Babbitt characters

Appears from the start

A prosperous middle-aged real-estate broker in Zenith who prides himself on modern conveniences, business loyalty, and respectable opinions. Beneath his practiced enthusiasm, George is restless, dissatisfied with his routine, and drawn to dreams of freedom he cannot clearly define.

Appears from the start

George's practical, patient wife, who manages their comfortable household and absorbs much of his casual complaining. Their marriage has settled into habit, but she remains attentive to him and to their children.

Also known as Ted

First appears in chapter 2

The Babbitts' college-age son, more interested in machines, cars, and immediate pleasure than in the professional future his father imagines for him.

First appears in chapter 2

George and Myra's older daughter, a serious young woman inclined toward education, public questions, and causes that her father regards with suspicion.

First appears in chapter 2

The youngest Babbitt child, a lively schoolgirl still largely outside the adult conflicts that unsettle the family.

First appears in chapter 5

George's closest friend, a sensitive roofing manufacturer whose love of music and the outdoors offers an alternative to Zenith's business culture. His unhappy marriage weighs heavily on him, and George feels protective of him.

First appears in chapter 5

Paul Riesling's sharp-tongued wife. She and Paul quarrel bitterly, and her resentment makes the Riesling home a place of constant strain.

First appears in chapter 7

A polished attorney and reform-minded local politician who questions Zenith's alliance of business, boosterism, and social conformity. George is intrigued by him even while publicly distancing himself from his views.

First appears in chapter 10

A wealthy Zenith businessman whose social standing attracts George and Myra. His reserved manner makes their attempt to enter his circle feel like a test of their own status.

First appears in chapter 11

One of George's regular companions in Zenith's business and club world. Loudly sociable and firmly conventional, he treats agreement with the city's respectable leaders as a measure of loyalty.

First appears in chapter 24

A fashionable widow whom George meets while seeking a life beyond his family and business routine. She presides over a loose circle that calls itself unconventional, and George is drawn to her sympathy and apparent independence.

First appears in chapter 27

Ted's energetic girlfriend, a young woman whose directness and modern habits make the older generation uneasy. She shares Ted's impatience with carefully planned respectability.