Symbolism In The Swimmer, By John Cheever

For this essay, I am going to be discussing the short story “Swimming” found on the New Yorker, and written by T. Cooper. I have chosen this story for many reasons, and among those reasons is the personal sadness I felt when I first read the story, almost as if the universe was placing a certain theme in my life, that only the main character could possibly understand. I am talking about running, the god given instinct felt by all men, inherent in the nature of fear, and brought out in all who feel sadness in its full intensity. Though in my short life I can not compare the sadness I have felt with that of losing a child at my own hand, but if I had been placed in that situation, if fate had tempted my soul with such a sequence of events, I would like to think I could find the strength to endure and the courage to not abandon all I had previously known. Yet I am able to reconcile the themes of grief, the mode of recovery, and the longing to escape such a terrible tale. I think in this piece, as I will discuss in later parts, the author was able to put into words a transformation we rarely get to observe in closeness, the kind of transformation that turns a kind man into a “just man” the kind of death that turns this world from a beautiful and happy place into a world that is closing in on our main character, that is forcing him to surface temporarily and gasp for air, much like he does when he finds peace in the water, wading breath after air, after sea. I firmly believe that

By the time the alcohol touches the tongue, the storm has already begun. John Cheever’s relationship with alcohol presents itself throughout the short story “The Swimmer”, and uses the character, Ned Merrill, to represent the struggles he was experiencing. Addiction and the need for alcohol drove this character into a storm he couldn't retreat from. In “The Swimmer” Cheever uses a physical storm and the changes in the weather to show the path of drinking and becoming an alcoholic. The short story begins with joy and excitement, then turns into something casual and frequent, but eventually leads to misfortune and a misery. Nobody desires to be led to an unpleasant storm, that comes with drinking alcohol. Cheever uses nature and the storms to represent the life of an alcoholic.

Everything eventually changes, yet Neddy Merrill denies himself this fact. During his water journey, however, Merrill begins to see how futile his efforts really were, “The force of the wind had stripped a maple of its red and yellow leaves and scattered them over the grass and water” (Cheever 2046). Merrill, who began his journey on a beautiful summer day, is now faced with the fall season and begins to see time in full force. For Neddy, time represents an enemy, something that he wishes to control. “Time, despite Neddy’s attempts through repetition to stop it, has not been standing still. Nature is in constant motion” (Blythe). Merrill’s journey has led him to realize how useless his repetitious lifestyle has been. He now questions his worth and wonders where his life is taking him. Merrill is a broken man and has fallen to his lowest point.

Cheever’s usage of symbolism with the swimming pools and the round character greatly demonstrate the main theme of “The Swimmer” that indicates how life does change and will continue to inevitable do so no matter how much one may try to ignore it. Cheever also uses the consumption of alcohol throughout the story to symbolize Neddy’s unhappiness. Neddy’s desire for a drink grows stronger throughout the story especially when he is feeling weak and miserable which shows the true emotional state that he is in. According to Dr. Mark Jacob, “30 percent to 50 percent of people with alcoholism, at any given time, also are suffering from major depression… while alcohol often causes a good mood at first, it is a depression-causing drug.” The signs of alcohol abuse and the descriptions of the weather changing from summer to fall as well as the storm that passes thru are all symbolic examples representing the various circumstances in Neddy’s life. Neddy once felt full of life and was only concerned about his own happiness. Once the storm appeared in the story the character suddenly felt lonely and was never the same for he only felt coldness from that moment on. Time is passing much more quickly as Neddy’s journey progresses. Cheever finishes the story by having the round character realize that his life is coming to an end when he

It is inevitable that people will eventually encounter a hurdle that will challenge them either physically or mentally. Although self-doubt is always part of the equation, the individual always has the option to overcome the obstacle or let the barrier determine their destiny. In the short story “The Red Convertible” written by Louise Erdrich and the play “The Cuban Swimmer” written by Milcha Sanchez-Scott readers get the insight of the struggle two characters face as they find themselves in a difficult time in their lives. Through the events that occur, family support, and symbols readers can find similarities and differences while at the same time finding clues that certify that these two pieces of writing are about struggle.

John Cheever uses distinctive segments of shape in "The Swimmer" to make its importance. Through this short story, Cheever surmises that developing is certain and one much of the time denies it's coming and passage. Using Neddy's journey through his neighbors' pools, he exhibits that when one experiences extraordinary events, it is difficult to recognize the consequent changes. Cheever suggests that a man as often as possible covers real events from the mind and rather, submerges oneself in more positive trickeries. Imagery, lingual expert, and pictures used all through "The Swimmer" coordinate to make the subject. The alterations for the duration of Neddy's life are paralleled by changes in Cheever's imagery. The begin of the story communicates that, "the day was astonishing, and that he lived in a world so generously gave water seemed like a tolerance, a value. His heart was high and he continued running over the grass". These lines make a photo of a amazing midsummer's day stacked with, please. The peruser pictures the line of neighbors' pools with Neddy running beginning with one then onto the following. This photo of life and euphoria is soon supplanted by one of the voids. Neddy keeps running over the Welcher's home where "the pool furniture was crumpled, stacked, and secured with a covering. The bathhouse was catapulted. Each one of the windows of the house was shut, and when he went to the carport in front he saw a FOR SALE sign nailed to a tree". Directly the

Central Idea: Swimming has a long and rich history that dates back way before our generations and is not always as beneficial as we may think.

