Critical Questions 1: The five forty eight
Professor Pearson
English Comp II
01/23/2014
CQ #1 “The Five-Forty-Eight”
1. Setting is the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place. In the story “The Five Forty Eight” by John Cheever, the setting starts off in the Western Union office on a rainy day where Blake first sees Miss Dent. Blake “started walking briskly east toward Madison Ave” (Cheever, 236), which I assume the story takes place in the city of New York. I believe the most significant setting in this story is the train ride to Shady Hill, the five-forty-eight deep underground. On the train is where the events started to reach its climax. This is where Blake was vulnerable, and where Miss Dent stood up for herself and took initiative. She was determined to get her revenge.
2. Veneer is a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true thoughts and feelings. The story “The Five-Forty-Eight” showed many examples of veneer. The most obvious example of veneer was Miss Dent. She seemed vulnerable when Blake’s flashback of her is explained in the story. Blake had chosen women he slept with because of their lack of self-esteem. After they had their ‘sleepover’ he had personnel fire her and ban her from the office. He thought that would be the last of her. When he sees Miss Dent he starts to worry, and at the end she was the one in charge. She held a gun toward him and made him put his face in the dirt. Cheever writes, “He fell forward in the filth. The coal skinned his face. He stretched out on the ground, weeping.” (Cheever, 247) which shows Blake’s weakness in the end and Miss Dent’s power. Veneer played a big part in the story. The story showed not to judge people because everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.
3. Blake believes he is better than everyone. He treats others with disrespect and is a very judgmental person. I think he is vain and has a big ego. I believe Blake preys on Miss Dent. When he
English Comp II
01/23/2014
CQ #1 “The Five-Forty-Eight”
1. Setting is the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place. In the story “The Five Forty Eight” by John Cheever, the setting starts off in the Western Union office on a rainy day where Blake first sees Miss Dent. Blake “started walking briskly east toward Madison Ave” (Cheever, 236), which I assume the story takes place in the city of New York. I believe the most significant setting in this story is the train ride to Shady Hill, the five-forty-eight deep underground. On the train is where the events started to reach its climax. This is where Blake was vulnerable, and where Miss Dent stood up for herself and took initiative. She was determined to get her revenge.
2. Veneer is a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true thoughts and feelings. The story “The Five-Forty-Eight” showed many examples of veneer. The most obvious example of veneer was Miss Dent. She seemed vulnerable when Blake’s flashback of her is explained in the story. Blake had chosen women he slept with because of their lack of self-esteem. After they had their ‘sleepover’ he had personnel fire her and ban her from the office. He thought that would be the last of her. When he sees Miss Dent he starts to worry, and at the end she was the one in charge. She held a gun toward him and made him put his face in the dirt. Cheever writes, “He fell forward in the filth. The coal skinned his face. He stretched out on the ground, weeping.” (Cheever, 247) which shows Blake’s weakness in the end and Miss Dent’s power. Veneer played a big part in the story. The story showed not to judge people because everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses.
3. Blake believes he is better than everyone. He treats others with disrespect and is a very judgmental person. I think he is vain and has a big ego. I believe Blake preys on Miss Dent. When he