New York in order to get a job to help support her family. Set in the early 1900s, going to the big city as a single woman was daunting and unconventional, but Una is dedicated to helping her family. After diligently job searching and excelling in additional training and education, Una discovers that she has the skills to be a talented commercial real estate...