The swimmer’s journey is slower to him than the rest of the other characters in the story. Readers can tell that time is moving more quickly than Neddy believes it to be. Cheever states, “... he did not dive but went down the steps into the icy water and swam a hobbled sidestroke that he might have learned as a youth,” showing the change in weather because of the cold water and is another hint that helps the readers know that Neddy has grown old and is not the same lively young man. Neddy also sees the autumn constellation which he found odd because he still believed that it was summer. Cheever emphasizes that Neddy’s aging relates to the progression of nature. Neddy was bewildered because he expected to stay young forever and he cannot accept

Most, if not all, individuals in this world have a life goal; such motivation to achieve this goal begins to govern one’s actions. Giving this individual a clear trajectory in what must be done in order to obtain this life goal; this goal by becoming one’s only objective, it transforms into an obsession, consuming one’s life. Although this obsession is utilized as a mechanism to ease the journey in obtaining this goal; once obtaining it, no longer will it bring satisfaction, but rather, a void is created through a new obsession, aiming to bring fulfillment to the non-satisfaction brought from one’s life goal. Such goal-based obsession is seen in John Cheever’s, The Swimmer, where Cheever uses Neddy Merrill, to illustrate how an obsession with maintaining a suburban wealthy social status leads to ignorance in understanding one’s surroundings—resulting in Neddy forgetting how his actions impact the lives of others. Additionally, there is a certain level superficial savagery the individuals of this community have in regards to one another (primarily their interaction with the people who have fallen in their social standing). Cheever, through Neddy’s journey, critiques the superficiality of the suburban community and reflects on how Neddy’s ignorance will soon fade; forcing him to come to terms with the problems he has caused through his obsession to maintain his suburban status.

The main two are the way he feels after each new pool, and the time that lapses on his journey. The first way Cheever uses to show the parallels, is the way the main character feels after each pool. The man, in the beginning, is strong and energetic, feels good about his life, and is looked up to by his friends. The man thinks of himself as a “legendary figure” (Cheever, Pg1). As if there was nothing he could not do.

John Cheever and F. Scott Fitzgerald are both 20th century writers whose story’s thematically reflected the despair and the emptiness of life. In both story’s “The Swimmer” and “Babylon Revisited” the main characters undergo similar problems, although they are presented differently in each story. The subject matter of both stories, pertain to the ultimate downfall of a man. “The Swimmer”, conveys the story of a man who swims his way into reality. He at first is very ignorant to his situation; however with the passing of time he becomes cognizant to the idea that he has lost everything. In “Babylon Revisited” the key character is a “recovering alcoholic”, who return to his homeland in hope to get his daughter back. However, problems from

In John Cheever’s short story, “The Swimmer” he conveys the transformation of the character through the use of setting. The story begins in the suburbs of Neddy Merill's neighborhood. After a night of partying and drinking, Neddy the main character seems optimistic, he has a perfect family, a high social status, and not many problems going on in his life. He feels young and energetic therefore decides to swim across town through backyard neighborhood pools.

It is for many reasons that an author may alter time in a piece of literature. John Cheever accelerates time in a somewhat subtle way in his short story The Swimmer to show the effect that alcoholism has on Neds perception of reality.

"The Swimmer," by John Cheever, illustrates one man's journey from a typical suburban life to loneliness and isolation. This short story is characteristic of John Cheever's typical characterizations of suburbia, with all it's finery and entrapments. Cheever has been noted for his "skill as a realist depicter of suburban manners and morals" (Norton, p. 1861). Yet this story presents a deeper look into Neddy Merril's downfall from the contentment of a summer's day to the realization of darker times.

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, once declared “Lost time is never found again.” This quote ties to the meaning of how people frequently let time seep through their hands. John Cheever’s "The Swimmer" portrays this through the eyes of suburban man Neddy. Neddy is the average ‘Joe’ of most suburban households. Life in suburbia is repetitive in most scenarios, and humans can easily get lost in the monotonous adventure known aslife. Time leaks away from his figure, and he is not sure of he is the one changing too fast, or the world around him. "His main themes include the duality of human nature: sometimes dramatized as the disparity between a character's decorous social persona and inner corruption" (Kozikowski) supports this cause.