<PAGE>
NEW ENGLAND LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
501 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
(617) 578-2000
AMERICAN GROWTH SERIES
SUPPLEMENT DATED NOVEMBER 20, 1997
TO PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 1, 1997
The following is part of the discussion of "Contingent Deferred Sales
Charge" and replaces the last full paragraph on page A-32 above the heading
"Premium Tax Charge":
The Contracts may be sold directly, without compensation, to a registered
representative, to employees, officers, directors, and trustees of the Company
and its affiliated companies, and spouses and immediate family members (i.e.
children, siblings and parents (including siblings and parents of spouses), and
grandparents) of the foregoing, and to employees, officers, directors, trustees
and registered representatives of any broker-dealer authorized to sell the
Contracts or any bank affiliated with such a broker-dealer and of any sub-
adviser to the Eligible Funds, and spouses and immediate family members of the
foregoing. If consistent with applicable state insurance law, the Contracts
also may also be sold, without compensation, to the Company or MetLife for use
with deferred compensation plans for agents, employees, officers, directors, and
trustees of the Company and its affiliated companies, subject to any
restrictions imposed by the terms of such plans, or to persons who obtain their
Contracts through a bank, adviser or consultant to whom they pay a fee for
investment or planning advice. If sold under these circumstances, the Contracts
will be credited with an additional percentage of premium to reflect in part or
in whole any cost savings associated with the direct sale, but only if such
credit will not be unfairly discriminatory to any person. No additional premium
will be credited to Contracts purchased by persons described above in exchange
for another variable annuity Contract issued by the Company or its affiliated
companies.
