Characterization In John Cheever's The Swimmer
On July 18, 1964, The New Yorker published a short story entitled “The Swimmer” (Wilhite 215). Edited thoroughly and heavily compacted from its original form, “The Swimmer” represents John Cheever 's most acclaimed and recognized work. The protagonist of the famous and momentous short story, Neddy Merrill, undergoes a watery journey of self-exploration, acceptance, and tragedy while swimming in various pools as he makes his way home from a party. Slyly and allegorically, the short story dramatically demonstrates the possible density of the literary technique called characterization. Containing many cliffhangers open to the reader 's individual self-interpretation, the short story effectively uses the strong power of language to illuminate …show more content…
The first pool visited by Neddy is Ms. Graham 's, whose land borders that of the Westerhazys '. Through the adroit usage of a similar name, Cheever furtively identifies West Chester, Pennsylvania as a semi-autobiographical inspiration influencing the setting of his masterpiece. Ms. Graham excitedly and felicitously greets Neddy, promptly offering him an alcoholic beverage. Quickly and purposefully, Neddy swims the length of Ms. Graham 's pool and leaves the harmonious scene eager and motivated for the long journey ahead. After successively swimming through a few of the neighbors ' pools, Neddy hears the noise caused by the festive scene taking place at the Bunkers '. The leisurely, relaxed, and comfortable atmosphere at the Bunkers ' inspires Neddy to feel warmhearted and effervescent, inducing the muse, “Oh how bonny and lush were the banks of the Lucinda River!” (Baym 1180). However, the acknowledgment of thunder resounding in the distance metaphorically warns of coming troubles for Neddy. Nevertheless, Neddy causes the alert reader to feel ambivalence concerning the impending storm when he asks, “... why did the first watery notes of a storm wind have for him [Neddy] the unmistakable sound of good news, cheer, glad tidings?” (Baym 1181). Shockingly, the water imagery present in the previous line accurately demonstrates Neddy 's sanctimonious, self-righteous, yet auspicious perspective. Due to the identification of his appreciation of raging storms, the clever reader induces that Neddy usually encounters storms in his life, yet somehow compensates for the impending negativity by embracing positivity. Additionally, Neddy appears to be losing a proper orientation of time, because his muddled mind fails to accurately recall when Mrs. Levy purchased the Japanese lanterns. Masterfully and innovatively, Cheever bends the definition of time, leaving the reader constantly questioning the true amount
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Inferno In Stanley Cheever's The Swimmer
618 Words | 3 PagesIn Stanley J. Kozikowski article, “Damned in a Fair Life: Cheever’s ‘The Swimmer’”, infers that The Swimmer is a “spiritual allegory in the fashion of Dante” (367). He also argues that Cheever’s story is autobiographical on Neddy’s part and “reveals itself as an uneasy pilgrimage to hell” (367). Kozikowski draws very specific sections and details of The Swimmer and presents the parallels in Inferno, such as: the attitudinal similarities between Neddy Merrill and Dante the pilgrim, the likeness Cheever’s multiple pools and their environments share with the different circles and rivers of Dante’s hell, and references some of The Swimmer’s speech and characters that uncannily reflect that of Inferno. Kozikowski takes The Swimmer bit by bit,
John Cheever The Swimmer Summary
826 Words | 4 PagesTitle Throughout history, people have been in pursuit of a ‘currency’ to assess a person’s worth. According to Merriam-Webster, “currency” is defined as a “circulation as medium of exchange.” The ancient Babylonians used silver and grains, the Romans used copper, silver, and gold to assess their worth. Then, there was a radical shift to paper and coin currency as well as ownership of high value commodities like fur, fish and grains to compute worth. However, towards the mid 20th century, America saw the gradual establishment of a revolutionary form of assessing worth, namely societal respect in addition to the monetary worth of a person.
The Swimmer Analysis
893 Words | 4 PagesDecline Imagery Setting Characters Tone Conclusion: Cheever’s use of literary devices drives the plot of the delusion of suburban emptiness. Literary Analysis of The Swimmer The Swimmer by John Cheever was published in 1964.
Denial In World War Z And John Cheever's The Swimmer
634 Words | 3 PagesHowever, this journey takes place over the course of years, although Neddy believes it takes no longer than a day. It is stated that, “He had swum too long, he had been immersed too long.” This not only brings to light the length of Neddy’s swim, but also demonstrates to readers that he has no genuine sense of time or reality. He believes that his family will be awaiting his arrival at home, but when he gets there, it is abandoned, overgrown, and rusted, bringing readers to the conclusion that no one has occupied the house in years. Neddy’s denial is so far ingrained within his mind that he is confused by returning to an empty home, although it has been abandoned for years.
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Comparing The Characters In The Swimmer, Greasy Lake, And
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