Babbitt | Babbitt as Veblenian Critique of Manliness
In the following essay, Eby explores parallels between Babbitt and the ideas of social critic Thorstein Veblen, focusing specifically on Veblen’s critique of manliness.
“The well-worn paths are easy to follow and lead into good company.”
—Thorstein Veblen, The Place of Science in Modern Civilization
The significance of Thorstein Veblen to American literary realism and, more widely, to the early twentieth century intellectual climate has been often noted. The “dean” of American realism, William Dean Howells, wrote one of the reviews of The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) which launched Veblen’s reputation, significantly titled “An Opportunity for American Fiction.” Veblen scholars...
[The entire page is 6828 words long]
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