Thursday, December 19, 2019

Sinclair Lewis and Babbitt - 2178 Words

Sinclair Lewis and Babbitt The book under analysis herein is Sinclair Lewis Babbitt. The copy I am using in this research is published by Harcourt, Brace World, Inc., New York, 1950. The original version was published in 1922, but there is no information in this book regarding what printing or edition it may be. This edition encompasses thirty four chapters which span 401 pages in length as they are printed here. One interesting note is that the novel is dedicated to Edith Wharton. The author of the work, Sinclair Lewis, was born in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, and holds the distinction of being the first American ever to be awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. Lewis was born in the late 19th century and lived†¦show more content†¦If we look at specific passages from the novel, it is easy to see the authors contention as described above. While he does temporarily decide to fight the limiting influences of a material society that ostracizes individuality opposed to its established norms, Babbitt does revert back to his unquestioning superficial self once he recognizes that having original thoughts and acting on them is isolating, unprofitable and even dangerous. Babbitt is supposed to represent the ordinary human being, the average businessman and upwardly mobile middle-class America. However, Babbitt seems more artifice than genuine human being. Like the ads that sell Americans products, Babbitt has forged an identity that was imposed on him by the dominant forces of democratic capitalism, Just as he was an Elk, a Booster, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, just as the priests of the Presbyterian Church determined his every religious belief, and the senators who controlled the Republican Part decided in little smoky rooms in Washington what he should think about disarmament, tariffs, and Germany, so did the large national advertisers fix the surface of his life, fix what he believed to be his individuality. These standard advertised wares...at first the signs, then the substitutes, for joy and passion and wisdom (Lewis 95). However, for all his satire of Babbitt, Lewis, in keeping with his own character, seems somewhatShow MoreRelatedEssay about George Babbitt of Sinclair Lewis Babbitt1593 Words   |  7 PagesGeorge Babbitt: Image of a Presbyterian         Ã‚  Ã‚  In Babbitt, Sinclair Lewis portrays religion as a corrupt business.   In fact, he emphasizes this by focusing on his main character George Babbitt.   George Babbitt is characterized as a businessman in Zenith.   He is a man preoccupied about his reputation and his image before the main leaders of the town he lives in.   Lewis creates a hypocritical figure for Babbitt through his reasons for being a Presbyterian.   He says that if you were to questionRead MoreKey Elements in Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt Essay1078 Words   |  5 PagesSinclair Lewis, the author of Babbitt, devised several key literary elements to explain his full effect and purpose for writing his novel. Babbitt is a satirist look, at not only one man, but an entire society as well. He exposes the hypocrisy and mechanization of American society in the 1920’s. In the story Lewis focuses on his main character George Babbitt, the protagonist throughout much of the book, who is a busines s with lofty aims and a desire to climb the ladder of the social class. To fullyRead More Comparing Satire in Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis and The Simpsons2063 Words   |  9 PagesThe Power of Satire in Babbitt and The Simpsons      Ã‚   Sinclair Lewis used his writing to promote the enrichment of American society by attacking the weaknesses he perceived in his era.   His most notable work, Babbitt, is a satire on the middle class lifestyle and attitude of the 1920s.   Lewis satirical style and voice is comparable to the modern television series The Simpsons, written by Matt Groening.   Babbitt and The Simpsons contain numerous similarities in satirical writing, presentationRead More Teen Conformity in Sinclair Lewis Babbitt and in Society Today3030 Words   |  13 PagesTeen Conformity in Babbitt and in Society Today      Ã‚   In society today, people feel the need to belong. They feel as though they have to be a part of something in order to feel special. At times, they will go so far as to lose their individuality and submit themselves into complete ignorance just to be able to know that there is someone or something to which they can always fall back on. Conformity is one of the most common and most apparent forms of Babbittry in the twenty - first centuryRead MoreEssay about The Republican Party in Sinclair Lewis Babbitt1840 Words   |  8 PagesThe Republican Party in Sinclair Lewis Babbitt      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sinclair Lewis Babbitt portrayed a man bent on following his political party; his actions seemingly followed that religiously, and todays version of the Republican Party is proof that we are not too far off from Lewis version, despite the expanse of time. George Babbitt, the main character in Lewis novel, viewed the world in the eyes of a businessman. He saw immigrants as a waste to society, business and the means to surviveRead More Superiority of Races in Sinclair Lewis Babbitt Essay example2147 Words   |  9 PagesSuperiority of Races in Babbit      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hatred, intolerance, prejudice, and narrow-mindedness are all terms that can be applied when describing someone who is a bigot.   By these terms George F. Babbitt, the protagonist in Sinclair Lewis Babbitt, and many of his acquaintances are quite the bigots toward all those that appear different than he is especially immigrants and minorities in America.   The blame should not be placed squarely on these mens shoulders for possessing such hateRead More Babbit Essay1088 Words   |  5 PagesBabbit The depressing tragedy known as Babbitt, by Lewis Sinclair, accurately portrays the convention of life in the 1920’s. Sinclair precisely evokes the conformity and orthodox life styles that shaped a growing culture. Man, in the 1920’s, is caught in a lifestyle where he is continually fed on what to think. Lewis cunningly explains the constraints of convention that plagued George Babbitt, and mocks society as a whole for its lack of liberal views. Babbitt throughout the novel seems to be trappedRead More Babbit by Sinclair Lewis Essays1737 Words   |  7 Pages Babbitt: Conformity In the Sinclair Lewis novel Babbitt, the character of Babbitt is completely controlled by the power of conformity. Conformity is so powerful that even after babbitt realizes the stifling nature of the society in which he lives he is powerless to change his fate as a member of conformist society. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;George F. Babbitt is a man who is completely controlled by the conformist society in which he lives. Pressure to conform lies in all aspects of BabbittsRead More Conspicuous Consumption in Sinclair Lewis Babbit Essay1941 Words   |  8 PagesConspicuous Consumption in Sinclair Lewis Babbit      Ã‚   The idea of conspicuous consumption, or buying unnecessary items to show ones wealth, can be seen in Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.   Lewis describes the main character of the book, George F. Babbitt, as a person who has his values and priorities all mixed up.   Babbitt buys the most expensive and modern material goods just to make himself happy and make people around his aware of his status.   He is more concerned about these items thanRead MoreOf Social Conformity In Ernest Hemingways The Sun Also Rises And Babbitt1582 Words   |  7 PagesConformity: The Sun Also Rises and Babbitt Conformity can be understood as the adjusting self as per accepted standards while social conformity, in particular, refers to that adjustment made by a person to fit in the prevailing nature of a particular group. In this understanding, social compliance can be the changing of one’s behavior and other actions to reflect those of a social group, family, friends or community in general. In the two books, The Sun Also Rises and Babbitt, social conformity takes places

