![]() ![]() Partly exposing her breasts and the deep valley between them.” On a wave of passion, Rath cries, “Oh, God. Taking the lead, she “unbuttoned her jacket and opened her blouse. But Rath is so enthralled and tentative that Maria must remind him they ought to make love. Rath will move on, and Maria will be left pregnant, though Rath will not know this until years later. Despite their adaptability, the ruined villa is a metaphor for their uncertain future together. ![]() ![]() They spread a ruined tapestry on the stone floor and unpack the picnic basket full of sandwiches, a cold roast chicken, and a wine bottle. ![]() Settling in the ruined library, Rath lights a fire. On a cold rainy afternoon, Rath and Maria wander into a deserted, ruined villa on the outskirts of Rome. It’s a tender episode, without steamy sex, suitable for 1950s mainstream fiction. He’s ready for a romantic picnic to have an affair with a young Italian woman Maria. The first time we meet Tom Rath, he’s a Captain in the U.S. On the verge of success, Rath has to face his wife, Betsy, with the knowledge of his affair with Maria. The man’s image in the gray flannel suit is so strong that it has outlived the novel, becoming a symbol of mid-twentieth Century America, a rising generation of white, well-educated men striving for wealth and power. Within a year of publication, Nunnally Johnson directed a faithful film adaptation. However, Americans still readjusting to World War Two and its aftermath thought made it a best-seller. Ernest Hemingway thought Sloan Wilson’s The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit was trash. ![]()
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