The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Susan elopes with Byron Holgate, much to Hopkins’s surprise. Helen asks her husband to send her away on a cruise for several months and asks him to sell their South Bay mansion. Desperate to placate his wife, Hopkins agrees. Hopkins asks Tom to meet with him to form an exploratory committee for the mental health campaign. As he issues instructions, he paces the room. Tom is put in charge of the project. They share a drink and talk briefly, though the conversation is awkward and novel. They talk about work, family, and war. Hopkins asks about Tom’s career and Tom responds honestly, prompting Hopkins to offer him a job as his personal assistant so that he can better understand the company and determine which department might be right for him. Tom thanks Hopkins for the opportunity. As he rides the train home, he learns about Susan’s marriage from a newspaper. At home, Tom admits that he has mixed feelings about the job offer as he does not want to get a job through friendship. He also does not want to spend so much of his life working, as Hopkins does. He suspects that Hopkins is taking a personal interest in him because he is lonely and “he’s trying to hire a son” (228).