Realism In The Swimmer John Cheever

Swimmer is a short story published in 1964 by American author John Cheever. Most stories can have emotional impacts on the readers but some take the readers in the edge of reality. John’s writing can be categorized as factually movement known as realism. The story is frequently reflected as a symbol about decline, the aging progression, mid-life crisis and the life cycle as a whole.

The swimmer is about the life of a mind-aged young man who goes through the life in a swimming journey. He begins the venture with high spirits, jovial, practice cordiality with friends. The time passes and he finds himself in the storm of poverty, alone and mentality depressed.

Cheever creates the story in a realism happening in the world. Realism displays a society where ordinary people deals with it’s the forces on

living. It’s described by with everyday activities, social disputes and protagonist/adversaries relations. There is an irony tone to realism, as is in “the swimmer”. All the features of Realism movement as mentioned in the story. For instance, Realism is displayed in the Swimmer by Neddy Merrill when he sat beside the green water with one arm in it and the other around a grass gin. He was a slim man who seemed to have the slenderness of his youth and while he was growing old he had slithered down the guardrail in the morning as he jogged toward the smell of coffee in his dining room. This brings realism as it shows how people start their lives in the society today.
Cheever covers the repression of hopelessness as Neddy seems to live in the world of abjuration and his efforts to evade the memories, details and incidences is displayed by the state of slipup when he gets to the facts. In his mind he has suppressed the reality in a bid to evade handling the consequences but they ultimately face him in a depressing state. Neddy regrets that he didn’t recognize up to now that his actions made him lose something he endowed but it was too late to mend the muck. Neddy’s inability to remember important details about his neighbors indicates how depression and psychological illness is distracting him to the extent of incapable of distinguishing the memories and the reality.
The story shows the swift passages of time.

Neddy seems to be living a good life but as story continues is not the case. Neddy’s act is suppressed by painful events that has made him lose his track. The journey commences smoothly in the one summer afternoon with Neddy being well acknowledged by his neighbors whom he chats with for some moments and drinks at every stop before proceeding to the neighboring swimming pool. The time changes and Neddy realizes pools are becoming colder and difficult to swim. This transition elucidates Neddy growing old and weaker. The journey is not easy as it used to be. These changes act as a metaphor for the life of Neddy and swift change of time and situations.

Cheever uses foreshadowing to show the reader that Neddy is experiencing a delusion and everything was wrong. The fact that Welcher’s pool has dried up it represents the interruption of the Neddy smooth journey which shows the crisis faced in the mid-life. The weather changes from bright and cheeky summer afternoon to a cooler stormy autumn eve and Neddy loses his grip and grows tired. The life changes to harder one as it is foreshadowed by increasingly hostile world by each

swim.
Neddy drinking habit illustrates the ravages of alcoholism. He drinks too much and his swimming journey shows the dream life of a drunken torpor. The alcohol ruins his life as it’s characterized by; disorientation, mental impairment, hallucinations, confusion, tiredness and trebling. Alcohol ruins his lifestyle as the neighbors at the end of story discuss his debt and his family has abandoned him without even noticing. He is left as a disconcerted and shattered man with everything he once had almost gone.
Cheever does a great work by integrating the symbolism and character development. He uses symbolism to convey his purpose. The storm appears out the clouds which were calm to show Neddy’s life changes and his clouded vision. At the beginning of the story, Neddy is partying with his friend in a summer afternoon and begins having affair with his mistress. He reaches the Halloran’s house, their nudity symbolizes the vulnerability that he feels to encounter the truth. The storm appear and starts rolling and now Neddy is faced by the reality of what is happening in his life. He is now tired and couldn’t swim anymore. His friends deserts him and could not invite him to any party. His wife and four daughter leaves him also. The storm depicts the life of Neddy and how it rolls shows the crushed memories starts to surface. He uses his characters to develop the emotion of the story.
The pool and water shows the life faced by Neddy. At the beginning of the story, the pool is gleaming and pale green shade around it. This reflects the young, active and energetic life of Neddy as well as his experience. As the story progresses, the pool turns mucky and so is his experiences. The pools dries up symbolizing the mid-life crisis he faces
In conclusion, Neddy’s swimming journey is the reflection of lives of many people in the world. They swim through their lives choosing not to accept behaviors that are significant and damaging to their families. Alcoholism, Extramarital sex, gambling and debts ruining relationships in the society today. The common crisis that people face in their midlife have power to rip apart their friendship and families. Unfortunately, it’s too late for Neddy to mend his mistakes and ends up being poor, abandoned and mentally ill.