In Cheever's story "The Swimmer" I in a lot of ways am lost. He wrote it in a narrative point of view, but yet then also from Ned's also. Ned seems to be lost in his own little world through out the piece. He swims and swims through everyone's pools, and waters, but yet he still does not remember things. He does not understand what the people he comes in contact with while swimming say such things to him as " if you are coming here for more money I will not give you another cent". It seems as though Ned is lost in his own world, buried in confusion. When he finds his house empty he does not understand what happened. All of the things the people had told him on his journey were true, but he then and still does not understand what is going on. To me it seems like a huge dream one that he can't even translate himself.
In O'Conners' " Good country people", there are many aspects that fit well with "The Swimmer". Hulga in this story was very sheltered by her mother because of her conditions. Although she was this way she let life take her where it leaded her. Even though she was careful how she did this, she made a mistake. She allowed her self to fall for the bible sales man. Because of this he took off with her leg. This fits well with "The Swimmer" because in the end of the story Ned realizes he has nothing left, his life is empty. Hulga finds this out also after her leg is taken away, and all she is left with is her education, in which did not get her very far with the man tricking her. O'Conner wrote this story through a narrator, but yet still had a lot of dialog especially from the mother. In both cases, the person takes great lengths to make it to their goals in life or at the moment their goals, but in return they are left empty, with the end not appearing as though their vision had set in their own minds.
1 comment:
I do agree that "The Swimmer" seems like a dream because of the way it seems to move and is frankly, quite weird and confusing like dreams can be. I don't know if 'empty' is quite the word to describe the characters in both stories' lives though. Yes, they each have something missing in their lives, but I wouldn't say they completely void of everything. I think it's then realizing that changes need to be made and how hard it is to change from something you've been in for so long. Like in "The Swimmer," Ned has been in upper middle class society for a long time, that's how he acquired all of these friends who he can basically see right through. That's what I think swimming through the pools means is seeing through these people for what they really are and how he has lived in falsehood for so long.
Post a Comment