The Stories of John Cheever

threatens Betty and Mary Warren to keep their mouth shut. On page 20 Abigail tells the girls that they will never see the day of light if they say anything to anyone for what Abigail has done. Betty has seen Abigail drink blood, it was a charm to kill John Proctors wife and Goody Proctor on page 19. She says Tituba is in contact…

William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and John Cheever's "Reunion" succeed in telling stories not only to entertain, but to make statements about class difference. Faulkner and Cheever describe the emergence of a new generation to suggest the passing of an older upper class. Both stories feature younger characters who leave people of the past behind, despite their class differences, widening the natural rift between socioeconomic classes. The writers convey the passing of a wealthy generation…

Illusion vs Reality in “The Swimmer” The Swimmer by John Cheever is an intriguing piece that leads you down different thought paths as you are reading it. Neddy, Lucinda, Donald and Helen Westerhazy had been drinking for a while and were all saying that they’ve had too much to drink. It was a beautiful day and at first everything seems normal then the main character Neddy thought that perhaps a long swim might celebrate its beauty. So Neddy Merrill decided that he is going to go home from the…

understanding and surviving. As Professor Gottschall states, stories are “often a major way we make sense out of and prepare for reality” and this holds true for 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…

The distressed wife of John Proctor, Elizabeth, exclaimed “Do what you will. But let none be your judge. There be no higher judge under Heaven than Proctor is!” when she realized that her husband was to be hung for witchcraft immediately (Miller 1270). Since both John and Elizabeth Proctor’s ludicrous trials, they had spent three months separated in jail to await their imminent hangings. In the 1690s, the town of Salem, Massachusetts, was in a frenzy of “witch” persecutions of the innocent, and…

people, but between one person and himself” (Garth Brooks). The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a story based on the events of the Salem Witch Trials. In Salem, people are being accused of witchcraft, and most of the time hung to death if found guilty. If people confess to being a witch, they are pardoned and able to become a member of society again. John Proctor has many conflicts with people throughout this story, whether it is with his wife Elizabeth, Abigail Williams, or an inner conflict with…

In these short stories, one of the most common similarities they share with one another is that they’re both being told from the first person point of view, as they are describing their journeys with their fathers and getting the chance to reconnected with them one last chance. In Powder, by Tobias Wolff, the story is being told from the first person point of view throughout his teenage son and the way he sees things…

Lethal Liaisons in The Crucible In many literary works, the relationships between characters often contribute to the resolution of the story. It is important, however, to consider that the other interactions expressed throughout the story are also driving factors to how the story concludes. Although there are many relationships that are expressed, many of the major ones that influence the plot are impacted by the presence or interference of Abigail. Therefore, in Arthur Miller’s tragedy, The…

I believe John Cheever wrote The Enormous Radio, to show how the effect of secrecy affects the person, and a relationship. On how the radio effect Irene being the person and her marriage. And in three paragraphs I’m going to prove my point. The first sign that shows how Irene was being affected, was when she got up out the bed at night to get her son water. But afterwards, goes into the living room to listen to the radio and hears a conversation from a middle-aged couple discussing something,…

parents (“J.D. Salinger”). Another important author of this time was Ralph Ellison. His novel The Invisible Man was “a groundbreaking meditation on race and marginalized communities in America” in the 1950s (Bio.com). In his 1950’s short stories, John Cheever helped exploit the disillusionment of the suburbian life. His “distinctive writing style in the 1950s elegantly captured the hidden foibles of human beings” (Riviera Academic Journal). These authors have a legacy that continues…