History
271
Devine
Spring
2013
Sloan
Wilson, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
The
following study questions should not only help you prepare for the quiz and
discussion of Wilson’s novel, but also aid you in thinking about the book’s
themes. Wilson’s work was both popular and critically acclaimed when first
published in 1955. It continues to this day to contribute to our understanding
of white, middle class life in the 1950s.
Broader
Thematic Questions
1. Is
this a book about conformity?
Nonconformity? Are Tom and Betsy Rath
conformists or are they struggling against conformity?
2. Why
is there such strain and even hostility between Tom and Betsy for much of the
story? How are they able to overcome the
difficulties in their relationship?
3. Is
Betsy a supportive wife? Is she
ambitious? Too ambitious? Is she wrong to criticize what she sees as
Tom’s lack of purpose or drive?
4. To
what extent does Betsy conform to the stereotype of the 1950s housewife? To what extent does she challenge
preconceptions about the dutiful and doting wife that we associate with the
1950s? Is she a stronger person than Tom?
5. Is
Tom a responsible provider? Is he too
cautious and risk averse? Too self-involved?
6. How
do Tom’s experiences in the war – beyond the fact that he fathers an
illegitimate son – drive a wedge between him and Betsy? Why is it difficult for Tom to transition
from wartime soldier to suburban husband and father?
7. Why
aren’t Tom and Betsy happy on Greentree Avenue?
Living in the suburbs was supposed to be the fulfillment of the American Dream. Why does it seem more like a nightmare for
them?
8. Tom,
Ogden, and Hopkins represent three types of men working in corporate America
during the 1950s. What traits seem to differentiate them? How does each think about or approach his
career?
9. Tom
and Hopkins represent different generations. How do their values differ? Are
men like Tom living off the success and hard work of men like Hopkins?
10.
Why is Hopkins’s family life so
unsatisfying? Who or what is to
blame? How would you compare his family
life and his marriage to Tom’s?
11.
Throughout the novel, Tom struggles to
write a speech about mental health. Why
might one argue that the book itself is about achieving better mental health?
12.
What light does this novel shed on
daily life during the 1950s? How does it
enable a reader in 2013 to better understand the people who lived during this
period? How does it supplement what one
might learn about this era simply by reading a history text book?
13.
What aspects of this book are unique
to the 1950s? What aspects seem timeless
– that is, just as relevant today as they were 60 years ago?
Study
Questions
The quiz questions will be drawn from the questions
below, so as you read, jot down the answer(s) to each question and you will be
well-prepared for the quiz.
10.
Why is Tom writing a speech for Mr. Hopkins?
What purpose is the speech supposed to serve?
11. How
does Betsy react to the news that he has landed the job at UBS?
12. How
does Hopkins react to each draft of the speech Tom is writing? How would you characterize Hopkins’
managerial style?
13.
What kind of a man is Ogden?
14. What
is the phrase Tom always says to himself in times of stress? What might it
suggest about his character?
15. In
what ways does Edward complicate Tom and Betsy’s lives?
16. Does
Judge Bernstein seem well suited to be a judge?
How does he help Tom and Betsy?
17. What
bombshell does Caesar deliver to Tom the first time they go to lunch together?
18. Who
is Tony Bugala?
What makes him the person he is?
19. What
significance does “checking in at the transportation desk” have in the
story? Why does Tom wish that he and
Betsy would have to check in at the desk?
20. What
two secrets is Tom holding and from whom is he hiding them?
21. What
two issues bring Tom and Betsy before the planning board?
22. How
does Hopkins react to Tom turning down the assistant position?
23. What
is Betsy’s reaction when she hears about Maria and the boy in Italy?