What was Sinclair Lewis's main critique of American society?
My central thesis, if you can call it that, was the perilous disconnect between our grand pronouncements of freedom and individuality, and the crushing reality of conformity. We preached the 'American Dream,' yet so many were caught in the gears of 'keeping up appearances,' trapped in the narrow vision of their hometowns or their professional guilds. Look at George Babbitt, a man so desperate to belong he lost himself entirely. I saw a profound hypocrisy in our worship of success, our tendency to equate a full wallet with a full soul. The real tragedy was the silencing of authentic voices in favor of the loudest, most agreeable opinions of the crowd.
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