When you say that a protagonist who embody's the writers flaws detracts from the narrative you must first consider what kind of narrative is the piece supposed to have. If the piece is character driven with the protagonist's personal feelings and emotions driving the piece then it is much more likely that a writer using his own flaws as inspiration will be able to build a well developed character who will definitely capture a reader's attention. So in that case the challenge for the writer is to ensure that the Protagonist manages to not become too focused on their flaws. If the work becomes bogged down in the character's own struggle with too little attention being payed to plot or setting or even other character's then the piece becomes too personal.If we lose too much of the barrier between the author and the character that we can't tell either apart we are distracted from a narrative that is being replaced by uncomfortable reality.
Whereas in john Cheever's the swimmer Cheever has instead chosen to give his protagonist his own flaws yet deny him knowledge of what those are. On his odyssey through pools he falls from a wealthy pool lounging socialite to a pathetic half naked drunk. We are never distracted from the narrative by his flaws as they are woven into the narrative and are what make the narrative compelling. The knowledge that Cheever is being brutally honest about himself only adds extra weight and depth to a modern classic
"any portrait done with feeling is one of the artist not the sitter"
Oscar Wilde
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