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Financial Crisis 1997 Impact to Malaysia free essay sample

Thillainathan; and Ms Rosliza Musa for the graphic presentations in this paper. The usual disclaimers apply. Chapter present financial crisis is very different from the one Malaysia experienced in 1998. In 1998, Malaysia suffered a contraction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth due to the Asian financial crisis which originated from Thailand. In contrast, the present crisis did not start in Asia or Malaysia but is due to the weaknesses in the United States financial industry which escalated into a severe international financial crisis and deep slump in global trade and global recession by late 2008. The world? major economies, in particular the US, the European countries and Japan, are experiencing the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Being a small open and export-dependent economy, Malaysia has not been spared from this external shock. The negative shock was transmitted to the Malaysian economy in the fourth quarter of 2008. Exports and industr ial output deteriorated and investments declined. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Crisis 1997 Impact to Malaysia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Consumer sentiment was also adversely affected. As a result, GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2008 was significantly lower at 0. 1% compared with an average of 5. 9% in the first nine months of the year. It is fortunate that Malaysian banks have negligible exposure to securities linked to US subprime loans, and Malaysia? s financial institutions and banks are in a better shape today than they were during the Asian financial crisis. 1 However, prominent local economists 1 Bank Negara Malaysia Annual Report 2008. 1 forecast that though Malaysia may not witness sharp downturns as compared with that of 1998, this may be a longer recession than the one in 1998. 2 This paper intends to examine the impact of this global financial crisis on the Malaysian real economy sector and discuss the policy implications for the economy. Chapter 2 presents an overview of the Malaysian economy after the Asian financial crisis (AFC). This chapter shows that after the AFC, Malaysia became more export-dependent, with the external sector overtaking private investments as the main driver of growth in GDP. Private investments, both domestic and foreign, declined in the aftermath of the AFC. Despite the government? s continued efforts to provide new investment incentives to a broad range of industries, investment as a percentage of GDP has not returned to its pre-crisis level. Chapter 3 identifies the channels through which the current global crisis affected Malaysia. There are two key channels through which the US financial crisis has been transmitted to Malaysia, namely, the trade channel and the finance channel. This chapter also shows how the global crisis is then transmitted to the Malaysian real economy, leading to a fall in consumer spending, job losses and a fall in the country? s income. Chapter 4 describes the government policies adopted in response to this global crisis. Chapter 5 provides concluding remarks and policy implications. 2 StarBizWeek, roundtable discussion on the impact of the global crisis on Malaysia, 28 February 2009.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Technology And Television Child Obesity Essays - Obesity

