Straight Man Summary & Key Insights

Richard Russo's "Straight Man" follows Henry Devereaux Jr., the self-deprecating and increasingly disillusioned chairman of the English department at the fictional small liberal arts college, West Central Pennsylvania University (WC). The novel unfolds over a single week in Henry’s life, a week punctuated by escalating absurdity and mirroring the larger decay of the institution he inhabits.

Henry is a middle-aged, slightly overweight professor, grappling with a mid-life crisis manifested through cynical observations and a growing sense of futility. He's haunted by the death of his father, a celebrated academic he always felt he could never measure up to, and by his own perceived failures as a husband and father. His marriage to his wife, Lily, is strained, characterized by a weary acceptance of their separate lives rather than open conflict. Their son, a high-achiever who seems to lack genuine connection with his father, further emphasizes Henry’s feeling of inadequacy.

The central plot revolves around the impending closure of the English department, a threat that triggers a series of chaotic events and exacerbates existing tensions within the faculty. The college president, a ruthlessly efficient administrator obsessed with numbers and public image, is the driving force behind this potential closure, representing the encroaching managerialism threatening the humanities.

The novel features a colorful cast of secondary characters, each representing a facet of the dysfunctional academic world. There's the ambitious and ultimately self-destructive Dean of Faculty, who embodies the cutthroat nature of academia; the ever-optimistic, if naive, Allayne, a fellow professor who struggles with academic politics; and the numerous other professors, each with their own quirky personalities and professional struggles. These characters interact in a series of increasingly bizarre and comedic incidents, mirroring the absurdity of the academic environment.

One significant subplot involves a misplaced goat, a symbol of the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the week’s events, and of the unpredictable forces threatening to dismantle the department. The goat’s presence is absurd, yet it functions as a reflection of the larger absurdity of the circumstances surrounding Henry and his colleagues.

The overarching themes of the novel explore the decline of the humanities, the disillusionment of the academic world, and the struggle to find meaning in a seemingly meaningless existence. Russo masterfully uses humor and pathos to portray the inner turmoil of Henry, a man trapped between his aspirations and the harsh realities of his life. The novel's cynical yet poignant tone reflects the challenges of maintaining integrity and purpose in the face of institutional pressures and personal disappointments. Ultimately, "Straight Man" is a witty and insightful exploration of mid-life crisis and the pervasive sense of unease felt in the face of a changing world, all seen through the lens of a struggling English department clinging to its relevance.