John Cheever’s story “The Swimmer” depicts a protaganist, and the society that has nurtured him, as lacking in seriousness and responsibility. Neddy, the bewildered protagonist, represents a society satirized for centering its values on social status and materialism. During the course of Neddy’s journey, the illusions he has constructed about his life are stripped away, and in the process the truth behind his society is realized. In unveiling the tragedy of Neddy’s existence, Cheever reveals the unworthiness of an unexamined life.
The tragedy of Neddy’s presence leads to his own demise. Through an unique usage of tone, Cheever foreshadows the misfortunes of the protagonist. Stereotypically, the author hints at the fact that that wealthy people loaf around and indulge themselves with alcohol to rid themselves of their problems (368). In a mocking manner, almost setting Neddy up for his failure, the day begins beautiful and everyone is happy, but a feeling of confusion soon follows (368). Significantly, by exemplifying the point of view, Cheever allows the reader to see Neddy from two different perspectives. According to Neddy, “his life was not confining and the delight he took in observation could not be explained by its suggestion of escape” (368). The bystanders view of Neddy, however, depicts him as “close to naked,” as they “wondered if he was the victim of foul play, had his car broken down, or was he merely a fool” (371). This is the only moment in the entire story wh...
Our journey starts in the year 1853 with four Scandinavian indentured servants who are very much slaves at the cold and gloomy headquarters of the Russian-American fur-trading company in Sitka, Alaska. The story follows these characters on their tortuous journey to attempt to make it to the cost of Astoria, Oregon. Our list of characters consists of Melander, who is very much the brains of the operation as he plans the daring escape from the Russians. Next to join the team was Karlson, who was chosen by Melander because he is a skilled canoeman and knows how to survive in the unforgiving landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Third was Braaf, he was chosen because of his ability to steal and hide things, which made him a very valuable asset to the teams escape. Last to join our team is Wennberg who we know is a skilled blacksmith who happens to hear about their plan and forces himself into the equation.
In the short story The Swimmer by John Cheever, one of the dominant themes is the passage of time. In this short story time seems to pass as reality does with us unaware of its passing. The main character is the protagonist hero, Neddy Merrill who embarks on a traditional theme of a homeward journey. The scene opens on a warm mid-summer day at an ongoing pool party with Neddy and his wife Lucinda. The pool is “fed by an artesian well with a high iron content, was a pale shade of green.
“His life was not confining and the delight he took in this observation could not be explained.” (Cheever 216) He had a perfect family, high social status and very few problems in his life, or so he thought. His life is so wonderful that anything objectionable is repressed. Not until he takes the “journey” into realization, where he learns through others that his life has fallen apart.
“The Swimmer,” a short fiction by John Cheever, presents a theme to the reader about the unavoidable changes of life. The story focuses on the round character by the name of Neddy Merrill who is in extreme denial about the reality of his life. He has lost his youth, wealth, and family yet only at the end of the story does he develop the most by experiencing a glimpse of realization on all that he has indeed lost. In the short story “The Swimmer,” John Cheever uses point of view, setting and symbolism to show the value of true relationships and the moments of life that are taken for granted.
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.
The pools that Neddy swims through, as well as the people and situations that Neddy encounters represent the different stages of his drinking. In the beginning of the story, Ned is at a small gathering that includes his wife at the Westerhazy’s pool. The author states that Neddy is ordinary because even a priest can drink too much. (Cheever 1) At this pool, in this early stage, Neddy feels relaxed and accepted. He is in the early or adaptive stage of alcoholism. The early stage is difficult to detect by anyone, including his neighbors. Neddy doesn’t see any problem with his drinking and would laugh at anyone who insinuated that he had a drinking problem. A huge cloud in the west serves as a warning. Even though Neddy’s home is south he chooses to go southwest to avoid oncoming danger. Neddy chooses to move forward with his drinking and decides it makes him feel good so he does it more and wants to avoid the warnings. When Neddy leaves the comfort of routine drinking, he feels strong, like “a man with a destiny” (Cheever 2). He crosses the soft grass feeling great enjoyment and pleasure while drinking which means he is moving into the next stage of drinking which is the middle stage of alcoholism. He still feels in control.
In John Cheever’s, “The Swimmer”, on a hot summer Sunday ,while sitting by the pool with his wife and neighbors, as they all complained about their hangovers, a man of higher status named Needy Merrill decides to get home by swimming through the pools in his county. When Needy first starts off his journey he feels young and enthusiastic; he is then greeted in a joyous manner by his neighborhood friends. Apparently, Needy is a well-known and respected man. As his journey progresses he starts seeing red and orange leaves; he then realizes that it was fall. In the middle of his journey he starts to endure some turmoil, but he does not let that stop his journey. As his journey ends, Needy starts to come encounter with some people who constantly mention his misfortune and struggle with his family. Needy does not remember any of the turmoil that had been going on in his life, and starts to wonder if his memory is failing him. Towards the end, many of the people that came encounter with treated him rudely. Needy realizes that something must have went wrong in his life. When Needy arrives home, he sees that his house is empty and that his family is gone. In “The Swimmer “, John Cheever uses setting to symbolize the meaning of the story.
