The Swimmer John Cheever Analysis
Mina Hanna
ENGL 2130-010
Ms. Kilgore
The Swimmer by John Cheever
Oct 06, 2011
The Swimmer by John Cheever
Neddy’s journey home through the pools of his neighborhood turns into a journey
through many years of his life, showing that passage of time is inevitable, no matter how
much one might ignore it. Neddy has mastered the art of denial. At the beginning of the
story, the narrator tells us that Neddy is far from young, but he does his best to act
young by sliding down a banister and dividing headlong into a pool. The long afternoon
at the Westerhazy’s pool seems timeless, no different, we can assume, from many
others afternoons spent exactly the same way.
As Neddy’s journey progresses, we see that time is actually …show more content…
Neddy has taken Lucinda, just as he took
his comfortable life, for granted. We don’t know much about their marriage, but we know
of Neddy’s affair with Shirley, an affair he treated lightly and to which he attached no
meaning.
Morshed 4
The changes in weather and season that occur throughout the story mirror Neddy’s
changing life circumstances, particularly the deterioration of his comfort and security. At
the beginning of the story, Neddy is warm in the sunshine, conscious of nothing but his
own happiness and the pleasures of the day. As he begins his swim, the water and air
are of comfortable temperature, and he can walk easily from pool to pool in his swim
trunks. Shortly into his journey, a storm passes, making a turning point in Neddy’s plans.
He is alone for the first time, waiting out the storm in a deserted gazebo; and when the
storm ends, the warmth is gone. He is chilly, and the red and yellow leaves on the
ground suggest
ENGL 2130-010
Ms. Kilgore
The Swimmer by John Cheever
Oct 06, 2011
The Swimmer by John Cheever
Neddy’s journey home through the pools of his neighborhood turns into a journey
through many years of his life, showing that passage of time is inevitable, no matter how
much one might ignore it. Neddy has mastered the art of denial. At the beginning of the
story, the narrator tells us that Neddy is far from young, but he does his best to act
young by sliding down a banister and dividing headlong into a pool. The long afternoon
at the Westerhazy’s pool seems timeless, no different, we can assume, from many
others afternoons spent exactly the same way.
As Neddy’s journey progresses, we see that time is actually …show more content…
Neddy has taken Lucinda, just as he took
his comfortable life, for granted. We don’t know much about their marriage, but we know
of Neddy’s affair with Shirley, an affair he treated lightly and to which he attached no
meaning.
Morshed 4
The changes in weather and season that occur throughout the story mirror Neddy’s
changing life circumstances, particularly the deterioration of his comfort and security. At
the beginning of the story, Neddy is warm in the sunshine, conscious of nothing but his
own happiness and the pleasures of the day. As he begins his swim, the water and air
are of comfortable temperature, and he can walk easily from pool to pool in his swim
trunks. Shortly into his journey, a storm passes, making a turning point in Neddy’s plans.
He is alone for the first time, waiting out the storm in a deserted gazebo; and when the
storm ends, the warmth is gone. He is chilly, and the red and yellow leaves on the
ground suggest