#crazywomen

[marlowe1-blog]

"The Five-Forty-Eight" (The Stories of John Cheever)

This one has a lot of critical discussion and adaptations. Critics hate Blake and see Miss Dent as a reclamation of feminism and power. Like Fatal Attraction and its ilk, there's a simple "Don't fuck crazy" theme that brings up a lot more about marriage and adultery and gender roles than it probably attended.

Blake is a mediocre man in a mediocre marriage and works at a mediocre office. He doesn't even get original in his affairs. He has sex with his secretary and then fires her through an intermediary. He doesn't even have the courage to fire her himself.

Before the term "ghosting" became popular, a common complaint about men (usually men) was the fact that they didn't break up with anyone. They just stop calling and hoped that their fuckbuddies got the hint. Also they hoped that their fuckbuddies actually know that they are fuckbuddies and not assuming that it's an actual relationship.

Only Miss Dent is actually crazy. Almost every Cheever story could be read as a guilty fantasy of the protagonist and this one certainly lends itself to the reading that Blake is imagining actual consequences of his actions.

Whether this is actually happening or happening in Blake's mind, the main point is that Miss Dent is crazy and has just come out of the mental hospital. She's stalking Blake. He sees her before he gets on the train. He tries to drink away his fears. She gets on the same train and while he's judging his neighbors, she comes up to him and puts a gun in his ribs and tells him her story.

So at this point, he's got to just go through it. He can't beat her. He can't run away. He's got to listen to her and by the end of the story, he's got to end up on the ground crying as she holds a gun to his head.

And then she says that she's satisfied and walks away. And then he walks away. The end.

See why I thought that it was a dream of the main character? Yet, many of Cheever characters feel like they are going through a haze and Blake is one of the haziest characters.

He's not hated so much because he's a bad husband and a coward. He's hated because he's so ordinary. He's got a bad marriage and a boring job and a cowardly way of dealing with extramarital sex. In another world, he could have tried to keep sleeping with Miss Dent. He could have transferred her to another department. He didn't have to ruin her life by firing her. He didn't know that he ruined her life because he didn't know her history.

But there you go. She was mentally ill and he used her for pleasure and threw her away. Only why is he so quick to throw her away? Is this a puritanical thing?

Think about it. This is a man who gets into a marriage that he hates, spends most of his time working, can't stand to see a man wearing sandals on the train and knows that other passengers disapprove of him. He even accepts the possible execution as his due. Cheever doesn't say what his inner life is like at this point, but it seems like his non-chalance in the wake of almost getting murdered by a one night stand is part of his colorless life.

So maybe critics hate Blake not because he's so awful but because he's so ordinary and he doesn't even believe that he needs happiness. He just accepts his hollow man status, head filled with straw, most exciting thing to ever happen was a woman caring enough to want to kill him, even though as a reader you have to wonder why. Even with the explanation that she's severely mentally ill, it still seems like she should not be so upset at this guy beyond the fact that he fired her.

[saotharlann]

[therealstuff1]

I WAS OK.

I was ok for a moment. I had purpose. I knew what was coming and I was preparing for what could. I thought I could see light. I knew who I was and how much I was worth. I stopped feeling worthless. I stopped living in the past. I let go finally. I was getting happy. I was trying to find the new. I was moving forward.

How am I here again? I’m going to scream. I can’t be here again. Wondering why he won’t txt back. Wondering what I’m doing wrong. Racking my brain trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. Suspicious of prolonged silence. Petty. Insecure. Broken.

Why did you have to come back? Why did I let it happen? Why did everything have to happen? I want to scream. I’m choking. I’m falling into a bottomless pit that I once found the strength to crawl out of. I don’t want to do it again. I don’t want to be here. My heart is broken, confused and scared. This isn’t how any of that is supposed to be. I want to scream.

When you have attachment issues, people will tell you you’re acting crazy. Men love to call women crazy don’t they? I might be crazy. But it’s crazy to expect someone to accept sub-par treatment when they are worth so much more. I can talk to you. I’ll tell you this, what I’m thinking. You can call me crazy, because at that point your opinion might mean very little to me. I’m worth so much more and I’ve learned in the past when you left me alone that im strong, beautiful and so much more valuable than how you’re treating me.

[nails-lashesandbeauty4soul]

Guten Morgen 🌸 ich wünsche Dir und deinen #Lieben einen wunderschönen #Donnerstag! Mit vielen #positivenMomenten! Good morning 🌸 I wish you and your love a beautiful #Thursday! With many #positive #moments! #tattooed #crazywomen #picoftheday #instagood #morningmotivation #positivemindset #atwork (hier: O Sole Mio Holzkirchen / Sun Up Rosenheim) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB2jKBEIJNx/?igshid=gt7p2mcm4ugb

[restomodmusclecar]

You ruined your car....😂 #ruined #cats #crazywomen #musclecars #noair #nobreaks #fastashell #noturnsignals #noinspection #notags #copmagnet #racecar #ford #chevy #mopar #dodge #keepitup https://www.instagram.com/p/B4yLAfGJQ6c/?igshid=rq4y5l9jr6n1

