Mr. Sammler is living in the 1960's, and, about thirty years ago, was a victim of the Holocaust. Now, he has escaped that horrible life, and lives in New York City. He has a job teaching at Columbia University, one of the most prestigious schools in the city.
Sammler, although living in a time and area of endless possibility, finds himself and humanity bogged down by all of the grand promises. New inventions, the prospect of a moon landing - Sammler argues that all of life's luxuries actually make for a society that is harder to live in, creating new and unsuspected problems.
According to Mr. Sammler, life is simple something that has to be fulfilled, and each person must do what is "required of him". He doesn't mention exactly what this requirement is, but alludes to the idea of the "perfect family" - a couple and their children in a dream home. With so many extra things in life, Sammler argues that we are losing the very essence of life itself.
