Surrealism vs. Realism in The Swimmer, by John Cheever

548 Words2 Pages

John Cheever uniquely crafted the story “The Swimmer” by using a mix of surrealism and realism throughout the story. Most people when they read “The Swimmer” they have to reevaluate it to comprehend what is happening. The reason for that is because Cheever shifts between surrealism and realism so much that the reader does not even notice. The story starts out with Neddy being so strong and youthful, but as the story goes on he weakens and ages. When he was youthful Neddy decided to swim every pool in his neighborhood. As he ages and weakens, the pools get harder to swim and the seasons pass without him even noticing.

Surrealism and realism are complete opposites. Surrealism means “beyond reality”. It is when someone creates art or literature that used images that represent unconscious thoughts and fantasies. It basically means that there are realistic characteristics is a non-realistic environment. Surrealism is usually represented through art. An example of surrealism is when Ned swam all these pools thinking it has only been a few hours, but in fact it had been a few months or ye...

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