Denial In World War Z And John Cheever's The Swimmer

Final Exam: Denial Denial is often times a detrimental consequence of the human experience. Throughout the novel World War Z by Max Brooks and John Cheever’s The Swimmer, denial is utilized as a tool to avoid confronting problems that people fear. In each story, both Brooks and Cheever successfully convey the message that denial not only makes matters much worse, but also suggests that, if the truth is avoided and people choose to stay ignorant, they put themselves at risk of losing everything. Max Brooks portrays denial in various aspects throughout World War Z. In China, Kwang Jingshu “was arrested by the MSS and incarcerated without formal charges” after he attempted to treat one of the first documented cases of the zombie outbreak during

However, this journey takes place over the course of years, although Neddy believes it takes no longer than a day. It is stated that, “He had swum too long, he had been immersed too long.” This not only brings to light the length of Neddy’s swim, but also demonstrates to readers that he has no genuine sense of time or reality. He believes that his family will be awaiting his arrival at home, but when he gets there, it is abandoned, overgrown, and rusted, bringing readers to the conclusion that no one has occupied the house in years. Neddy’s denial is so far ingrained within his mind that he is confused by returning to an empty home, although it has been abandoned for years. This deeply ineradicable refusal of the truth stems from Neddy’s own fear of his sad reality; ultimately, he has lost family, his friends, and his reputation, although he dismisses these facts of life and lives in a fake reality. Just as in World War Z, Neddy does not confront reality until his swim has concluded. Cheever writes, “At what point had this prank, this joke, this piece of horseplay become serious?” However, by the time the severity of the situation sets in, Neddy has already lost everything he