Characterization In John Cheever's The Swimmer

Laurie Colwin (1944-1992) was born in Manhattan, New York. She was a prolific writer and her very first works were published in the New Yorker. Her first short story collection was published in 1974. Her stories were written about love, relationships, and being happy in general, however, this story “The Man Who Jumped into the Water” is quite a bit different from the others. Hiding behind a persona to get away from reality can lead someone to a breaking point because a person 's troubles catch up to them.

I think the point of the story Lyddie is to show just how hard it was for young women to get by back then. In Lyddie's story, she has to go endure many hardships such as losing her farm, having poor working conditions, and having to walk and walk to become a factory girl. The place she stayed at was an small inn. The in was very overcrowded with 2 women sharing a bed. This could potentially be harmful to the girls if for example there was a fire they would not all be able to make it out alive. In this essay, I will be talking about all the hardships that Lyddie had to push through and how bad their lives were back then.

Imagine living your everyday life in a town named Tangerine, where natural disasters commonly occur. This is the situation that the protagonist, Paul Fisher, has been enduring ever since his family moved to Tangerine, Florida. The novel, Tangerine written by Edward Bloor, describes how Paul Fisher sees the world through his thick-rimmed goggles due to his damaged eyesight from “staring at an eclipse.” Paul has to be circumspect around bullies and his older brother, Erik, who seems to have dissoluteness living inside of him.

In literature, the setting poses itself as a vital element in literature. When characters interact with the world encompassing them and respond to its atmosphere, we unearth various underlining traits and secrets that ensconce betwixt the pages. Ann Petry's 1946 novel The Street accentuates the relation between Lutie Johnson and the urban setting by employing figurative language, such as imagery and personification conjointly with selection of detail.

Author’s commonly entice readers by using complex vocabulary and extremely detailed descriptions, also known as, diction. Readers will be more engaged if they can imagine the setting and characters. Making them put themselves in the same situation. In the short stories “The Scarlet Ibis” and “The Dangerous Game” and “Harrison Bergeron” the authors use diction to engage the readers.

This short story was a very easy and entertaining read. Diaz’s writing style is very unique. He wrote the story in a conversation tone and the descriptions are amusing. The way he uses similes is probably very different from his peers but they provide the audience a great

Courage is defined as the ability to do something that frightens one. All children dream of finding themselves in dangerous situations and rising above everyone else in the situation to become a hero. Heroes can be defined a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In 1982, Roger Rosenblatt, an award-winning journalist, wrote an article for Time Magazine about a man who risked his life in order to save his fellow passengers from the icy waters of the Potomac River. In the end, this man lost his own life in the process of saving others. This man was deemed a national hero after his involvement in the famous crash of Air Florida Flight 90. Rosenblatt’s article, “The Man in the Water,” uses a variety of literary techniques to describe several major themes throughout the text. These literary devices include similes, metaphors,

In the short story “The Truth About Sharks”, author Joan Bauer creates a very strong interpretation of a bold main character named Beth, who is accused of shoplifting at a local store. Although she is faced with a very strong security guard, she stands up to her to get what she wants by telling the truth. Bauer uses character development, symbolism, and conflict, both internal and external, to explain Beth’s journey. Analysis of literary devices made in “The Truth About Sharks” reveal how Bauer makes a subtle connection between the character and the reader which creates a connection with the theme which is one should always stand up for what one believes is the truth, even when the odds are stacked against it.

The novel, The Old Man and the Sea, is a story about an old man, Santiago, who experienced great adversity but did not give up. The author, Ernest Hemingway, describes how an old man uses his experience, his endurance and his hopefulness to catch a huge marlin, the biggest fish he has ever caught in his life. The old man experienced social-emotional, physical, and mental adversity. However, despite the overwhelming challenges, he did not allow them to hold him back but instead continued to pursue his goal of catching a fish with determination. Santiago’s character, his actions and the event in the novel reveals an underlying theme that even when one is facing incredible struggles, one should persevere.

In “The Most Dangerous Game,” the setting creates a suspenseful mood which often helps the reader to predict what is going to happen next or to better understand a character. Connell writes great details in the exposition of the novel that create a foreboding mood for the upcoming storm. Before Rainsford finds himself stranded on Ship Trap Island, Connell writes, “There was no sound in the night as Rainsford sat there but the muffled throb of the engine that drove the yacht swiftly through the darkness, and the swish and ripple of the wash of the propeller” (20). The lack of sound in the night, the muffled throb of the engine and the ripple and swish of the propeller all work together to create a sense of anticipation or a foreboding mood for

To begin, the article, The Man in the Water, follows the theme of heroism beginning with Lenny Skutnik. Lenny was a twenty-eight year old employee of the congressional budget office, an average American who did something courageous and unexpected. Lenny was quoted for saying that he never expected to do anything quite like that. Just an average pedestrian, Lenny saw an injured

The Swimmer by John Cheever was published in 1964. The short story show the reader the emptiness many experienced during the mid-century white flight. The Swimmer gives a view into the life of Ned Merrill, an affluent suburban man’s life. Cheever uses symbolism, imagery, and tone to convey the theme of narcissism and suburban emptiness during the 1960’s.

In the article by Roger Rosenblatt, a man risked his life to save the other passengers in the freezing cold water of the Potomac River. In Time Magazine, the article summarizes the plane crash and the reason behind its significance. In 1982, Air Florida flight 90 crashed directly into a bridge located in Washington D.C. The plane then sunk into the Potomac River, leaving passengers fighting for their lives. Only six of the seventy four passengers survived and one of the passengers lived to tell the story of the man who risked his own life while fighting to save everyone else’s. In the article “The Man in the Water,” by Roger Rosenblatt, the theme is heroism.

In many poems, poets use nature as a metaphor for human life. In "Storm Warnings" by Adrienne Rich, she uses an approaching storm as a metaphor for an emotional storm inside herself. Although, there is a literal meaning of the poem. There really is an incoming storm. Rich uses structure, specific detail, and imagery to convey the literal and metaphorical meanings of the poem.

The absence of moral value attracts an inevitable downfall. The looming theme of decent is present in the stories of Boyle, Cheever, and Hawthorne. All of these characters begin with innocence of the mind, until abruptly confronted by a trial or event. This scenario introduces the characters to a true raw form of evil, either mental or physical. Towards the end is where the transformation of the characters finalize after the malignant occurrence. The Swimmer, Greasy Lake, and Young Goodman Brown easily model a corruption of innocence due to a somewhat relevant and relatable evil.