# Chapter X explained — Babbitt

> Chapter companion for Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.

## What happens

Babbitt and his companions dine at the Hotel Sedgwick's Moorish Grillroom, engaging in boisterous humor and drinking whisky from teacups. They mock an Italian waiter, read a burlesque advertisement aloud, and hesitate to leave the safety of the table. When they finally depart, they awkwardly tip the check-girl three dollars among themselves.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Social Pretense

The men's performative humor and anxiety about appearing drunk or ungentlemanly highlight their concern with social image.

### Conformity and Materialism

The group's collective behavior—drinking, joking, tipping—reflects a conformist social ritual among businessmen.

## Character check-ins

### George F. Babbitt

Participates in the dinner, reads the burlesque ad aloud, and joins in the tipping.

### Elbert Wing

Admires W. A. Rogers's mockery of the Italian waiter.

## Key lines

> Say, Gooseppy, I want a couple o' fried elephants' ears.

W. A. Rogers jokingly asks the Italian waiter for fried elephants' ears.

_Illustrates the casual ethnic mockery and group bonding through humor._

> They all drank whisky from teacups, and they were humorous, and never listened to one another.

The men drank whisky disguised in teacups, made jokes, and paid no attention to each other's conversation.

_Highlights the performative and superficial nature of their socializing._

## Links

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