John Cheever's "The Chaste Clarissa" is a short story about a man named Baxter and his search for women while he is vacationing in the summer. As the story progresses, we begin to become aware of Baxter's intentions and realize his true nature.
             In the beginning of the story, Baxter is sitting on his car waiting for the ferry when Mrs. Ryan recognizes Baxter and comes to talk to him. As she is talking to Baxter, she introduces her son's wife, Clarissa. As Baxter looks at Clarissa, we get a small glimpse into his nature as he describes her as, "Red-headed, deep-breasted, slender, and indolent." (Cheever, 1952, pg. 121)
             The next hint we get as to what type of man Baxter is when he says he has to be careful when trying to get information about Clarissa. We learn that, "his two divorces, his promiscuity, his stinginess, and his Latin complexion had left with his neighbors a vague feeling that he was unsavory." (Cheever, 1952, pg. 122) In his search for information about Clarissa, Baxter only found out when Clarissa was married and that people said she was beautiful and stupid.
             Baxter starts to make Clarissa an obsession to him when we find out he goes out of his way to look for her. Cheever (1952, pg. 122) says that Baxter "looked for Clarissa on the tennis courts and the beaches. He didn't see her. He went several times to the beach nearest the Ryans' cottage. She wasn't there." Shortly after, Baxter received an invitation from Mrs. Ryan for tea. Baxter normally would not have accepted this invitation, but knowing that Clarissa would be there, he eagerly went.
             At the party, Baxter wasted no time in finding Clarissa. As Clarissa poured Baxter his tea, he gave an invitation to Clarissa to go with him to the beach at Holly Cove saying, "you must let me drive you there in the mornings. I go down at eleven." (Cheever, 1952, pg. 123) ...