Abstract: As the first American author to win the Nobel Prize in literature, “for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters.”(Wikipedia) Sinclair Lewis is regarded as one of the most important writers in American literature. In his award-winning work Babbitt, he successfully builds the image of philistine with his unique insight and adept use of language. The thesis tempts to analyze Babbitt’s unique character from the contradiction between reality and ideality. The weakness of his character, the pressure of the external world and the environment of the whole American society result in the great change of his character, which is exactly the reason why Babbitt has a tragic life. This paper aims to analyze Babbitt’s character and the causes of its formation.
Key Words: character; change; rebellion; resignation
摘要：辛克莱·刘易斯在1930年以“描述的刚健有力、栩栩如生和机智幽默创造新型性格的才能”而成为美国荣膺诺贝尔文学奖的第一人，被认为是美国文学上最重要的作家。在他的获奖作品《巴比特》中，他以其独特的洞察力和对语言的熟练运用成功地塑造了一个市侩形象。本文力图从巴比特对现实和理想的矛盾分析他特有的性格。正是因为他性格的弱点，以及外界的压力和美国整体社会环境的影响，导致了巴比特性格的巨大转变和悲剧的人生。旨在分析巴比特的性格以及性格形成的具体原因。
关键词：性格；转变；反叛；妥协
