What Is The Theme Of The Swimmer

“The Swimmer” is an allegory that is narrated in third person point of view as someone who is observing Neddy’s journey. This

In the short story, “The Swimmer,” John Cheever uses precise literary devices to emphasize the true meaning behind what the average reader might first gather. Throughout this short story, Neddy’s journey is recorded through what he does and how the time changes. His actions of “jumping from pool to pool” show Neddy’s incapabilities of growing up and the falsehood that he lives in. John Cheever wants the readers to understand that Neddy’s life is only a downfall as the years go by, and that his outlook on life doesn’t change until he realizes all his actions have left him alone. To set the tone of the story, the author uses metaphors of different objects to show Neddy’s changes in life, change of diction to set a tone from excellence to weakness, and Neddy’s life paralleled through the imagery described in this short story.

and it was in this book that I stumbled into this piece of criticism which gives more

The first example of symbolism that was found in this text was, the painting that was being painted in the beginning of the story. That was supposedly symbolizing the way that they were living. The next example is the title it is also a big part of the story, it is the number that you are supposed to call if you want to volunteer to die. So, it represented a lot of death.

“Get up now,” My mom yelled down the hallway. “Hurry or you’ll be late!” My brother and I dreaded waking up early to swim, but we had chosen to commit. Even though I’ve competed every year since first grade, I still struggled. That summer swimming taught me to have stamina, the ability to not quit even though it was hard.

     I’m thinking that the author’s main use of these symbols probably suggest that she was pushing the theme of the story. That we, the readers, could possibly understand what the whole purpose of this story meant. The symbols were clues into deeper understandings of the story and how

For example, fire. In a story like this there is a whole lot of actual fire, from burning books, to burning houses. Bur fire is also a symbol for anger. When people get mad they get “firey” inside. Fire can destroy so many things, literally and metaphorically. Fire, standing for anger, can ruin people inside, they get mad and their personality changes. It also can be interpreted as strength. The woman’s house that they burned down took it as strength. “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out." (Bradbury ). Another example of a symbol is when Montag bathes in the river with no clothes on. This is a symbol for cleansing yourself. Montag has been through a lot and has decided to start fresh and begin

The short story shows at the start of page 1 that fear can make us want to defend the things that we love. As Leiningen says “Why, even a herd of saurians couldn’t drive me from this plantation of mine”, in which he means that he’s not afraid of anything. But on page 13 (Computer Version) it shows how fear can debilitate us when the two peons jump over the gate in hope that they can make a run for it. In which he shows how fear can invigorate but also

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.

In this extraordinary book, the world’s most extraordinary distance swimmer writes about her emotional and spiritual need to swim and about the almost mystical act of swimming itself. Lynne Cox trained hard from age nine, working with an Olympic coach, swimming five to twelve miles each day in the Pacific. At age eleven, she swam even when hail made the water “like cold tapioca pudding” and was told she would one day swim the English Channel. Four years later—not yet out of high school—she broke the men’s and women’s world records for the Channel swim. In 1987, she swam the Bering Strait from America to the Soviet Union—a feat that,

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

The very first symbol I encountered in this story was the she-bear. This is a cultural symbol because in most cultures the bear symbolizes a warrior and the values they should possess. Therefore Atalanta, which grows up to be a warrior, is raised and nurtured by the symbol of a warrior. Another symbol is Atlanta herself which shows girl power. This serves as a contextual symbol because a woman usually represent delicacy, nurturement, or femininity. Another cultural symbol is the golden apple and how they are usually used to represent a tool used for evil or poisonous. In this case the apples were used to represent a tool used to slow down Atalanta so she could

“Well, I have a tale I will gladly tell.” said the swimmer”It’s sad but, joyous! Brave but, cowardly! Now gather ‘round and listen close for this is my tale!”

Point 1 – I will introduce the reader to knowledge about swimming and how it will help build confidence.

The Swimmer was originally a short story written by John Cheever. The story on the surface is about a wealthy man named Ned Merrill who decides to swim home to his wife Lucinda and two daughters using a string of swimming pools. However, when he arrives home he comes to an empty house. Using an in depth analysis, it is revealed that his “journey” is actually his decline in status, and effects of alcoholism. Ultimately it could be argued that the story shows the dangers of wealth and alcoholism. Ned Merrill’s wealth has stripped him of a purpose and as a result he finds thrills in distractions, such as affairs, or he creates false purposes. The greatest false purpose he conjures is when he decides to swim home. Throughout the