The Company Man

Analysis of The Company Man In the essay “The Company Man”, by Ellen Goodman, she argues that life shouldn’t be separated by work and one’s personal life, because work never finishes, and life can be taken at any time. Phil in the other hand was focus on getting recognition on his hard work, ending up as just “the company man” when he passed away. Goodman repeatedly says in the essay “This man who worked himself to death finally and precisely at 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning – on his day off.”(18) .This quote been said multiple times stating that Phil was a workaholic due to work he missed out in his personal life. For example, when he was in the car with his daughter and nothing was said in the car, not making time for his loved ones, and worrying about his job more. With this quote, Goodman appeals to character, Phil was a hardhead person when it came in choosing his job, and spending at least a couple minutes with his family. Phil, as a father supported his family financially, but didn’t give them emotion needs that his loved ones wanted. "He worked six days a week, five of them until eight or nine at night, during a time when his own company had begun the four-day week for everyone but the executives" (19). In this quote Phil didn’t have a personal life with meant he didn’t have time for his family, leaving his family with embarrassment because they didn’t know the man that her husbands or their father was , having to ask the neighbors to know what was Phil personality . In this other quote Goodman tries to appeal to the reason why a man nor women shouldn’t work themselves to death. Phil was not at home so long that his family basically missed him before he passed away. There was a section where his wife is talking to the company president states, “I know how much you will miss him” and she says “I already have” (19). In this quote Goodman appeals to emotion because Phil’s wife was very sad and angry at the fact that Phil job took over his personal life and because of this she was left alone with the man she didn’t even know. Therefore, Goodman wants to make a statement that a person shouldn’t work when he has a family that needs physical support. Goodman appeals to character by showing examples of a family that didn’t have a man that played his part. When Goodman said “He worked like Important People” (19).she said it a sarcastic tone. She claims a statement that people that are so called “Important People” basically don’t have a life besides being stuck at work. She goes on saying that oldest son “…went around the neighborhood researching his father, asking the neighbors what he was like. They were embarrassed”(19). Goodman showing that relatives shouldn’t go around asking people question how their own family member were like activity, personality, and values. She expose a man bad traits, so she can teach society that work shouldn’t be as important as family.
When I read this essay I realize how I can relate it with my life and how this could have been my Dad if he didn’t realize the time and affection he needed to spend with his family, I can relate with this quote or this section in the essay. When I was four until my late teens, I was basically rising with my great grandmother and my mother. The reason why is because my dad worked the third shift. And I didn't get to see him a lot only on Sundays. The older I got, the less time I spent with my father I’m going to school and work and he's working full time. We have no type of communication sometimes.
He later realized that he was missing out in his personal life; his kids and his wife. He finally changes his shift last year. Realizing he missed out on events and the activities in my child hood. Learning for the mistakes he did with me, and learning from them is the important thing. Reading this made essay made me thank my dad for changing his shift and turn down the promotion of Vice President in his job. Having all the great opportunities in his life and bringing them down to have a personal life, is the greatest felling in the world to see my younger sibling spending the time they need with my father, Like some people say its better late than never.