Character Analysis
Howard Littlefield is one of George F. Babbitt's respectable neighbors. He also happens to be a really smart dude when it comes to facts and figures… and when it comes to getting facts and figures to support his particular conservative point of view. As the narrator says when introducing him:
Littlefield was the Great Scholar of the neighborhood; the authority on everything in the world except babies, cooking, and motors. (3.1.5)
And as we learn early in our meeting with Littlefield,
He could, on ten hours' notice, appear before the board of aldermen or the state legislature and prove, absolutely, with figures all in rows and with precedents from Poland and New Zealand, that the street-car company loved the Public and yearned over its employees. (3.1.5)
Of course, this skill makes him a pretty big star among his conservative friends. After all, who doesn't like to be reassured that their views are the right ones? Also, he's probably an awesome Trivial Pursuit partner.
Howard's Timeline