The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit

Essay by randy555College, UndergraduateA, June 2009

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Table of contentsIntroduction……………………………………………………………………2Analysis………………………………………………………………………..2Conclusion………………………………………………………………..……4Work cited …………………………………………………………………….5The man in the grey flannel suit by Sloan Wilson is a novel based on a family living in a rundown house in Connecticut. A family of five, the father is a World War II veteran, the wife is a stay-at home mother and the three children are forever watching television. As a public relations officer in a television based company, Tom Rath's job is to get national mental health services approved by a group of physicians. The novel is considered one of the best written about the World War II lifestyle (D.R.Peak) The novel revolves around the characters struggle to find appeasement in a chaotic and material culture. The center of this novel revolves around the theme of an American Dream. The novel talks of the freedom of every United States citizen and resident to achieve their goals through hard work and free choice.

As written by James Adams, America is the land in which life should be fuller and richer for everyone, depending on their ability and achievement (1931).

The American dream in the point of view of the Rath family is nover only about making a pleasant life to their family but can barely make ends meet. The Rath family is alwas very unsatisfied with their life, referring to it as "a thousand petty shabinesses." When Tom returns his wife Betsy wants a better life and future. She wants her husband to be the person he was before the war and is annoyed at mundane trivialities of life "Barbara's got the chicken pox and the washing machine broke down."Despite serving his country, Tom Rath finds himself unsuccessful as far as the real world is concerned. His Harvard degree is of little consequence as his education is shunned. To keep his wife happy...