Who Ted Babbitt is
Ted Babbitt is the bright, restless son of George F. Babbitt, a real estate broker in Zenith. He belongs to a household where his father often lectures the children about how life works.
Ted's interests center on machines and movies rather than the schooling his father values. His enthusiasm for tinkering with engines gives a clear shape to the difference between them.
What Ted Babbitt wants
Ted wants to make his own choices, while his father has college plans for him. He resists school and has little patience for the future his father imagines.
That disagreement brings the novel's concern with conformity into the Babbitt home. Ted's wishes do not simply match the expectations of a father who believes he knows what is best.
Ted Babbitt and the others in the story
Ted's resistance is part of a wider distance between the generations in the family.
Questions
Who is Ted Babbitt?
Ted is George F. Babbitt's son, a bright young person drawn to machines and movies.
What does Ted Babbitt want?
He wants to choose his own direction rather than simply follow his father's plans for college.
How does Ted relate to his father?
Ted resists his father's expectations about education. Their disagreement shows the limits of George's authority within his own family.