"The Country Husband"

Paper Summary:

John Cheever, who focuses on short stories, often writes on moral and ethical value through urban and suburban life. In the short story "The Country Husband," John Cheever illustrates problematic moral values through a series of events by the character, Francis Weed. This paper shows that, while living in what would be considered by most a superb neighborhood, Francis is a successful, middle-aged man, who begins to lose his identity through unfortunate events and superficial neighbors. Through the actions and emotions of Francis, the audience sees several character traits that lead him to the climax of the story. The paper shows Cheever's main character of "The Country Husband" as lonely, guilty, and impulsive.

From the Paper:

"Not only do feelings of Anne cloud Francis's mind, but time served in combat leaves Francis with guilt he has trouble forgetting. "It [is] not his limitation at all to be unable to escape the past" (Cheever 27). Here, Cheever explains Francis's inability to forget the most troubling memories. As the remembrance of the war resurfaces, the writer shows how Francis is reminded of his failure to help a young girl in distress. The guilt Francis carries with this memory is felt by his sudden mood change: "The prisoner withdrew after passing the coffee, but the encounter left Francis feeling languid; it had opened his memory and his senses, left them dilated" (Cheever 28)."

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