The Stories of John Cheever

times people go on a quest in search of something they desire, but as protagonist Neddy Merrill discovers, the quest does not always turn out as planned and instead leads the quester in the direction of self-discovery. In his 1964 short story “The Swimmer,” John Cheever depicts the disastrous downfall of a man who impulsively decides to journey home through a course of swimming pools, but instead unconsciously escaping reality. Neddy Merrill abruptly decides to begin his journey home one Sunday afternoon

brings him to his knees. In John Cheever’s “The Swimmer” we go on a journey with Neddy, a man that is struggling to deal with all that has happened in his life. Neddy is forced to come to terms with horrible things that have happened in his past by his fellow neighbors. Neddy is a man that is struggling with knowing who he is and what has happened in his life. Through pieces of the text I can prove that this is what Neddy was struggling with; and that throughout the story Neddy is slowly being defeated

“The Swimmer” is one of John Cheever’s most notorious short stories. John Cheever’s main character is a middle-aged, suburban man, named Needy Merrill. While sitting at his neighbors, the Westerhazy’s, pool, Needy decides that he will take a journey through his neighborhood swimming pools. 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

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

With an Addiction: Alcohol and the ways it affect parents and children As John Cheevers short stories open there's three stores in particular that are about children with parents that has addictions. The Harley's, the Sutton place story, The sorrow of gin all the children lived the same lifestyle but had the same problems. All the children are of different ages with parents with an addictions. The antagonist of the story is not a person but rather a substance. Alcohol which is manipulating and

time, and relatable to anyone who reads them. John Cheever’s story “The Swimmer” is an example of a great work in literature. Exploring the diverse views, a reader can judge it and the various ways one can construe. Each time the reader reads Cheever’s work; the reader can form a different interpretation or understand the story in a different way. Understanding a powerful work of literature can give the reader a different interpretation of the story including seeing a familiarity to another great

“Reunion” by John Cheever, the focus is on the relationship between father and son. The father portrayed as destructive, aggressive, insensitive, a worn out cliché. The son is the author himself, walking around in the shadow of his father, looking up to him, at first. This relationship between Cheever and his father brings a light to the toxic masculinity portrayed in movies, television shows, and literature. By depicting this false view of what a strong male lead looks like, Cheever helps perpetuate

2014 An Analysis of "The Swimmer" by John Cheever Most stories can have an emotional impact on people, but once in a while certain stories can take the reader to the edge of reality. The Swimmer is a fascinating story with primary use of a setting and amazing characters that engages readers and can move them to experience life in an unfathomable way. Cheever was born May 27, 1912, in Quincy, Massachusetts, to Frederick Lincoln Cheever and Mary Liley Cheever. His father owned a shoe factory until

The short story The Swimmer, written by John Cheever incorporates American ideals of the 1960s. Cheever utilizes his writing skills to bring forward criticism of American ideals and uses the character of Neddy Merill to exemplify this. Much of what is written in this story still pertains to modern society, as values of western society have mostly remained the same in the last five decades. Cheever criticizes Neddy Merrill for his ignorance and superficial lifestyle likewise, Cheever assess elements

Denial is the refusal to recognize or acknowledge information. Charlotte Perkins Gilman and John Cheever intriguing stories display the struggle of two characters through imagery and symbolism. In the yellow wallpaper, Charlotte Gilman demonstrates the oppression of women by society while showing the struggle to be set free. Alternatively, John Cheever conveys the ignorance of a man’s downfall through time. However, the yellow paper and the swimmer both show gradual loss of reality as the characters