Final analytical Essay

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Pursuit of Happiness for Men
Satisfaction is an important aspect of life for both men and women. The stories, The Swimmer by John Cheever, A&P by John Updike, and Araby by James Joyce demonstrates the struggles men go through from an early age to their forties trying to bring joy in their lives and the mistakes they are likely to make. My understanding of teenage years and right now as a young adult proves that our actions and thoughts are affected by this phenomenon. The story of the Swimmer is a clear evidence of the quest and the effects of making the wrong choices in family. Therefore, based on these stories and my personal life, every man irrespective of age searches for happiness and the choice determines quality of life.
A & P by Updike demonstrates the reactions of a typical teenage boy, Sammy. The boy attempts to make sense of his world through extensive examination of people he respects. I empathize with Sammy because we are in the same age group. My transition from childhood to manhood has been tough. There is that internal longing for power and success which affects our senses. Sammy saw the girls the moment they walked into the store and ignored his work for a second. He analyzed their clothes, walking styles, and general posture. In my early teenage years, I had to fight really hard to avoid looking at girls in a suggestive manner. I came to accept that emotional and physical growth affected my perspective of life during puberty.

Apart from this, the girls represented a theme which most young adults long for, non-conformity. Queenie comes out and defends their dress code by saying, “We are decent” (Updike 2). The strong and independent presence of the girls was inspiring.
Most young adults, with me and Sammy included, will look at the life of Lengel (the manager) and other employees and wish for a different path in life. They were miserable and unsatisfied while Queenie and her friends were contented (Updike 2). As much as I work hard in school to gain formal education and credentials for my career, happiness and freedom are the most important elements in life. Most people in the 21st century go to school and get jobs thinking that it will automatically lead to satisfaction. On the other hand, I disagree with Sammy as far as quitting the job is concerned. I did jobs back at home during summer and they were not prestigious but the idea of quitting without a second plan sounds insane and reckless. The lessons gained in these odd jobs lasts a lifetime with respect to emotional growth. A person learns the importance of perseverance and hard work and how to analyze situations; at least that is something I can say about my experience with odd jobs. Conclusively, the story describes the quest for happiness and the things men do to attain it.
James Joyce in his story, Araby, describes the quest for happiness which most young men seek including myself. The narrator is obsessed with a neighborhood girl and tries as much as possible to connect. As observed by his reply, “If I go, I will bring you something” (Joyce 2) the narrator was determined to impress the girl. The failed attempt to secure a gift from bazaar and the resultant anguish resembles my first crush experience. I am not sure at the moment what I wanted with the girl or where the crush would lead. Nevertheless, it felt exciting and special until the feeling faded away. From the story, the narrator was attracted to the older girl because her body was well-formed and it is possible the girl assumed that they were only friends. I have heard countless moments as a teenage boy obsessing over women from our neighborhood, school, or in other social events because they were older and physically grown. I know now that these were part of my emotional development into an adult. I was a quiet and shy boy who respected the privacy of people irrespective of gender so most effects of intense obsessions occurred in my head and I would end up being friendly with those people as opposed to confessing crazy emotions.
Araby took me back to a time when my face was full of pimples and hormones ruling my general dressing code and behavior. I remember the words Joyce used to describe the thoughts of the teenage boy. He said that the body of the girl was like a harp and her fingers ran upon the wires (Joyce 1). The story continues with the narrator describing his efforts to check on every movement made by the girl. He would slightly open his windows because he wanted to spy. I wish I could say that these actions are offensive and I never tried them. Matters of the heart or emotions are illogical and we end up doing things which are psychotic to say the least. I remember giving a girl a rose flower and Chocolate for valentines even though she thought we were friends. I saved my allowance for weeks just to make an impression. Material possession meant more than some awkward confession of feelings to me at that time. Right now, I think spending time with those you care about is more important than buying gifts from the mall. Even so, the story did a remarkable job demonstrating that the transition to manhood is filled with instances of thirst for happiness and love from those around us.
The Swimmer by John Cheever talks about the experience of a middle man (Neddy), trying to swim back home. The swimming experience would be an analogy for his life as an adult. The marriage, children, together with relationships with friends and neighbors describes the kind of life he had. First of all, my first shock occurs when he arrives home to an abandoned building with no wife and children. Prior to that, I read that he had an affair (Cheever 786) and made some poor financial decisions which made him homeless, alone, and broke. The last sentence in the story illustrates the outcome of his life, “He shouted, pounded on the door, tried to force it with his shoulder, and then, looking in at the windows, saw that the place was empty” (Cheever 788). Lucinda (the wife) and the children left Neddy in the process. The swim was a psychological effort to regain what he had lost during his middle life crisis. Such a life reminds me of the values I was taught as a parent and hope that I will maintain these values to avoid breaking my family.
Personally, I may not understand how it feels when a man undergoes middle life crisis. However, I know friends whose families were broken up when their parents were in their forties because of extra marital affairs and financial crisis. We may try to blame the financial aspects to the economy of the country but some of my friends say that a large percentage of the problem rose from emotional anguish. Strangely enough, I think half of the couples in my neighborhood had divorced by the time I got to college. People were busy looking for money and gratification from alcohol and drugs leaving the other partner to care for the family. The alienation created a drift between spouses until they came to the realization that the marriage was over. We are all in search of happiness whether you are a teenage boy like Sammy from the A & P or a man, Neddy, from the Swimmer. The problem arises when the source of happiness such as alcoholism and extra marital affairs negatively affects the general wellbeing of the family.
Conclusively, John Updike captures the typical experience of a young man today. He starts off in a small establishment hoping to scale the financial and social ladders to success. Sammy thought that standing up for what he thought was right meant something and quit his job. From the story, Araby, the young boy tries to impress a girl with the hope of happiness. He fails to buy a gift and is enraged. Lastly, the swimmer summarizes all these stories by showing that people, especially men, are naturally in search of fulfillment but the source and the type matters as well. Neddy gives the examples where he sought satisfaction from mistresses and financial schemes. In the process, he forgot about his family and the end was disastrous. Women are a central theme in these three stories and a clear indication of their importance in life. They play different roles in our lives such as girlfriends, wives, and friends. Thus, determining the kind of relationship to have with the opposite gender is an important decision for men. I also learned that age or education status does not deter the fact that pursuit of happiness is normal and finding the right path leads to a better life.

Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Cheever, John. “The Swimmer.” Cheever, John. The stories of John Cheever. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2011. pp. 776-788.
Joyce, James. “Araby.” Delay, James. The World’s Greatest Short Stories. North Chelmsford: Courier Corporation, 2012.
Updike, John. “A & P.” Daley, James. The World’s Greatest Short Stories. North Chelmsford: Courier Corporation, 2012.