Use of Point of View, Setting and Symbolism in The Swimmer, by John Cheever

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

The Swimmer by John Cheever was published in 1964. The short story show the reader the emptiness many experienced during the mid-century white flight. The Swimmer gives a view into the life of Ned Merrill, an affluent suburban man’s life. Cheever uses symbolism, imagery, and tone to convey the theme of narcissism and suburban emptiness during the 1960’s.

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

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.

Wealthy people are known to be wasteful and swallowed by materialism. F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Cheever recognized this and exploited this way of life through writing. While Fitzgerald wrote directly about the wealthy way of life, Cheever used symbolism to portray his beliefs about it. Both represent the way life can be deteriorated and how our pasts and time can be distorted when in that particular lifestyle. In Cheever’s The Swimmer and Fitzgerald’s Babylon Revisited the reader sees similarities in concepts dealing with deteriorating lifestyles, time, and the emptiness in the lives the characters lead.

In order to arrive at the next port in the Lucinda River, Neddy must pass the Lindleys, where he is surprised to find that the home is vacant and his neighbors once-prized horses are nowhere the be found. At this revelation we first encounter Neddy’s decreasing sense of memory as Cheever acknowledges, “He seemed to remember having heard something about the Lindleys and their horses but the memory was unclear”(4). Rebekah Nydam analyzed this passage in her analysis of “The Swimmer” and concluded that, “This passage reflects not only a passing of time, but also that Neddy’s memory is obviously clouded and inaccurate. Neddy’s inability to remember significant details about his neighbors indicates that he has been dangerously unfocused with his everyday life. Depression or some other type of psychological illness could be distracting Neddy, rendering him incapable of separating his memories from the reality which surrounds him”(1).

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.

Only when Neddy reaches the midway point of his journey do things begin to go awry. Fogelman believes that the thunderstorm marks the turning point in Neddy’s journey (2) as he begins to realize that he cannot find the imagined life he seeks. Oddly enough, Neddy feels a sense of relief from the storm and it encourages him to continue his journey with a renewed sense of purpose (“The Dream…” 9). Then the season shifts from summer to autumn and leaves change colors to further symbolize the downhill slope of Neddy’s journey. Cheever states that when Neddy sees the fallen leaves from the trees, he “[feels] a peculiar sadness at this sign of autumn.” Like the falling leaves, the pools Neddy visits near the end of the middle part of his journey become significantly deteriorated, thus foreshadowing the upcoming failed end to Neddy’s journey. The public pool at the recreation center requires Neddy to take a shower before entering and upon leaving the pool, Neddy feels slightly dirty. In another pool he visits, leaves and scum float on the surface, symbolizing the defeat accumulating as a result of

The short story of “The Swimmer,” by Cheever begins with imagery to provide the backdrop and the setting for the protagonist, Ned Merrill. The descriptions provided by Cheever give us the idea of a suburb where many people engage in playful behavior, individuals are generally wealthy, and in many instances engage in some overindulgence with alcohol.

In Frank Perry’s 1986 film adaptation of “The Swimmer”, Cheever, Neddy, an upper middle class man who decides to swim across his neighbors’ pools home only to discover that his house no longer belongs to him and he is no longer a part of his family, is characterized as a very suave and robust man. The first scene of The Swimmer emphasizes Neddy’s vitality by the ways in which the camera encompasses Neddy’s body and that of his friends, the addition of two characters as well as additional interactions between Neddy and the women in this text. This contrasts the characterization of Neddy in the short story in the sense that Cheever’s Neddy is not presented as this sexual and aggressively masculine figure.

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

As a young boy, Trond’s interactions with water illustrates his innocence, showing his youthful behavior and preservation of innocence. Growing up, water has played a huge role in Trond’s life; He would often go out, “fishing for trout in the river” (15) or “riding logs down the river” (15). These activities that Trond engages in reflects Trond’s close bond with the river and how it brought out his adventurous and youthful behavior. The dynamic environment of the river and the never-ending flow of water is symbolic of Trond’s constant energetic youth. As a kid, Trond was always outside admiring the beauty of nature or out stealing horses, and the river provided him the opportunity to do that. In order to go out stealing horses, Trond had to “row across the river”(32), in which the river acted as the path or gateway that led Trond to his next adventure. In addition, the river also represents Trond’s reluctance to change or grow out of his childhood. Trond recalls, “I could immerse myself in water up to my chin and remain the person I was”(101). This highlights the idea that the river is a comfort zone in which Trond is able to submerge himself in and stay youthful. Trond doesn’t want to grow out of his childhood and the river protects his innocence. Even with the “current pounding away and pulling at his body,”(101) Trond felt untouched and remained the same person. This shows how the river maintains Trond’s growth into a man and it serves to show that Trond is the “anchor of

John Cheever’s short story, “The Swimmer,” describes the epic journey of Neddy Merrill as he attempts to swim his way back home. Throughout the story, readers continually question reality and fantasy while wondering whether Merrill is really experiencing what Cheever portrays or if he is simply stuck in the past. Merrill goes from house to house as he freestyles across each swimming pool along the way. As the story draws to the end, Cheever points out that Merrill’s world is not what it seems and he has really lost everything he loved. An analysis of “The Swimmer” by John Cheever through the liberal humanist and Marxist lenses suggests that the story

The son had loved his father dearly but does not favor his way of life. His interest in school greatly outweighed his interest or desire to work on ‘The Boat’. He still had a love for the sea and in some way felt like he should carry out his family’s tradition. After his uncle had accepted a new job he took his position on the boat and promised his father that we would continue to sail with him for as long as he lived, and when his father passed despite the desires of his mother he followed his dreams and pursued education and all of its wonders. After living his life he finds himself longing for the sea again and isn’t so satisfied with his life.

In the short story “ The Swimmer,” John Cheever expresses the idea that Neddy Merrill can lose everything if he denies reality. Cheever achieves this by employing various symbols during Merrill's cross county journey. The main symbols are the weather and seasons. Cheever uses the changing of seasons to distort the character’s sense of time and show the progression of Merrill’s life. In the beginning of the story the setting is described as a midsummer day and by the end of the story, Merrill is able to see the constellations of late autumn, meaning winter is near. The illusion of time allows the reader to understand the extent of Merrill’s state of denial, as his beliefs begin to contradict the reality around him. While Cheever uses the weather to describe how Merrill feels. When it is warm Merrill feels happy and youthful. However, when it becomes colder Merrill begins to feel weak and sad. To emphasize Merrill’s state of denial, Cheever employs the motif of alcohol in “The Swimmer;” the reader notices that when Merrill is presented with a reality that he deems unpleasant, he uses alcohol to enhance his state of denial. Through the critical lens of New Historicism, the reader can infer the author’s purpose for writing “The Swimmer” is to criticize the lifestyles of affluent people in the 1950s and early 1960s. Cheever focuses on the party lifestyle of affluent communities and how the use of alcohol allows them to deny the reality around their current misfortunes.