John Cheever

you are a high class citizen with connections, money, and have preserved an elite status. This translates into a perpetual cycle where society has developed unrealistic standards that are consistently prompted to be upheld in the middle class. John Cheever, in “The Enormous Radio”, “The Country Husband”, and “O’ Youth and Beauty”, portrays couples that struggle with fitting into these standards and attempting to be successful as they begin in a seemingly tranquil setting, then quickly transition…

The Swimmer by John Cheever is about Neddy Merrill, a man that goes through an aquatic journey that leads to the discovery of his true self. Neddy Merrill is a middle age man with a “slenderness of youth” he is a likeable person Mrs. Graham and Enid Bunker describe his visit as a “a marvelous surprise” but when he decides to swim home from a friend 's pool party the way he views himself and the way others view him have changed. During Ned Merril journey it’s clear that time is passing faster…

the two stories we read in class last week. In “Reunion” by John Cheever, the reader sees what it is like to attempt and fail at rekindling a relationship an estranged parent. In “Silver Water” by Amy bloom, the audience gets an insight into what it is like to lose a sibling. Both stories call for reform in the healthcare system by presenting a relatable family situation that is crippled by a mental illness. In “Reunion” by John Cheever, the theme of mental illness is a little bit more subtle.…

Success, Failure, and Insecurity in John Cheever’s Works Many of John Cheever’s works represents what he experienced in his life, from success, to the many tragic events that occurred in his lifetime, and to the many insecurities that he faced. In these works, the many absurdities of life are presented, some with a comic twist, in the three novels and collections of short stories that Cheever published from 1953 to the early 1970’s, when Cheever experienced many of his tragedies: a massive…

Lives in John Cheever’s “The Enormous Radio” The desire of discovering the others’ secrets is part of human nature, but it becomes a problem if it is too excessive. “The Enormous Radio,” by John Cheever, is a simple tale which can be interpreted as a lesson of life. The story focuses on Irene, a middle-class woman, who enjoys listening to the music on the radio. She is obsessed by the new radio which allows her to eavesdrop on her neighbors’ conversations and secrets. In his story, Cheever…

In 1947, John Cheever wrote a short story titled “The Enormous Radio” about the darkness that is hidden inside others and inside us. He does this through a masterful use of symbols, contrasting Irene and the radio, and dynamic character development. The radio and the protagonist of the “The Enormous Radio” are symbols demonstrating the journey to self-awareness. Cheever conveys this message through the journey of the dynamic protagonist, Irene Wescott—who begins this story as a naïve middle-aged…

"[Irene Westcott] was struck at once with the physical ugliness of the large gumwood cabinet"(Cheever 251). While its size is immediately referred to upon the very first description of the radio, the emphasized quality of the radio is not its size, but its aesthetic dissonance. "Irene was proud of her living room...[but] the new radio stood among her intimate possessions like an aggressive intruder"(Cheever 251). The constant remarks in regard to the radio's physical appeal serve as more than…

In the short story “The Enormous Radio,” John Cheever describes for us what happens when people get addicted to anything, similar to what we saw in Fitzgerald’s Babylon Revisited. He shows how by obtaining a certain item, people get haunted with its function and can’t control themselves until it starts to affect their own lives. In this story, the abruption of the smooth sailing life of the Westcott family was the enormous radio that Jim bought for his wife Irene. People that are high up…

In the captivating short story of The Five Forty Eight by John Cheever, a businessman named Blake leaves from work and notices that he is being followed. His former secretary, Miss Dent, manages to stalk him from the city to his train, despite his efforts of dodging her. The woman seeks revenge for his callous behavior that has damaged her emotionally and mentally. Throughout the story, readers are exposed to what is beneath Blake’s facade of superiority. Through the story’s setting, disposition…

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…