The chapter opens with a conversation between the protagonist and his wife. The protagonist tells his wife that he has just had an interview with the company's executive director. The executive director rejected the protagonist's proposal to focus on a new product, which the protagonist thinks is the most important thing at the company. He says that the conservative old men of the company think that he only got the job because of his father's influence, and that he is lucky to be honest and not a failure in his marriage or in his career