John Updike, The Persistence of Desire
Pg.563
" Well, that if I hurt you, it was stupidity, because I was young. I've often wondered since if I did, because it seems now that you were the only person outside my family whoever, actually, liked me."
In this particular passage, the main character (Clyde) is having a conversation with his ex-girlfriend Janet. Since this story takes place around the 1950's, its clear that people in this time period believed in society living similar lifestyles and hiding their diversity under a fascade. When Clyde states that, "you were the only person outside my family whoever, actually, liked me", he means that Janet was the only one who accepted him for his diversity and his true personality in life. Clyde regrets leaving Janet for a life of similarity and routine. His "young" dreams of achieving that American Dream of the 1950's led him to believe in his mid-stages of life, that maybe this American dream isn't the zenith of his life. Janet, who showed him to be himself, was the one that brought happiness to his life. Janet is actually a metaphor of his true personality under his fascade casted in society.
John Updike, The Persistence of Desire
Pg. 569
"Ringed by the judging eyes of the young and old, he felt like an actor snug behind the blinding protection of the footlights; he squinted prolongedly at the speedometer-clock, which, like a letter delivered on the stage, in fact was blank."
In the beginning of the story, Clyde looks at the "speedometer-clock" and notices time slipping bye with each movement of the hand. However, ironically, towards the end of the story when he recieves glasses and a letter from Janet he turns towards the clock and finds that it is blank. This shows that now that he has found his personality, his inner self, once again time seems to stop. Instead of living in routine and hopes of living similar lives, while time is effortlessly passing by, Clyde finds that while in finding his true self, time never seems to pass by. Every second of time while living a life of his own, is made worthy, instead of effortlessly flying by uncontrollably.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
McCarthy and 2nd Red Scare yeahh
My Topic is the McCarthy Hearings and I am partners with Johnny who is doing a similar topic on the 2nd Red Scare in the 1950's.
"The Swimmer"
John Cheever, "The Swimmer"
Pg. 1492
"His arms were lame. His legs felt rubbery and ached at the joints. The worst of it was the cold in his bones and the feeling that he might never be warm again. Leaves were falling down around him and he smelled wood smoke on the wind. Who would be burning wood at this time of year? He needed a drink."
As Ned in the beginning of "The Swimmer" goes off on a journey across pools back to his home, one can clearly see that the tone set from the beginning of his journey towards the end of his journey changes significantly. At the beginning he is met by kind residents of the pools he crosses and is offered drinks continuously, and Ned feels in a state of content. Yet, the farther he swims the more he realizes the changes of time and the bitterness of the people he passes by on his journey. This quote represents his realization in pain and the loss of time. When Ned states, "He needed a drink", it clearly states that he might have a dependence on alcohol. That dependence maybe took part in his loss of time and the sudden realization of the present. As he slowly becomes sober, he realizes physical pain and observes the autumn leaves when he believes that it is summer. However, he ignorantly pushes the thought of passing time towards the side. This quote is the beginning of Ned's soberness, his realization of pain and time, and shows his dependence on alcohol.
John Cheever, "The Swimmer"
Pg. 1496
"Looking overhead he saw that the stars had come out, but why should he seem to see Andromeda, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia? What had become of the constellations of midsummer? He began to cry. It was probably the first time in his adult life that he had ever cried, certainly the first time in his life that he had felt so miserable, cold, tired, and bewildered."
Ned finally comes towards reality of the passing of time. Although he believed that it was summer, now he is noticing that it is currently fall. Ned feels a sense of confusion and distraught which makes him begin to cry. Now that he is sober, he is realizing that life has changed, and time has passed unnoticed. He feels reality which makes him become so miserable, cold, and tired. His dream of happiness and perfection is shattered as he uncovers the truth of the present. He notices he has missed days, months, years of time that may have been critical to his content in life.
Pg. 1492
"His arms were lame. His legs felt rubbery and ached at the joints. The worst of it was the cold in his bones and the feeling that he might never be warm again. Leaves were falling down around him and he smelled wood smoke on the wind. Who would be burning wood at this time of year? He needed a drink."
As Ned in the beginning of "The Swimmer" goes off on a journey across pools back to his home, one can clearly see that the tone set from the beginning of his journey towards the end of his journey changes significantly. At the beginning he is met by kind residents of the pools he crosses and is offered drinks continuously, and Ned feels in a state of content. Yet, the farther he swims the more he realizes the changes of time and the bitterness of the people he passes by on his journey. This quote represents his realization in pain and the loss of time. When Ned states, "He needed a drink", it clearly states that he might have a dependence on alcohol. That dependence maybe took part in his loss of time and the sudden realization of the present. As he slowly becomes sober, he realizes physical pain and observes the autumn leaves when he believes that it is summer. However, he ignorantly pushes the thought of passing time towards the side. This quote is the beginning of Ned's soberness, his realization of pain and time, and shows his dependence on alcohol.
John Cheever, "The Swimmer"
Pg. 1496
"Looking overhead he saw that the stars had come out, but why should he seem to see Andromeda, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia? What had become of the constellations of midsummer? He began to cry. It was probably the first time in his adult life that he had ever cried, certainly the first time in his life that he had felt so miserable, cold, tired, and bewildered."
Ned finally comes towards reality of the passing of time. Although he believed that it was summer, now he is noticing that it is currently fall. Ned feels a sense of confusion and distraught which makes him begin to cry. Now that he is sober, he is realizing that life has changed, and time has passed unnoticed. He feels reality which makes him become so miserable, cold, and tired. His dream of happiness and perfection is shattered as he uncovers the truth of the present. He notices he has missed days, months, years of time that may have been critical to his content in life.
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