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The Swimmer
In John Cheever's "The Swimmer," Neddy Merril relates to the world in a very detached way. Teddy considers himself to be one of value, and he decides to swim the county like a “pilgrim, an...
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The Swimmer
In John Cheever's short story, "The Swimmer," before the storm, Neddy is strong and youthful in his mannerisms. He is confident, and elated by the beauty of the day by the pool. In the midst of...
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The Swimmer
The tone of "The Swimmer" is ironic. Nothing is as it seems, and the opposite meanings of events and situations are emphasized. The hero, Neddy, is old, disoriented, alienated, and...
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The Swimmer
The third person point of view can be either omniscient or limited. An omniscient third person perspective means that the narrator can reveal the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in a...
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The Swimmer
The story The Swimmer, by John Cheever is written in a limited, third-person, omniscient, and objective point of view. This is a literary technique often chosen by authors to allow the reader to...
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The Swimmer
Depending on how one reads the story "The Swimmer," there could be several reasons why in his cross-suburbia swim Neddy speaks only with women, never with men. If one reads it with the ending in...
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The Swimmer
The character of Neddy Merrill is initially represented as one of continual youthful exuberance and vitality. He approaches the world around him as an invitation, with a general spirit related to...
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The Swimmer
One aspect of postmodern fiction is the way that it does not yield up its meaning directly. Postmodern fiction is defined by its rejection of linear narrative and sequential plotting, combined with...
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The Swimmer
John Cheever's short story "The Swimmer" was published in 1964. The setting of the story is the American suburbs, which flourished following the end of World War II. While no definitive date is...
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The Swimmer
One of the main themes in "The Swimmer" is the gap between social status and wealth. Ned, the protagonist, was once a person of wealth and held in regard in his affluent community. The story takes...
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The Swimmer
The depiction of the protagonist as a hero is a complex one. The depiction offered of Neddy in the exposition of the story, before he undertakes his "heroic quest," is one where youthful vigor is...
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The Swimmer
As expressed in his short story "The Swimmer", John Cheever's attitude towards affluent suburbia is one of scorn. He believes that their values are shallow and unfulfilling, and their...
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The Swimmer
In The Swimmer society is presented as an on-going "get together" in which alcohol is always present. In the case of Neddy, we know that he was going downhill in debt, in his professional life, and...
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The Swimmer
This story is full of wonderful themes like illusion vs. reality and alienation and loneliness. Neddy is an interesting character because he prides himself on being a little "odd" and...
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The Swimmer
He does not gain a sense of freedom. In fact, he is trapped. At the end of the story, Neddy is trapped at the end of his journey. Not only is he locked out of his house, but his house has also...
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The Swimmer
You might like to consider the way in which the central quest of the swimming journey that Neddy Merrill undertakes is linked to the cycle of life and his own failing physical condition. He is a...
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The Swimmer
There is a sense in which this excellent allegorical short story presents us with a rather harsh critique of the rich and powerful in American society. One of the primary symbols that is used to...
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The Swimmer
The mood at the beginning of this story is humorous and sluggish. The narrator states that "It was one of those midsummer Sundays when everyone sits around saying 'I drank too much last night'."...
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The Swimmer
The plot of the Swimmer is strange but simple. Neddy Merill, an affluent man of middle age visiting friends after a weekend of drinking decides he will swim his way home through all the...
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The Swimmer
The 1968 film adaptation of John Cheever's short story "The Swimmer" is generally considered to be an allegory of the American Dream. As with most such allegories, the film subverts the American...
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The Swimmer
In The Swimmer, by John Cheever, the plot attempts to disclose the shallowness and emptiness of human relations in everyday upper-class, suburban, and business-minded America. We are aware that...
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The Swimmer
According to R. Stevenson, et al, the elements of post-modern fiction in literature include the following characteristics: playfulness with language experimentation in the form of the novel less...
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The Swimmer
I think that one of the strongest critiques offered in Cheever's story is the idea of the shallowness in wealth. Neddy lives in an area where affluence is so prevalent that he can swim the...
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The Swimmer
Hola! The Swimmer is a story about a man called Neddy Merrill who was rich, powerful, had friends, a mistress, and lots of social contacts. He is quite egocentric and he has a fixation with...
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The Swimmer
All three stories depict the American family by examining devastating yet sadly common life events. Characters in all three stories seem unable to understand the impersonal nature of tragedy and...
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The Swimmer
The swimmer, Neddy Merril, is a rather pathetic figure. Initially, he seems young and heroic. However, as he continues on his journey home, we see him change quite a bit, especially after the...
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The Swimmer
Neddy did not start drinking because he lost his home. He had done a lot of drinking, in fact, prior to arriving home to find his house dark and his family gone. There are several suggestions why...
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The Swimmer
I think that one of the most interesting examples of hypocrisy that is present in the short story would have to center on the neighborhood in which Neddy lives and stages his quest. On one hand,...
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The Swimmer
Cheever's "The Swimmer" can be read as an allegory for the life cycle. Note from the very beginning of the story when Neddy quickly dives into the Westerhazys' pool and scoffs at using...
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The Swimmer
Neddy Merrill's journey through the pools of his suburban town is meant to parallel a man's journey through life. When he starts out, he is described as youthfully middle aged, athletic and...
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The Swimmer
In John Cheever's "The Swimmer," I don't know if you are supposed to find a specific answer, as much as look to his experiences as a metaphor of his life. Neddy comes from the upper echelons of...
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The Swimmer
In this first section of John Cheever's unique story, "The Swimmer," Neddy Merrill is the focus of the story as he sits poolside in the warm sun--"he might have been compared to a summer's day,...
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The Swimmer
I think the turning point for Ned occurs when he is trapped in the beach house while the storm hits. Prior to that he sees himself as this Greek god-like figure attempting this heroic feat. In...
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The Swimmer
Please note: The post contains numerous questions. The eNotes Homework Help policy allows for one question per post. This answer primarily addresses the last question. John Cheever’s stories are...
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The Swimmer
Yes and no. By that I mean, it is a bit more complicated than this. Neddy Merrill is having troubles in life, and is out of place. He chooses his actions in part to make up for these things, and...
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The Swimmer
Great question! The setting acts as one of the many tools in an author's tool box. They can use the wheres and whens of a story to make it more or less accessible to their audience. It can be...
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The Swimmer
"The Swimmer" is a short story written by John Cheever. The narrator of the story, Neddy Merrill, decides to "swim home" across one suburban pool after another in the neighborhood in which he...
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The Swimmer
The purpose of delaying the revelation about Neddy's family and home is to provide a shock factor after we see all the things he was doing to deflect his reality. It is more fascinating for the...
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The Swimmer
I think that there is much in way of the symbolism in the journey that Neddy undertakes and its connection to modern being in the world. On one hand, the quest has significance to Neddy and that's...
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The Swimmer
In John Cheever's The Swimmer, as in Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited and Rebecca Harding Davis' Life in the Iron Mills, it is suggested that money comes between people and promotes insularity and...
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The Swimmer
This question has already been asked and answered. Please refer to the link below. As always, thank you for using eNotes....
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The Swimmer
The first paragraph of Cheever's story is detailing a discussion about a gathering or party the night before. It is significant in that it reflects a pervading attitude in the community. The...