Short Story Collections, Part 4: John Cheever

John Cheever, the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Chekhov of the American landscape," masterfully captured the tension between mid-century social grace and the hidden complexities of the human psyche. In this course, we explore Cheever’s iconic fiction, spanning settings from Manhattan and Westchester to the ancient streets of Rome. We examine how his work navigates the duality of human nature, often dramatized as the disparity between a character’s social persona and a character’s inner corruption, and sometimes as a conflict between two characters, often brothers, who embody the salient aspects of both — light and dark, flesh and spirit.  We also look at how he balances a nostalgia for abiding cultural tradition against the alienating nomadism of modern suburbia. Our primary readings include three of his most influential short stories: "The Enormous Radio" (1947), "The Reunion" (1962), and his celebrated masterpiece, "The Swimmer" (1964). In our discussion, we analyze Cheever’s unique ability to be simultaneously generous and cynical, finding the profound within the absurd. We focus on his recurring themes of inner corruption and the conflict between flesh and spirit, light and dark, often dramatized through the contrasting lives of brothers.