John Cheever's cynical reflections on man's loss of humanity in the modern world are artfully articulated in his short story "The Five-Forty-Eight" (Kennedy, 316) . A brief memoir of an average man's escape from an abandoned and apparently psychotic ex-lover in suburban New York allows Cheever to admonish the indifference, contempt, and lack of compassion that he believes has infected society. The story's conclusion does not offer a definitive solution to this hostility syndrome, which may highlight the author's thematic position regarding our culture's profligate attitude toward respecting human dignity and worth. To convey this pessimistic message, Cheever creates and reveals the nature of two characters whose conflict is representative of man's greatest denigration. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The main characters, Mr. Blake and Miss Dent, represent the clash between society's callous and sardonic predilection and its opposition to the faltering traces of reverent goodness left in men. To achieve this through characterization, Blake – whose name, not surprisingly, sounds “bleak” – is classified as a self-described “insignificant man” who adheres to the “sumptuary laws” of fashion, making him “indistinct in every way… like all of us." Such ambiguities give Blake's character and actions a more universal application, which helps the author criticize society at large. Such clarified behaviors and ideas include his habit of never “turning back and looking” at other people, “circumventing an old friend or classmate,” and pre-judging people as “rich, poor, brilliant, or boring.” without ever communicating with them. More serious, however, is his estrangement from his wife and son, which he dismisses as "human nature". Finally, her high regard for his memory is betrayed three times, as she cannot remember Dent's name despite their sexual past, the loss of a coffee ring moments after purchasing it, and the utter inability to remember innocent childhood. Such insights reveal a character emotionally separated from all people, even from his immediate family. Furthermore, it is clear that Blake neglects the value of interacting with others beyond a quick assessment of wealth and position. Blake's relationship with Dent exemplifies his devaluation of human contact. He suspects that Dent has used violence against him and runs away from her. Although we learn that his suspicion was correct, it began simply as crude paranoia and denial; Dent may have only followed him to exchange a brief conversation, or not followed him at all. Blake's escape highlights his fear and hatred of communication. His shock that she was the "[first] of a thousand [he had seen] cry" shows the reader the extent of Blake's emotional isolation: without extreme detachment, how could one avoid the sight of crying in a big city like New York? It is only after Blake begins to consider Dent's plight that he feels "the full force of remorse", and only after he is nearly executed by Dent that he shows emotion and cries. However, after Dent leaves, he seems to recover without having learned from the experience: he appears as detached and unfeeling as ever. Cheever here laments our society's reluctance to acknowledge its own emotional and virtuous deficiencies by demonstrating that even after being savagely threatened at gunpoint, Blake – and society – will remain unmoved, with little chance of a return to; 317-325.