# Chapter XIX explained — Babbitt

> Chapter companion for Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.

## What happens

Babbitt successfully closes a major real estate deal with the Street Traction Company, but faces a crisis when he discovers his employee Stanley Graff has acted dishonestly. In Chicago, he encounters Paul Riesling with another woman, then spends an evening with Sir Gerald Doak.

## Themes in this chapter

### Business and American Capitalism

The Street Traction Company deal highlights the corruption and self-dealing in American business, with Babbitt and Thompson profiting through secret loans and options.

### Hypocrisy and Social Pretense

Babbitt's encounter with Paul Riesling and his later pretense with Sir Gerald Doak reveal the gap between public respectability and private behavior.

## Character check-ins

### George F. Babbitt

Closes a lucrative real estate deal, confronts Stanley Graff's dishonesty, and in Chicago discovers Paul Riesling with another woman before befriending Sir Gerald Doak.

### Paul Riesling

Found in Chicago with a woman named May Arnold, lying to Babbitt about being in Akron; his behavior disturbs Babbitt.

### Sir Gerald Doak

Lonely in Chicago, he bonds with Babbitt over a movie and drinks, discussing business conditions.

### Stanley Graff

Dishonest employee who steals a signed lease from a client, leading to a confrontation with Babbitt.

### Henry T. Thompson

Babbitt's partner in the real estate deal, advocates for self-dealing in the Street Traction Company transaction.

### William Washington Eathorne

Provides a secret loan to Babbitt and Thompson to finance their personal holdings in the deal.

## Key lines

> Carbon copies of the correspondence are in the company’s files, where they may be viewed by any public commission.

The records of the deal are kept in the company's files and are available for public inspection.

_Sarcastic commentary on the transparency of the corrupt deal._

> It ain't. It's triple-crossing. It's the public that gets double-crossed.

It's not double-crossing; it's triple-crossing, because the public is the one being cheated.

_Henry Thompson cynically justifies their self-dealing at the public's expense._

> He seemed kind and insignificant, and as lonely as Babbitt himself.

Sir Gerald Doak appeared gentle and unremarkable, sharing Babbitt's sense of isolation.

_Babbitt projects his own loneliness onto Sir Gerald._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/babbitt_se/chapters/chapter-xix
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/babbitt_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/babbitt_se/chapters