This paper is a comparison of two important works of literature. While the first is a short story titled The Swimmer, the second work is Homecoming. Authored by John Cheever in 1964, The Swimmer is a short story that became one of the most famous ones published by the author. (www.wikipedia.com) The story unfolds in New York and revolves around Neddy Merrill, its child-man protagonist. The story shows Merrill as a middle-aged man who goes to great extents as far as mental imagery is concerned in order to remain ‘young and dynamic.’ The idea that generated in Merrill’s mind regarding ‘swimming across the country’ only seeks to further disillusion the character as he troops around his affluent neighborhood in the middle of parties in order to swim across each pool to reach home. The story progresses to show how he loses his mental balance and power of memory as his conviction diminishes. Also, it shows how the character’s obsession with going home comes crashing down when he enters his home to find his family gone (Cheever, 1978).
The second work is titled Homecoming, and it is authored by Carlos Bulosan. This story is a part of the book titled On Becoming Filipino: Selected Writings of Carlos Bulosan. This story has strong shades of patriotism as well as a particular brand of significance as far as being home, whether on one’s motherland or not, is concerned. The author has painted a picture of culture and interactions between various cultures that have formed a vital part of the salad bowl syndrome that America has come to enjoy as a part of its heritage and inherent legacy. This story is a part of many that form the book. This book, in turn, chronicles the experiences of a Filipino trying to sustain his identity and yet trying to embrace everything American in a bid to fit in and have a place that he can call ‘home.’ (Bulosan, 1995).
The similarities between both the stories begin at a note where there is a high level of importance attached to the word ‘home.’ The characters in both the stories are striving to focus on reaching a place called home, to the extent that the rest of the world around them sinks into a mere mirage which is inexplicable to a normal, intelligent human being. Their passion for reaching home is so consuming that memory and logic take a backseat. (Cheever, 1978) Further, the characters have an almost childlike conviction until the very end of the stories. This is a similarity that makes them memorable in both cases. Further, both characters are carefree and have the freedom to let their imagination go without caring too much about the future and the success of their dreams in the real world (Bulosan, 1995).
Another important similarity between both stories includes the play of culture. In the first story by Cheever, the use of culture is subtle. It has been used merely to depict the character of the neighborhood that the protagonist lives in. Also, it adheres to the basic notion of New York, where everyone is an outsider, yet essentially a New Yorker (Cheever, 1978) .This dichotomy comes across in a more strong tone in Bulosan’s story. The play of culture is a part of the character’s mind and is reflected in the environment around him as well as the reactions that the same elicits. For both characters, it may be noted that culture is an important aspect of life (Bulosan, 1995).In this regard, the authors have brought out the dual lives that the characters lead in a bid to gain acceptance and find a place that they can comfortably call home at the same time. Another striking similarity lies in the fact that both authors have presented the story from the eyes of the main protagonists as a form of mental turmoil and inner struggle. This struggle is one that revolves essentially around keeping pace with their overactive imaginations and needs. Both characters fight realism, which is the underlying theme of the book.
References
- Bulosan, Carlos. “The Homecoming”. On Becoming Filipino: Selected Writings of Carlos Bulosan. Temple University Press (1995)
- Cheever, John. “The Swimmer”. The Stories of John Cheever. Knopf (1978)
- Wikipedia – The World’s Free Encyclopedia. Web.