John Cheever's The Five-Forty-Eight

“The Five-Forty-Eight” is a short story about a boss who takes advantage of a secretary with a mental health disorder and fires her the next day. As a result, the secretary follows her boss home, months later, on the five-forty-eight train to inform him how much better she is than him. The short story ends with the secretary humiliating the boss and becoming more self-assured. John Cheever’s short story, “The Five-Forty-Eight”, contains themes of sin, deception, and redemption that merge together to reveal how good can overpower evil. Cheever uses a stereotypical relationship between a powerful boss and a “weak” secretary to portray the main theme.
To begin, the main character, Mr. Blake, has committed many sins throughout the short story with his actions and constant mistreatment of women. Blake emotionally responded the best to women who were vulnerable and easily victimized (Werlock). Pursuing these type of women protected Blake from any consequences that could have occurred from his actions (Werlock). For instance, Miss Dent was a timid employee who worked for Mr. Blake until he exploited her. Blake takes
Dent, Blake’s secretary, esteemed how her character is viewed. She is no longer powerless and shy, but she has gained a newfound strength and self-confident voice from the obstacles that she experienced as a result of Blake’s actions (Werlock). Miss. Dent obtained new courage and strength by admonishing Blake for acting arrogant, self-centered, and superior (Werlock). At the end of the short story, Miss. Dent forces Mr. Blake to kneel in the dirt behind the train station to attain self-respect and avenge herself (Werlock). Miss. Dent has redeemed and preserved her character by taking the “higher road” to prove to Mr. Blake that she is truly better than him. She had the opportunity to shoot Blake while he was in the dirt to get revenge for the trouble he caused her, instead she walked away as a better person with more confidence and