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The Man In The Grey Fllannel Suit Analysis

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Review: The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit Sloan Wilson’s novel, The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit, takes place in post-WWII America, in the idyllic setting of the 1950s. The main protagonist, Tom Roth, lives with his wife Betsy in Connecticut with their three children. Their home is rundown and they have money problems. Tom, a veteran of the war, works at a charitable organization in New York City, and is often haunted by flashbacks of his experiences in the war. The plot of the novel takes off when Tom applies for and gets a new job working for the United Broadcasting Corporation. His boss, Ralph Hopkins, is the top man at the network and is working on a proposal to establish national mental health services. His proposal is to be given to a group of doctors, and Tom’s job is to write the presentation for the doctors. Ralph rejects five out of six drafts Tom submits, and while Tom’s work is challenging, he is able to see the toll that a high-pressure job takes on Ralph. In the end, he decides not to pursue a more prestigious job and instead wants to focus on his wife and children. There are many factors at play in the novel which make it very satisfying to read. The book gives a strong depiction of middle-class 1950s life for the average American family; this time period is often reflected upon with nostalgia as a peaceful, prosperous decade, but the reality shows the discontent through which Tom and others like him view their lives. Tom

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