Where It All Goes Down
1960s America
This dude needs to get outside more.
Though we can guess that Slocum's office is located in New York City, and though we know he lives in the suburbs of Connecticut, we rarely leave the interiors of these places. In fact, when we do occasionally step outside of the office and the home, bad things usually happen: Slocum takes us back to memories like the death of his mother, his confrontations with his son's gym teacher Forgione, or his son being struck by a car.
While the book's primary settings of the office and the home shelter Slocum and his family from much of the bad stuff out there, they are also the cause of great strife. It's in the office and in the home that Slocum experiences his biggest stressors, from being unsure of what to say and when to say it, to knowing who's mad at him and who isn't.
With all the cultural and political changes occurring in the 1960s, it's interesting to note that these aren't mentioned at all in the novel. Sure, Slocum's office won't hire Jews or African Americans, and women can only work as secretaries and typists, but there is no mention of the Vietnam War, the Sexual Revolution, or the Civil Rights Movement. The assassination of President Kennedy and the later assassination of his brother Robert are mentioned briefly, but even these take a backseat to the drama occurring in Slocum's worlds both in the office and at home.