The Middle-class's Crisis Described By John Cheever In His Fictions

John Cheever is a unique fictionist of American Contemporary Literature. His fictions are mostly about the middle-class, especially the upper middle-class, who lives in New England. Revealing the various middle-class crises is a fundamental theme of his fictions. In his works, three kinds of middle-class crisis—the status crisis, family crisis and spiritual crisis are concentrated characterized.Firstly, status of the middle-class is gradually reduced to"little guy of the company". Previously, by virtue of places and methods of their work, and the relationship with entrepreneurs, they can get fame more easily. However, as wage earners receive an increasing number of protection through the power of unions , as well as modern bureaucracy based management system within the modern corporate become more and more popular, status of the middle-class in the company steadily slip. In addition, the"economic pressure"and"expansion of white-collar"also give them great pressure. Especially in mid-twentieth century, the middle-class is no longer a glorious class envied by people, because they increasingly suffer the risk of unemployment. On the contrary, the income of wage-earners gradually increases, more and more people of the lower ranks rise to the middle-class, all of which have caused a great threat to the middle-class.Secondly, family crisis mainly manifests itself by"marriage crisis"and"affection crisis", the middle-class described by Cheever are mainly middle-class men, who have serious conflicts with his wife, children and parents. Moreover, the discrepancy between husband and wife on sex is particularly prominent. So they are deprived of family warmth because of such contradictions.Thirdly, two external crises intensify a deeper spiritual crisis: loneliness and anxiety. At work, relationships with colleagues are indifference; in residence, they are hypocritical with neighbors; at home, they have trouble with family members. Anyway, they are full of loneliness, which, coupled with the feeling of how small and powerless individuals are in society, leads to the fear of death and anxiety of empty.Through such descriptions, Cheever has successfully shaped a group of gray faces. he extends the tentacles of mind from social status; family life to spirit .It is indeed a true portrayal of the middle-class in American.