John Cheever and F. Scott Fitzgerald are both 20th-century writers whose stories thematically reflect the despair and emptiness of life. In both the stories "The Swimmer" and "Babylon Revisited", the main characters experience similar problems, although they are presented differently in each story. The subject of both stories concerns the ultimate downfall of a man. “The Swimmer” tells the story of a man who swims back to reality. At first, he is very ignorant of his situation; however, over time he becomes aware of the idea that he has lost everything. In “Babylon Revisited,” the key character is a “recovering alcoholic,” who returns to his homeland in hopes of getting his daughter back. However, issues from her past resurface and deter her attempt to reunite. Ultimately, both stories share rather inconsolable endings with no direct resolution to their problems. Above all, both stories are about men who were once very successful, but brought about their own demise. In “The Swimmer,” Neddy, the main character, initially seems to have a perfect life. "His life was not confined and the pleasure he took in this observation could not be explained..." (Cheever 216) He had a perfect family, a high social status and very few problems in his life, or so he thought. His life is so wonderful that everything objectionable is repressed. Not until he begins the “journey” to realization, where he learns from others that his life has fallen apart. The character of Neddy is very similar to Charlie from "Babylon Revisited". Charlie was very wealthy until he lost his wife and daughter to his uncontrollable alcoholism. However, after "getting under control" of his drinking problem, he decides he wants nothing amidst papers of personal disasters. Neddy and Charlie brought about their own failure because of the choices they made. Both characters shared similar lifestyles and problems, but were presented differently in each story. Also conclude that there is no definitive solution to their problems, thus leaving a feeling of ambiguity. This gives the story a human feeling, which makes the reader feel companionable towards the characters. Both characters went through a streak of misfortune to convey a similar message; the present depends on your past actions. Works CitedCheever, John. “The swimmer”. Short fiction: classic and contemporary. 6th ed. Ed. Charles Bohner and Lyman Grant. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2006. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “Babylon revisited”. Short fiction: classic and contemporary. 6th ed. Ed. Charles Bohner and Lyman Grant. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2006.