Jhordyne Donaldson Band:H
Mask Identity: Regaining Identity in Cheevers’ “ The Swimmer” and O’Connors’ “Good Country People”
Thesis: Both John Cheever’s “The Swimmer” and Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” use the motif of regaining of identity through the characters’ inner thoughts and actions to capture the idea of finding comfort as a shield from the outside views entailing one’s perspective and opinions from people in society.
Neddy tries to swim to his fantasy world in order to find comfort from his actual life where everything was predictable and he would drink non-stop. Neddy Merrill has been drinking a lot and he goes to the pool to swim: “He was breathing deeply, stertorously as if he could gulp into his lungs …show more content…
After losing basically everything in his life, where the town that he lived in seemed barren because the pool was a dead stream, and could not find anyone including his wife; Neddy did not feel any more superior, but equal to everyone: “Had you gone for a Sunday afternoon ride that day you might have seen him, close to naked, standing on the shoulder of Route 424, waiting for a chance to cross. You might have wondered if he was the victim of foul play, had his car broken down, or was he merely a fool” (Cheever, 104). Neddy taking off his trunks makes him feel naked and exposed which shows his fear of revealing his inner feelings but we are just seeing the ‘naked truth’ which is exposed to the outside world. Neddy transitions from a great lifestyle where he had his own pool, but now he has to share and that is why he is naked to feel closer to home. Being naked allows him to have a closer connection or feel of …show more content…
In addition, the stories have something in the character’s life that they are trying to distance from by using the “thing” that brings comfort in their lives. In “Good Country People,” Hulga’s comfort is the wooden leg which also makes her who she is in the future. Similarly in “The Swimmer,” Neddy turns to water all the time when he is going through anything rough in his life; For example, his excessive drinking, and losing his amazing life because everything was barren and it seemed like everyone fled. The larger theme in both stories connects to transgender people because they change the way they look because they feel more comfortable in the other gender. Of course they are a different person, but they feel comfort in that different body/gender. Likewise, the character’s actions and thoughts in both stories signify finding things in life that represents one’s self and not trying to be like anybody
Mask Identity: Regaining Identity in Cheevers’ “ The Swimmer” and O’Connors’ “Good Country People”
Thesis: Both John Cheever’s “The Swimmer” and Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” use the motif of regaining of identity through the characters’ inner thoughts and actions to capture the idea of finding comfort as a shield from the outside views entailing one’s perspective and opinions from people in society.
Neddy tries to swim to his fantasy world in order to find comfort from his actual life where everything was predictable and he would drink non-stop. Neddy Merrill has been drinking a lot and he goes to the pool to swim: “He was breathing deeply, stertorously as if he could gulp into his lungs …show more content…
After losing basically everything in his life, where the town that he lived in seemed barren because the pool was a dead stream, and could not find anyone including his wife; Neddy did not feel any more superior, but equal to everyone: “Had you gone for a Sunday afternoon ride that day you might have seen him, close to naked, standing on the shoulder of Route 424, waiting for a chance to cross. You might have wondered if he was the victim of foul play, had his car broken down, or was he merely a fool” (Cheever, 104). Neddy taking off his trunks makes him feel naked and exposed which shows his fear of revealing his inner feelings but we are just seeing the ‘naked truth’ which is exposed to the outside world. Neddy transitions from a great lifestyle where he had his own pool, but now he has to share and that is why he is naked to feel closer to home. Being naked allows him to have a closer connection or feel of …show more content…
In addition, the stories have something in the character’s life that they are trying to distance from by using the “thing” that brings comfort in their lives. In “Good Country People,” Hulga’s comfort is the wooden leg which also makes her who she is in the future. Similarly in “The Swimmer,” Neddy turns to water all the time when he is going through anything rough in his life; For example, his excessive drinking, and losing his amazing life because everything was barren and it seemed like everyone fled. The larger theme in both stories connects to transgender people because they change the way they look because they feel more comfortable in the other gender. Of course they are a different person, but they feel comfort in that different body/gender. Likewise, the character’s actions and thoughts in both stories signify finding things in life that represents one’s self and not trying to be like anybody