Back to Normal: Sloan Wilson's "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" and the US 1950s

This thesis examines Sloan Wilson's The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1955) within its historical context. The 1950s in the United States ¿ being post-WWII years as well as Cold War years ¿ are a period characterised by insecurity. Americans fought to ¿get back to normal¿ deluding themselves that the way to do that was to conform, to try to be as much ¿average¿ as possible. The research shows the way in which Wilson's novel can be referred to as representative of the 1950s ¿ since in some aspects it mirrors contemporary attitudes ¿ but it also shows its originality compared to 1950s society. In particular, the research focuses on the nuclear family: 1950s ¿normal¿ American families are examined in their social attitudes, cultural values and economic situation, within the historical contingency of the Cold War. The Raths family is introduced as (im)perfect representative of this model family. In order to analyse the primary source, some secondary sources have been studied, such as sociological, economical and anthropological essays and articles. Together with classics of 1950s analysis, such as David Riesman's, William Whyte's and Charles Wright Mills', other more modern studies have been used to complete the research. The thesis is divided in two chapters. The first chapter consists of the contextualisation of Wilson's novel, dealing with some of the main peculiarities of the 1950s in the United States from the perspective of an ¿average¿ American family ¿ such as what a ¿normal¿ family was like and what was its relationship with society and the external world; what suburban life consisted in, both in economic and social terms; the characteristics of work in the Organisation; gender roles within the family. The second chapter deals with the literary analysis of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. The Rath family is described as an average family ¿ at least to a certain extent; Tom Rath is shown in his struggle to adjust himself to the rules of society without becoming a cynical yes-man; Betsy Rath is presented in her ambiguity of character, impossible to ascribe to the category of perfect housewife, but also showing an active personality; the Raths are finally seen in their reconciliation, i.e. the victory of honesty on the dehumanising power of society rules. This research focuses on the representation of a 1950s WASP American family, therefore does not study the life of those individuals that society considered ¿different¿, in terms of race, origin, sexual or political orientation and family composition. What is more, the research does not claim the exclusiveness of a conformed attitude during the 1950s. Some protest movement existed already, which will result in the ardent rebellions of the 1960s.