The Dad, Mr. Frank Sr. Gilbreth
Frank Sr. Gilbreth was a “tall man, with a large head, jowls, and a Herbert Hoover collar. He was no longer slim; he had passed the two-hundred-pound mark during his early thirties… but her carried himself with the self-assurance of a successful gentleman who was proud of his wife… family… and business accomplishments.” This is the first sentence of the book, the opening of what’s to come. And this alone gives so much imagery on the father - what he looks like and how he acts. It is very descriptive and gives specific examples, not just general statements.
Fashions
During that time period, there were many different fashions. The father believed, “that the current generation of girls was riding, with rouged lips and rolled stockings…” This is descriptive. It’s described as “rouged lips,” not just red lips. It also says “rolled stockings,” not just stockings. For the younger ones, “it was the day of the flapper and the sheik, of petting and necking, of flat chests and dimpled knees.” This is also very descriptive. The hair style for girls was a bob and boys “lubricated theirs.” This is all a very descriptive, colorful way to paint a picture in our minds of the current fashion at the time.
The Gilbreth's House
The Gilbreths' house is described as, “an old but beautiful Taj Mahal of a house with fourteen rooms, a two-story barn out back, a greenhouse, chicken yard, grape arbors, rose bushes, and a couple dozen fruit trees.” All this imagery comes to us at once, giving a wonderful, full, colorful description of where the Gilbreth’s live and where the majority of the story takes place.
The Gilbreth's car
The Gilbreths' car was bought by the father when “cars were still a novelty.” It was a, “... gray Pierce Arrow, equipped with two bulb horns and an electric Klaxon… the engine hood was long and square, and you had to raise it to prime the petcocks on cold mornings.” It was called the Foolish Carriage. It, “...kicked him when he cranked, spat oil in his face when he looked into its bowels, squealed when he mashed the brakes, and rumbled ominously when he shifted gears.” These are unique ways to describe the car and are very descriptive. The car is a visual image in our minds with all the imagery.