[tzurrcharles]

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. . . . . . #memeadjacent #tzurrcharles #memes #cherylssheshed #crazywomen #instafunny #funnymemes #instagood #instalaugh #tumblr #instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B5B5SHnFvGv/?igshid=1vrd2pycqoxiu

[asmita-das-blog]

The Ex-Oakridgers of Oakridge International School, Bangalore Campus. Yes, I do miss my days at Oakridge. The journey and the learning and the experience and the exposure I've received, is irreplaceable. Long live Oakridge! . . . . . . . . . . . . #bus #busride #ex #excolleagues #memories #old #oldworkplace #missing #fun #happiness #times #friendship #sweetmemories #women #girls #crazy #crazywomen #oakridge #oakridgebangalore #human #Bangalore #bengaluru #stories #bengalurudiaries #tales #people #timewellspent #colleagues #friends (at Oakridge International School,bangalore) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu5_0Gzg8FA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1sa9c8xpxmph6

[underumbrelland]

do you know that? my work table is broken(I can't sew some time) and I decided to hang a curtain and... now I paint the windows, oh 🤷🏼‍♀️🙂 #crazywomen it's hard but I hope tomorrow I will finish and start blouses in a new color after tomorrow. the news so terrible every day that I can't watch that. I didn't read or watch them today. 3 months of war. waiting for better days 😔🙏🏻🇺🇦 quiet and peaceful night for all 🌌

[horatorastudios]

A deeper detail today! Today is the showing @hivegallery for “Call of the Siren - Femme Revenge” so come on in and see the rest! PRESHOW 1-6pm SHOW 8-11pm Email visitthehive@gmail.com for your appointment today! 729 S. Spring #DTLA 10% off Peking Tavern #curation #crazywomen #femmerevenge #hivegallery #horatorastudios (at The Hive Gallery and Studios) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTZxniFlvM0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sexy-socks-models-blog]

#Repost @markusschlegelfotografie • • • #meetandgreet #studioshoot #crazywomen #fotomodel #peoplephotography #model #modeling #amazing #dream #posing #picoftheday #girl #ladylike #sexy #instagood #instalike #instafashion #art #modelfia #swissmodel #pic #dreistreifen #swissgirl #lips #fashion #outfitinspiration @model_fia @markusschlegelfotografie

[iamdjaone]

#Repost @iamdesibanks with @get_repost ・・・ 😂 When Your Homeboy Girl Stalking You!😂🤦🏾‍♂️👀 fr @queensotrill #JustComedy #DesiBanksComedy #TagYourFriends #CrazyWomen

[superman-2050]

#KristiNoem #GovernorOfSouthDakota #AntimaskPoliticians #MaskMandates #Covid19 #CrazyWomen #CovidiotPoliticians #Covidiots #CovidiotsWorldwide #CovidiotsAllOverTheWorld #GovernorsOfDeath #GOP #GOPDeathCult #Cult45 #RepubliKKKans #RepubliKKKanParty #GOPFamilyValues #TrumpDrug #TrumpsTreatmentSuggestions #DrTrump #TrumpsMiracleDrug #Bleachgate #Liesol #DrinkBleach #DontDrinkBleach https://www.instagram.com/p/CJihpF9pvFZ/?igshid=5myiljva8g5p

[rimestrike]

Some unreleased mixtape stuff @kirkobangz #kirkobangz #trillyoungnigga #women #crazywomen #hiphop #logicx #rap #passion #love https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvh3JHhAZO6/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wiykelet3cfv

[xtremeroads]

#crazywoman !Crazy for everything... Yes I am crazy for each second, Yes I am crazy for each breath, Yes I am crazy for each and every moment of my life, Yes I am crazy for my existence in this beautiful world, Yes I am crazy for all who belong to me, Yes I am crazy for amazing Mother Earth, Yes I am Crazy to travel, Yes I am crazy for everything... This image reminds me of the band I purchased from Thamel market in #kathmandu #Nepal. And I was list bothered what people might think of me. Because I was loving it. Immature Poet, Xtreme Vaishali #xtremeroads #vaishaliseta #crazywomen (at Thamel Market,kathmandu,nepal) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFbwDPInxwW/?igshid=ti7sbsdoqwiv

[nashirami]

An extraordinary interesting meeting with an extraordinary extroverted Korean artist 😸🤩🙏🏼 To be crazy is wonderful #moonsuk #hafenstudio #nashi #meeting #crazydiva #diva #crazywomen #crazywoman #hat #hut #korean #koreanwomen #hanguk #frauentreffen #session #studio #extrovert #glücksbuch #autorin #glücksblume #happiness https://www.instagram.com/p/CEjVlxUKFlM/?igshid=zwzstowcnggl

[yeagerlife]

Selfie!! When boredom hits! #blondehairnblueeyes #yeagerlife #beautiful #yeager #mrsyeager #yeagerlife #mommyyeager #love #smart #blessed #proud #blueeyes #crazywomen #haha https://www.instagram.com/p/CECgok-Htsm/?igshid=1olyiloyufz86