Symbolism In The Swimmer

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.

Looking at “The Swimmer” through the Marxist lens suggests that the story is really about how easily social statuses can change under different circumstances and how blinding hubris can be. Neddy Merrill is clearly a man of means in the story. For one thing, it is clear he can afford to spend time during midday to enjoy the afternoon by the poolside. Living in an upper-middle class suburban neighborhood has given Neddy many benefits. But his extravagant lifestyle takes a turn for the worse once he starts his journey home. As Neddy swims home, cold and half-naked, he begins to “crash”

“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.

Fitzgerald portrays the excessive use of alcohol as a factor that allows for less self-control, changing one’s destiny. At Gatsby’s party, all of those drinking having small fights: “Most of the remaining women were now having fights with men said to be their husbands” (51). Later in the book, while talking about Dan Cody, Nick mentions how His drinking influenced his relationship with Gatsby, because “he provided for such contingencies by reposing more and more trust in Gatsby” (100), where the contingencies are his actions while drinking. The fighting at the parties because of the alcohol underlines Fitzgerald’s use of alcohol during scenes lacking control. The fights erupt near the party’s end as well, showing how the fights are because of the alcohol intake. Meanwhile, Dan Cody’s story shows how his alcoholism resulted in a better relationship with Gatsby because of his lack of self-control. His knowledge of his self-control while drunk further emphasizes Fitzgerald's use of alcohol when it comes to a situation lacking self-control. An excessive use of alcohol leads to a character’s self-regulation, influencing their actions in the moment.

Problems with his parents, he would drink. Disagreement with his girlfriend, he would drink. Bad day at work, he would drink. No matter what difficulty he encountered or strain life would throw at him alcohol was always the answer. This, on top of the good times. Favorite sports team won, he would drink. Concert at the coliseum, he would drink. Fishing with friends, he would drink. The problem, he stated, was that his problems only got worse when he drank. So, he figured the answer was to drink more.

Alcoholism is a disease that not only affects the user’s behavior, but strains financial standing and social interaction (“Alcohol Problems vs. Alcohol Dependency”). Jeanette’s father in The Glass Castle, an undiagnosed alcoholic, would be the poster child for alcoholism in America with his many blatantly obvious symptoms. His relationships with the people around him, his finances, and his control over his actions and emotions deteriorate as the memoir develops. With this, Walls paints a very accurate account of alcoholism and its effect in America.

Generally, an anti-hero is “a main character in a story who does not have the qualities that a hero usually has, such as being morally good” (Macmillan Dictionary). For a person who overcomes difficulties and fulfills his dream, there is still a possibility that the person is not considered a hero if he or she is against heroic values. In John Cheever’s “The Swimmer”, Neddy is not a traditional hero who is concerned and caring. Instead, he is classified as an antihero--a relatable figure in default of crucial heroic qualities. Neddy’s decision of swimming home is merely due to his self-interest and not a moral motivation. As an antihero, Neddy does not have the interest to serve people. By contrast, his journey is one of self-gratification and entertainment. Arthur Ashe, the great American tennis player once said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost”. In “The Swimmer”, Neddy devises a very dramatic plan to swim home, which represents The Hero’s Journey. However, he does not demonstrate Ashe’s dictum because he fails to display some essential heroic qualities such as empathy, determination, and tolerance. Ultimately, he is not a hero, though he does complete a hero’s journey of sorts.

Many people enjoy a drink without any problems, but binge drinking or drinking heavily over long periods of time can have very serious consequences. Alcohol misuse not only harms the individual, but damages relationships with society in general in terms of violance and crime, accidents and drinking and driving.as well as the reconized immediate effects of drinking too much, such as nausea and vommiting, binge drinking and prolonged heavy drinking over long periods of time can affect you in many different ways. ( Know Your Limits ). In “The Swimmer” by John Cheever, He illustrates the effects It has on a human brain, life choices decision making, and how you can lose everything in a matter of months. Through the use of symbolism

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

While her analysis does take into account the loss of memory, it blames this loss on a possible psychological illness. If this were the case, Cheever surely would have chosen an allegory that alluded more to psychological detriment than to alcoholism. This is proven by Neddy’s next stop at the Welchers’, where he is dismayed to find that their pool was dry. The author narrates Neddy’s agitation

After the water had left him depressed he admits, “He needed a drink. Whiskey would warm him up, pick him up…” (Pg. 609, l. 28) This is another example of Ned’s unfathomable addiction to alcohol and that he is helplessly being swallowed into a depth of sorrow and despair. Neddy’s alcoholism also leaves him in a state of limbo and he loses all track of time, when the storm rolls in at the Levy’s “… he wondered what time it had gotten to be.”

In John Cheever’s short story, “The Swimmer” he conveys the transformation of the character through the use of the literary element of setting. The story begins in an American, middle class, suburbs. After what seems to be a night of partying and drinking. Neddy Merrill, the main character initially appears very optimistic; he has a perfect family, high social status and very few problems in his life. In spite of his age, he feels young and energetic therefore decides to swim across town through the neighborhood pools. However, his journey becomes less and less enjoyable as the day unfolds. The water become murky, uninviting and he becomes exhausted. Also the people in his surrounding become less cordial including his

Cheever’s “The Swimmer” demonstrates several themes and techniques often associated with postmodernism as a literary style. However, beyond the stylistic qualities of postmodernism Cheever’s work also critiques postmodernism in suburban culture through its depiction of despair in middle-class society. His critique on suburban culture highlights the balance between socioeconomics and alcoholism in order to escape the despair in suburban society. And, through an indeterminacy of meaning and devices of fragmentation such as temporal distortion, which are associated with postmodernism as a literary style, Cheever is able to engage the reader who then brings their own perspectives to the work. Without a clear resolution Cheever offers the reader

John Cheever’s once said “Homesickness is nothing. Fifty percent of people in the world are homesick all the time.” Perhaps this thought of homesickness was Cheever’s basis for writing his short story The Swimmer. Through the story of the main character Neddy, Cheever uses several literary devices to display two main themes. Cheever’s eclectic structure, tone, plot, symbols, motifs, and characters help to display the themes of the inevitable passage of time and the emptiness of suburbia.