Final answer:
The novel from the options provided that satirizes the American middle class is 'Babbitt' by Sinclair Lewis. F. Scott Fitzgerald's works such as 'The Great Gatsby' focus more on the wealthy, whereas 'Babbitt' specifically targets middle-class conformity and materialism. Therefore, the correct option is D.
Step-by-step explanation:
Which Novel Satirizes American Middle Class Conformity?
The novel that satirizes the conformity of the American middle class from the offered options is D. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis. While F. Scott Fitzgerald's works, including The Great Gatsby, are sophisticated social satires, they are more focused on the rich and famous rather than the middle class. Fitzgerald's books like The Great Gatsby and This Side of Paradise delve into themes of disillusionment with the American Dream and the hedonistic pursuit of pleasure.
On the other hand, Babbitt, published in 1922, directly targets the middle class and their rampant materialism and conformity. Sinclair Lewis's novel presents George F. Babbitt, a real-estate agent in the fictional city of Zenith, who becomes discontent with the mediocrity and uniformity of middle-class life.
While novels like This Side of Paradise and The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway, a contemporary of Fitzgerald, offer their own critiques on post-World War I society, it is Babbitt that stands out as a direct satire on middle-class aspirations and behaviors.