Plot

Going into the 1950s, the Campuses anticipate that the gender roles from the previous decade remain which means Tristan will still be alone in the kitchen much of the time, that they will still be eating dinner together as a family around the formal dining room table, but that the mood will be much lighter and happier than it was the previous decade. While all these things are true, that latter item for Tristan is tempered when she learns that there is an extra expectation on her to keep the appearance of the perfect house just in case anyone should stop by unexpectedly. Beyond the manual, Tristan is provided an extra guide to ensure she does do what the 1950s housewife was expected to do. As the decade progresses, things will arguably get easier for Tristan in the kitchen. First, middle class families would occasionally go out for dinner, often to Chinese-Canadian restaurants, which belied the racism that still existed exhibited by the middle class suburbs being predominantly white. Second, more and more electrical appliances and gadgets would become available making kitchen work easier. These included storage containers leading to the ubiquitous "Tupperware party" to allow housewives to socialize more and earn some pocket money in the process. And third, more and more convenience foods came on the market to make dinner preparation easier, from box cake mixes to frozen foods that just needed to be defrosted and reheated. Valerie and Jessica believe they receive the short end of the stick compared to Robert when it comes to their "free time" activities, although they all, closer to the end of the decade, will begin to socialize at the precursor to the fast food restaurant: the diner. The men's duties around the house took on a more serious nature associated with the geopolitical tensions of the time. Aaron's responsibilities with regard to what is ingested take their first steps with his role as bartender in the era of the cocktail party. And what resembles what they are used to in twenty-first century life may first arguably come with a big box in their living room and the food and folding miniature tables associated with it.—Huggo