Technology And Television: Child Obesity Technology and Television: Child Obesity The children of today are becoming more obese, for the fact that they are obtaining laziness. They are spending more time in front of the television then they are getting their daily exercise. Their growing bodies need exercise to lose baby fat before it gets to be a serious problem. The growth of technology has formed a major impact on the obesity of todays children. This technology has substituted normal childhood play exercises with computer games that take less physical effort. Because of technology in today's society the problem with child obesity has become tremendously intensified. First, what is child obesity? The term child obesity means a child is a person between birth and puberty and obese is extremely fat: corpulent(The American Heritage Dictionary 265,856). This disease is caused due to a lack of exercise and over-eating by a child. Child obesity can cause many medical problems for a child that suffers from such a disease. Obesty is a widespread disease that is growing incredibly worse as technology increases. Furthermore, it is obvious that the lack of exercise has a major part to do with child obesity; scientists blame the television for a substitute to outdoor sports. Kids are spending more time watch television than they are doing physical activities. The findings strongly support the notion that the most important lifestyle factor in childhood obesity is television watching(Monmaney). The television brings the childs imagination to life, giving them entertainment to do without the running and exercising of outdoor sports. The more television a child watches the more obese the child will get. Next, the problem is getting so out of hand that the government is going to have to start getting involved. Satcher and Shirley Watkins, the undersecretary of agriculture for food, nutrition and consumer services said that, 'TV increases obesity, stifles creativity and shortens attention spans among young people' (Bauder). This is their reason for joining the campaign for a TV-Free America. It is estimated that an obese child watches an average of four hours and nine minutes of television each day. That is four hours that a child could be bonding with their family or taking action in some physical activity. Thus, problem with child obesity starts as young as infancy. If the child's parents do not stress exercise the child will find an alternative way to occupy their time. For example, playing a game cartridge rather than shooting hoops or flying a kite. The game cartridge provides cheap entertainment with very little fitness involved. Ross Andersen recommends that parents find alternatives to watching television for their children (Joseph). A parent should do anything possible to get their kids away from the television. Ether by making daily plans with timed intervals limiting the amount of television the child can watch or signing them up for YMCA sport activities. Even if the parent has a busy work schedule, make time to benefit the child. Although, there are numerous amounts of prescription drugs for child obesity, the side affects are too risky for the younger child. The easiest way to solve this well-known disease is by stopping the problem before it starts. If you can intervene with overweight children before they are fully grown, you can often help them grow into their weight and prevent them from becoming overweight adults. Some overweight children dont need to lose weight as much as they need to gain weight at a slower rate. (Discroll) Moving on, some children do not need to lose weight, but need help growing into the weight they already have. They can use help to slow the rate at which they gain weight, making it easier for them to grow into it. Plus, the health risk faced by children with the disease of child obesity is immense. More than 70 percent of all cases persist into adulthood(Mellin). Obesity during adult years is associated with increased rates of diseases such as hyperinsulinemia, coronary heart disease, angina, atherosclerosis, various cancers, orthopedic problems, and gout along with many other short-term and psychosocial consequences of obesity in children. Thus, with the technology in todays society the problem with child obesity has largely intensified. The management of obesity and overweight in children is an