The Stories of John Cheever

going back and re-reading his stories, it became clear he had put himself in the characters. They were all adults, full of darkness, corruption, and confusion. They were all conflicted in their lives, going from happiness in the beginning to depression in the end (Cooke 39). Although John Cheever was not understood well, he had a knack for telling the brutal honesty of suburbia life in America. Perhaps that is his lasting legacy. Literary Analysis In a story, an author has the difficult task

5 April 2006 John Cheever and the Suburban Life The average person from suburban America can be either valiant, pathetic, or both. This is the description of an American suburbanite according to John Cheever, an American novelist and short story writer during the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Cheever, an award winning writer, balances hope, uncertainty, and anxiety in his stories’ characters. In Cheever’s “The Swimmer”, the main character, Neddy Merrill, incorporates this description into his

John Cheever was one of the great American writers of the 20th Century. He specialized in the post – World War II era when Americans were concerned about security, material possessions, and appearances of the good life. Cheever was respected as an author for his short stories, journals and poems. “The Journals of John Cheever,” according to Mitgang article, “can be read as a writer’s notebook, a family chronicle, a brutally honest autobiography and almost as an unfinished novel” (Mitgang). Basically

“The Swimmer”, a story about a man thrown off his high horse. The story starts with Neddy Merrill and his group of wealthy socialites conversing at the Westerhazys’ house. Flashing back to his Olympic days, Neddy decides to swim through bodies of water to reach his house. He calls this trail the “Lucinda River” and with a lot of effort, as he isn’t as fast as he was in his prime years, he reaches his house, only to find it empty and devoid of his wife and daughters. John Cheever cleverly brings together

Literary Analysis of The Swimmer Thesis: Cheever uses symbolism, imagery, and tone to convey the theme of narcissism and suburban emptiness during the 1960’s. Symbolism Pools Storms Seasons End of youth Decline Imagery Setting Characters Tone Conclusion: Cheever’s use of literary devices drives the plot of the ideal mid-century lifestyle. Literary Analysis of The Swimmer The Swimmer by John Cheever was published in 1964. The short story show the reader the emptiness many experienced

In John Cheever’s short story, “The Swimmer” he conveys the transformation of the character through the use of the literary element of setting. The story begins in an American, middle class, suburbs. After what seems to be a night of partying and drinking. Neddy Merrill, the main character initially appears very optimistic; he has a perfect family, high social status and very few problems in his life. In spite of his age, he feels young and energetic therefore decides to swim across town through

Having written a multitude of short stories and novels, author, John Cheever, has showcased his incredible writing abilities multiple times throughout his career. Even as a child, Cheever outwardly expressed his desire to write. As proven by his longstanding career, Cheever’s thirst for writing remained with him throughout his entire life. In perhaps his most famous piece of work, “The Swimmer,” Cheever’s impeccable writing ability is showcased brilliantly. Although originally set out to be a novel

John Cheever’s writing always reflected his own life in some aspect. In one work he has called “Expelled” He tells the story of how he did get expelled from school in detail. In some way Cheever interprets his own personal experiences into the characters of his stories. In one specific short story, “The Swimmer”, Cheever uses the the character Ned’s experience to symbolize life. Although it is a short story, the essence of time in the work is directly related to an entire lifetime. Through the course

“The Five-Forty-Eight” by John Cheever is a short story about a woman, Miss Dent, whom gets her revenge on a man, Mr. Blake, who has no morals that slept, fires, and ignores her. In “The Five-Forty-Eight” by John Cheever the story engages me by the suspenseful exposition, the anticipation of the climax, and the clever resolution. The suspenseful exposition engages me to read more to see the outcome of the story. “Then he wondered if she was following him” (Cheever 2). Starting from the very

Hughes and “Reunion” by John Cheever are two short stories, both written by acclaimed authors, describing a life changing experience each author had at a young age. It may seem like both stories are completely different in every aspect. However, after analyzing both stories, it becomes apparent that they have plenty in common. Both stories are similar in terms of motifs and the use of dialogue, yet they contrast when it comes to the tone of each story. First, both short stories have two similar motifs