Babbitt Lesson Plan

What does Lewis imply by juxtaposing a grand, massive description of Zenith with George Babbitt, in whom there is “nothing of the giant”?

One of Babbitt’s recurring themes is the notion that George Babbitt himself is insignificant and ineffectual, although he makes an effort to see himself differently. He is a pink, plump man, caught in inaction, while Zenith itself is streamlined and bustling. His life is banal, completely un-transcendent in the shadow of Zenith: even his dream of the magical fairy girl is cut short by the sound of the milk truck. Before learning anything about Babbitt’s life, we come to understand that it is surely not what he wants for himself.