The novel, The Sun also Rises, was written by Ernest Hemingway and published in 1926. It tells a story of the 1920s, also known as the Lost Generation. World War I affects all of the characters in this book and plays a large role in their love lives. In Ernest Hemingway’s novel, Lady Brett Ashley is an attractive woman who uses her beauty as advantage towards men. Brett is involved in many different affairs and has many different relationships. Mike Campbell, Pedro Romero, Robert Cohn, and the most Jake Barnes. Brett is very powerful in these relationships, causing them to be very destructive to both Brett and the men. A group of American and British citizens travel from Paris to the festival of San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain, where their true characters are exposed through their drunken interactions. Throughout this novel, love is a major theme that is constantly affecting all of the characters involved.
“The Swimmer” by John Cheever and “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald have many elements in common. These stories are about two wealthy men interacting with other wealthy people. As the stories progress Neddy and Dexter search for the truth and the meaning of life. These two literary works fall under the literary movement called The Lost Generation. Finally, at the end of the narratives they are both grieving for themselves and realize that they have missed life’s meaning and opportunities. Authors use symbolism, imagery, and other literary devises to illustrate their anecdote’s themes. Fitzgerald and Cheever use watery imagery, such as the swimming pools and the boat, to convey the themes of their stories, which is, the passage of time and that there is a dark side of the American Dream.
The protagonists, Holden Caulfield and Neddy Merrill struggle with the conflict of society’s norms which expects one to grow up and follow the social class structure as well as the association with wealth and money. Their struggle with such norms produced negative results even though they change and realize their mistakes. However, it is too late for Neddy.
There is a common notion that money cannot buy happiness. This may be true for most, but not for John Cheever’s protagonist, Neddy Merrill, in “The Swimmer”. John Cheever was born May 27, 1912 in Quincy, Massachusetts. He has written many short stories for various publishers such as The Atlantic, The Yale Review and The New Yorker. In 1930, John Cheever published his first story in The New Republic; and in 1941, he married Mary Winternitz, with whom he had two children, Susan and Benjamin. Cheever served in the army during World War II; and after he wrote scripts for television series such as Life with Father. He also taught at a variety of institutions such as the University of Iowa, Boston University, Barnard College, and Sing Sing Prison. He received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. On June 18, 1982, Cheever died of cancer (Wilson 2). One of Cheever’s most well known short stories is “The Swimmer”. It was first published in 1964 at a time of great prosperity. This was when most of the middle and upper class Americans were enjoying the wealth and affluence of the post war era after World War II. It was during this time, when the suburbs, the setting of “The Swimmer,” grew in rapid quantity (Wilson 6). “The Swimmer” is a short story about a middle-aged man name Neddy Merrill who decides to swim home one day through the pools of all his friends and neighbors. Throughout the journey home, Neddy encounters many friends, and some conflicts, as he makes his way along the ‘Lucinda River’. Half way through the short story, Neddy’s journey becomes rough and the owners of the pools he has been crossing have begun to be rude to him. When he arrives home, he comes to fi...
John Green’s wonderful yet tragic best-selling novel The Fault in Our Stars tells a heart-wrenching story of two teenage cancer patients who fall in love. Augustus Waters and Hazel Lancaster live in the ordinary city of Indianapolis, where they both attend a support group for cancer patients. Falling in love at first sight, the two are inseparable until Augustus’s cancer comes out of remission, turning Hazel’s world upside. This is one of the best young-adult fiction novels of the year because it keeps readers on the edge of their seat, uses themes to teach real life lessons, and uses a realistic point of view instead of the cliché happy ending of most books.
"The Swimmer," written by John Cheever follows the journey of the main character, Neddy Merrill and his struggles with alcoholism. Living in a wealthy community; full of golf courses, tennis courts and lots of parties, Neddy lives an envious lifestyle, but in the end the journey doesn't seem so desirous. Struggles surface as alcohol became the center of all interactions with those in his community. Cheever uses symbolism to describe different phases of Neddy's life and reflects on how a life of alcoholism is a constant sink or swim battle. Neddy discovers the power of alcohol has destroyed his life, stripped him of his social status, and in the end leaves him alone, all while still craving alcohol.
“Robbie” by Isaac Asimov is a short story that takes place in 1998. When this story was written in 1965, the futuristic elements were extremely profound and one could see how the reader might agree with Asimov’s interpretation of the future. His world is detailed, including news events about manned Mars missions, futuristic technology, a technological code of ethics, or the ‘Three Laws of Robotics,’ and convincing personal relationships. However, Asimov got it backwards. Many elements in his world are still science fiction today and while robots do exist in 2010, Asimov’s robots are far more advanced in some areas and far more deficient in others. Although Asimov’s world contained many convincing elements, it was ultimately flawed and suggests that mankind’s predictions of the future are not always accurate.
Undoubtedly, Neddy Merrill is a social drinker in the beginning of his swim home. Cheever reveals how everyone at the Westerhazy's pool agrees they drink a lot. Even Neddy's wife Lucinda agrees when she says "we all drank too much" (250). This represents a social acceptance of alcohol. After all, this is a way of life in Neddy's social circle, and his success is also measured in alcohol. Everyone is aware they drank a lot the night before, but that does not stop them from drinking again. Neddy is drinking gin before he starts his swim from the Westerhazy's pool. "Here, let me get you a drink" is how Mrs. Graham greets Neddy at her pool. Cheever revealing the early stages in Neddy's life when he had control of his drinking. The ease of the pool visits show how Neddy was accepted socially. Neddy is...