What does the storm represent in the swimmer?
4 min read
Asked by: Steve Armstrong
Cheever uses nature and the storms to represent the life of an alcoholic. Drinking may not seem to be so bad at first, but the consequences come later in the journey.
What does the storm in The Swimmer symbolize?
The Swimmer Analysis
The storm itself represents the good time that he has while he’s drinking. Much like the storm is for Neddie, the good time that is had while drinking can often mask the danger of the moment and the consequences of tomorrow.
What does the pool symbolize in The Swimmer?
The pools that Neddy swims through as he makes his way home represent periods of time that Neddy passes through. At the beginning of the story, Neddy is strong and active, feels deep contentment with his life, and is admired by his friends.
What is the message of The Swimmer?
The Inevitable Passage of Time
Neddy’s journey home through the pools of his neighborhood turns into a journey through many years of his life, showing that the passage of time is inevitable, no matter how much one might ignore it.
What is wrong with Neddy in The Swimmer?
Rather than being eternally youthful, Neddy is actually aging and moving toward death. Everything he once considered his right—his family, mistress’s affection, youth, and social standing—have disappeared, and at the end of the story he is left entirely alone.
What is the short story The Swimmer about?
“The Swimmer” is the story of a man who begins at the dawn of a new day to swim in the backyard pool of some friends. The water is cool and fresh, and the day is beautiful. As he has a drink with his friends, it occurs to him that a string of other backyard pools reaches all the way across the valley to his own home.
Why does Neddy decide to swim home?
He decides to swim home because his life is not confined to where he lives. He wants to discover all the swimming pools in the county. It is really his journey through life. Describe Neddy Merrill’s journey.
What does the end of The Swimmer mean?
This symbolises his losing everything, all but the very little clothes left on his back. He swims because it’s the last thing left he can do, the only remaining piece of his former life.
What is the Lucinda River in The Swimmer?
In “The Swimmer,” Neddy Merill swims home through a chain of suburban swimming pools, which he imagines is actually the “Lucinda River,” a wild river flowing into unexplored territory.
Why is Neddy described as an explorer?
Neddy likens himself to a “legendary figure” who is making an important discovery, and as he begins his journey, he calls himself a “pilgrim” and an “explorer.” When Neddy envisions his friends’ pools, he sees them through a mapmaker’s eyes, even though the narrator tells us that Neddy’s maps are imaginary at best—the
What is the meaning of the swimmer?
someone who swims, especially in races, or someone who is swimming: She was a national champion swimmer.
Who is the protagonist in the swimmer?
Neddy Merrill
Neddy Merrill
The protagonist, who decides to go home from his friends’ house by swimming through all the pools in his neighborhood. Neddy and his wife, Lucinda, enjoy a high social standing in their affluent neighborhood.
What point of view is the swimmer?
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. “The Swimmer” is an allegory that is narrated in third person point of view as someone who is observing Neddy’s journey.
What is the setting of the swimmer?
The action takes place in suburban New York City—probably in Westchester County, where author John Cheever once lived. Westchester, one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, is north of New York City and west of Connecticut.
