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.

 

  1. What was the shape of the crack in the wall in Tom and Betsy’s house in Westport?  What does it represent?

 

  1. Why is the interview process at UBS so difficult for Tom?

 

  1. How does Tom take to Mr. Hopkins and vice versa?   What is it Tom is supposed to be doing for him?

 

  1. What has happened to the money that Tom’s grandmother once had?

 

  1. How would you judge Tom as a soldier?  What made his scene with the young German sentry so memorable?

 

  1. How does Caesar Gardella figure into Tom’s life, during and after the war?

 

  1. In Tom’s premonition about death, who did he always see? 

 

  1. What is the significance in the story of the numbers 1 and 17?

 

  1. What was ironic about Tom’s advice to the young paratroopers to just keep firing no matter what?

 

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?