The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Critical Essay | Critical Essay by John Chamberlain

Critical Essay by John Chamberlain

Back in the 1950's Sloan Wilson wrote a novel, "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit," that caught the essence of what was then becoming known as the rat race. It was the story of a chronic worrier, Tom Rath, whose desire to be himself could not be reconciled with his ghostwriter's trade…. The novel had a happy conclusion. Tom inherited grandma's big house, and his wife, Betsy, forgave his wartime infidelity. But now, a quarter-century later, we learn in a sequel ["The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit II"] that the Raths' contentment was momentary. Tom Rath, as the new novel picks him up in his middle age, is just the same old worrier. He still loathes writing for other people, he still frets because his paycheck can't meet occasional extravagances. Moreover, his teen-age children present a whole new set of exasperations. His relationship with his wife is outwardly...
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