What is the moral message of The Swimmer?

What is the moral message of The Swimmer?

“The Swimmer” has as its primary theme the power of the mind to deny unpleasant truths, or, to put it more positively, the determination of the ego to preserve itself in the face of events that might erode or obliterate one’s self-confidence.

What is the meaning behind The Swimmer?

Neddy’s journey, if examined through a symbolic lens, represents a significant period of passing time in which important events of Neddy’s life are ignored and the overall reality of his life is suppressed. The journey starts off smoothly one summer afternoon, with Neddy being well received by his neighbors.

What do the pools 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 summary of the short story The Swimmer?

“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.

What is the tone of The Swimmer?

The tone here is gently satiric, as typically Cheeveresque as the suburban setting modeled on the author’s own Westchester. The titular hero, Neddy Merrill, seems equally familiar: youthful (though not young), athletic, well-to-do, yet also somewhat aloof, yearning for something more.

What happened at the end of The Swimmer?

The disappointing end of the swim is where the decayed remnants of his life sit waiting for him plainly, as he discovers what’s happened 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 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. Neddy Merrill: The title character.

What happened at the end of the swimmer?

What is the conflict of the swimmer?

The main conflict is Neddy’s view of himself and the reality of his life. He sees himself as young and strong. As his journey continues, he realizes that he was not aware of the situations of his friends and neighbors. Some neighbors moved, some became ill, and he himself lost his home.

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 climax of The Swimmer?

The climax is the storm that occurs while Neddy is swimming his way home. He stands in the gazebo waiting for the storm to pass. He feels cold and he notices the changing colors of the leaves on the trees reflecting the passing of time.

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 conflict of The Swimmer?

What is the climax of the swimmer?

What is the tone of the swimmer?