Babbitt · Chapter
Chapter XXVII explained
A strike in Zenith divides the city into hostile camps.
What happens
A strike in Zenith divides the city into hostile camps. Babbitt initially supports the conservative view but begins to waver, expressing liberal sentiments that alienate his friends at the Athletic Club. He attends a sermon by Dr. Drew that he dismisses as meaningless, and later watches a strikers' parade, feeling sympathy for the marchers. His public doubts and criticisms cause tension with his peers, especially Virgil Gunch and Clarence Drum.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Social Pretense
Babbitt's public stance shifts from supporting the conservative line to expressing liberal views, but he quickly backtracks when confronted by his peers, revealing the pressure to conform to social expectations.
Business and American Capitalism
The strike is framed as a battle between 'sound business' and labor, with business leaders like Colonel Nixon and Captain Drum advocating for property rights and suppression of workers.
Religion as Social Institution
Dr. Drew's sermon uses Christian rhetoric to justify the status quo and oppose labor reforms, illustrating how religion is co-opted to support capitalist interests.
Characters to notice
- George F. Babbitt
Babbitt experiences growing unease about the strike, publicly criticizes Dr. Drew's sermon, and expresses sympathy for the strikers, causing friction with his friends.
- Virgil Gunch
Gunch silently watches Babbitt with stern disapproval after Babbitt's comments about the strikers, and later is seen talking with Chum Frink about Babbitt's behavior.
- Clarence Drum
Drum, a shoe merchant turned militia captain, aggressively advocates for violent suppression of strikers and confronts Babbitt after Babbitt questions his methods.
- Chum Frink
Frink expresses hope that Dr. Drew will condemn the strikers, and later looks at Babbitt doubtfully after Babbitt criticizes the sermon.
- Seneca Doane
Doane is seen marching with the strikers, smiling and content, which surprises Babbitt and makes him reconsider his views.
- Rev. Dr. John Jennison Drew
Dr. Drew delivers a sermon on strikes that Babbitt finds meaningless, dismissing it as 'rot'.
Key passages
“The militiamen were turning the parade down a side street. “They got just as much right to march as anybody else! They own the streets as much as Clarence Drum or the American Legion does!” Babbitt grumbled. “Of course, they’re—they’re a bad element, but—Oh, rats!””
Babbitt mutters that the strikers have as much right to march as anyone, though he still considers them a bad element.
Shows Babbitt's internal conflict between his ingrained prejudices and his emerging sympathy for the strikers.
““I don’t know what the world’s coming to,” or solaced their spirits with “kidding.””
The men at the Athletic Club express anxiety about social change and use humor to cope.
Reflects the general unease among the business class during the strike.
““Oh, we got ’em stopped. We worked ’em off on side streets and separated ’em and they got discouraged and went home.” “Fine work. No violence.” “Fine work nothing!” groaned Mr. Drum. “If I had my way, there’d be a whole lot of violence, and I’d start it, and then the whole thing would be over.””
Clarence Drum boasts about dispersing the strikers but wishes he could use violence to end the strike more decisively.
Highlights the aggressive, punitive attitude of some authority figures toward labor unrest.
““What is not generally understood is that this whole industrial matter isn’t a question of economics. It’s essentially and only a matter of Love, and of the practical application of the Christian religion!””
Dr. Drew argues that strikes are not economic issues but spiritual ones, solvable through Christian love.
Illustrates the use of religious rhetoric to dismiss structural economic grievances.
