What makes John Cheever's stories uniquely American and what makes a story uniquely British?

The settings of John Cheever’s stories are the most obvious thing that makes his stories uniquely American. In The Swimmer, the main character decides to swim in every pool in the county on his way home. The fact that every house seems to have a swimming pool in their back garden is something that could be seen as uniquely American. Although many homes in Britain may have pools, it’s unusual for every home to have one. Having said that, many places in hot countries, such as Spain, have neighbourhoods with pools in every back garden so maybe this is not uniquely American.

Something that is uniquely American however is Cheever’s references to the Great Depression and the American Dream. Many of the characters in his stories seem to be influenced by the American Dream or it has affected their lives in some way and as Cheever grew up during the Great Depression, it is understandable that it features in many of his stories. As well as these, uniquely American features such as family values and capitalism are involved in Cheever’s stories.

When I think about what makes a story uniquely British, I think of stories such as Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. These stories are all tales of somewhat forbidden romance and are set in England. I think classic romance is something that makes a story uniquely British and obviously the setting. Although saying this, Britain is not just England.

In my opinion, what makes a story unique is not it’s nationality but rather the writers themselves.