On Deconstruction Inclination In Babbitt

Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951) is one of the greatest American writers in American literature, and the most brilliant pioneer who initiates a new and special era of literature when America comes to maturity. In every of his works, there is a specially satirical object such as the society of American small towns in Main Street, the commercial circle in Babbitt, the scientific circle in Arrowsmith, and the religious circle in Elmer Gantry,etc. He assimilates nutriment and accumulates a large quantity of materials from his long-term journalistic career. Those satirized in his novels are unique for the abundance of the detailed depiction of some pervasive standardizations, principles and values, to some extent exaggerated, the speech and the behaviors of America's middle class in 1920s along with the mental attitude of the era finds expression in his writing. Babbitt (1922) being considered as the peak of his literary creation, it is not deniable that Lewis's seeming success in identifying and portraying emotions, challenges, and concerns remains relatively visible over time, with which modern readers-especially white-collar workers and professionals, housewives left in the dust, and middle-aged representatives of American middle class-seem to easily identify themselves. The main character, George. F.Babbitt in Babbitt has become a prototype that feels he finds mercy at the hand of these commandments of business morals and therefore lives in complete harmony with both himself and society, but things are always the other way round. All the above-mentioned factors are derived from Lewis's understanding of the violence of Zenith and the awareness of the appalling cruelty, emptiness and hypocrisy in the deep hearts of most well-fed Americans who are distorted and alienated by the human civilization shaped by sophisticated industry. What Sinclair Lewis wants to base his satire on is the unreasonableness of institutions which has determined all representatives of false ideas. It is Babbitt's progressive spirit and the enchantment of optimism that endows him the chance to psychologically and spiritually escape from the domination of Zenith and to find himself refreshed in nature, in other words, seeking for hopes in the formerly restrained margin.The paper makes a comprehensive analysis of the spirit of the time, the problem of the society and the possibility to mediate the conflicts on top of logocentrism and to find relief for the consequentially spiritual agonies. As a significant philosophy that can trace its roots in 1920s exploring the anti-rationalism, either existentialism or deconstruction has become the approach to the theme of the article. Although existentialism does not directly provide the ways to reconcile tons of contradictions and conflicts, it does attach great importance to the significance of individuals as self-existence which has been proven to be absurd due to such a standardized society. Furthermore, existentialism emits some deconstruction characteristics such as the reversion of essence over existence and collectivism over individualism, etc. By depicting Babbitt's self-existence as absurdity and pinpointing the absolute freedom that sheds a gleam of hope to Babbitt's tragic life, the origin of Babbitt's spiritual agonies exposes itself-the logocentrism that has been permeating in western traditional metaphysics. Therefore, Sinclair Lewis starts to turn to the philosophical strategy similar to deconstruction in order to subvert a series of hierarchies, to show a general supplement or displacement system and to prove the arche or origin as presence to be absence, trace and differance. A great writer who has keenly sensed the instabilities of the American society in 1920s, Sinclair Lewis makes good use of the methods similar to those of existentialism and Derrida's deconstruction, which renders his novel, Babbitt, a great literary work. Babbitt can be compared to a book of prophecy which predicts the changes of people's mode of thinking and thoughts, the course of western philosophy and people's aspiration to a non-hierarchical and pluralistic world over which there is no absolute authority.The thesis is composed of introduction, main body and conclusion.The introduction briefs the life experience of the author, Sinclair Lewis, the circumstances of his creation of Babbitt and his literary works. One of his masterpieces, Babbitt, is given priority. The style of his works, the status in quo of research on the novel home and abroad and the practical significance of the article are also presented. From the perspective of deconstruction in the hope of drawing people's attention to current logocentrism of the modern world, Babbitt obtains its practical significance: deconstructing logocentrism in order to achieve a harmonious and pluralistic world and society.The main body includes four chapters:Chapterâ… , made of three parts, expands the theme of the novel in the light of Derrida's deconstruction theory. The first part is a brief introduction of the relationships among logocentrism, western metaphysics and arche. The second part presents a review of Derrida's deconstruction of western metaphysics- "arche", "differance" and "trace", which is used to serve as the basic theoretical approaches to the study of Babbitt. Deconstruction provides people with the strategy to think about the world as trace or differance and strengthen egalitarian and non-hierarchical inclination. The third part presents briefly how the deconstruction theory is used in Babbitt.Chapterâ…¡consists of six parts, presenting deconstruction inclination in Babbitt from the angle of existentialism that can be regarded as the product of subverting the basic elements in rationalism. The first part is a brief introduction of the deconstruction inclination in existentialism in terms of "I am, therefore I think" or "Existence Precedes Essence". The second part analyzes individualism over collectivism in Babbitt, which can be seen as a representation of deconstruction. The third part analyzes the source of Babbitt's psychological and spiritual discomforts, anguish and agonies due to constantly losing individualism in order to gain more material benefits in the novel based on the idea of "Existence Precedes Essence". The fourth part makes clear the absurd situation the characters are living in. Human beings search their meaning of existence in an absurd world and society. The fifth part initially analyzes how to avoid the tragic life in the absurd world, in other words, choosing the road not taken. The sixth part proves the importance of "absolute freedom" which can be seen as the motive power of deconstruction. Being free to make choices forms Babbitt's essence and makes him realize the absolute responsibilities behind "absolute freedom".Chapterâ…¢consists of three parts, concretely deconstructing three aspects:the deconstruction of Babbitt's self-consciousness from presence to absence; the deconstruction of the interpersonal relationship based on commercial totemism between Babbitt and others; and the deconstruction of Zenith as arche or the times and circumstance in which Babbitt is living based on subverting the binary opposition of the aspiration of social group over the individuals'desires.Chapterâ…¡and Chapterâ…¢are used to put forward the question of how to survive in the absurd world which is flooded with various representations of the violent arche and to analyze the same problem in the light of Derrida's deconstruction respectively.Therefore Chapterâ…£is used to solve the problem by turning to the help of Babbitt's Thoreauvian experience in Maine woods. Chapterâ…£focuses on the deconstruction of human civilization based on sophisticated industry, which involves three parts. The first part is about Thoreau's influence on Sinclair Lewis's life and works. The second part is about Babbitt's sentimental attachment to tobacco, which can be used as a bridge to link Babbitt and the supernatural power in nature, thus deconstructing human civilization over nature in the spiritual level. The last part is associated with Babbitt's concrete actions to Maine woods, thus proving the desire of shaking off the fetters of arche and pursuing the vast network of human civilization and nature or a state of "Heaven-and-Man Oneness".Conclusion summarizes the whole thesis, reiterates the deconstruction inclination in Babbitt and affirms the great importance of deconstructing logocentrism in modern society. Globalization has become a pervading tendency in modern society, however, reading Lewis's Babbitt from the deconstruction perspective makes us realize that economic prosperity can not solve all the problems either materially or spiritually we are facing today. It is the mutually beneficial co-operation, multilateralism and the inclusive spirit advocated by Derrida's deconstruction that can help us build a harmonious world and society in which we individuals can strive for our harmonious integration of material prosperity and spiritual soundness in the process of globalization.