In exploring the theme of alienation in Rohinton Mistry's "Swimming Lessons," one could analyze, for example, how Kersi Boyce regularly receives bits of information about his fellow tenants through conversations with a fellow immigrant, a Portuguese woman, in his apartment complex. Receiving these bits of information, however—such as about the old, sick man in the building—does not seem to help Kersi connect to the other residents. You may want to think of other examples in the story in which Kersi attempts to connect with a fellow tenant only to become more alienated. It could be helpful to consider his attempt to learn the name of the old man and the tragic information he learns instead.

Perhaps think about how Kersi imagines he sees two young, beautiful women suntanning only to realize that they are old and wrinkled. What does this suggest about alienation as a part of Kersi's experience in Toronto and about the juxtaposition between his dreams and his reality?

You could also consider how alienation is presented in Kersi's desire to learn to swim and the fear that paralyzes him from learning. How does this speak to the difficulty that many first-generation non-Western immigrants experience as they struggle to adjust and thrive in Western society? Kersi seems to want to have meaningful connections to people in Toronto, but his fear of being vulnerable hinders this desire, just as the fear of the vulnerability of letting go and learning to swim hinders his ability to embrace his swimming lessons. One more note to consider on the theme of alienation: does this alienation exist simply because Kersi does not try hard enough to connect with people in his new city, or does the presence of racism and xenophobia in Western society contribute to this alienation?