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Duality In The Swimmer

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Literary Duality of concepts Many literary concepts are derived from natural laws. The storm in ,”The swimmer” by John Cheever is a metaphor for the main characters life. This storm presents itself several times in the storm and is related to the conflict the main character faces. In this story the reader can observe a duality of good and bad. This essay will strive to prove the concept of good over bad in a way that explains literary concept. The primary motif of the story is nature, so within the story the midsummer heat and a gradual change of season is critical to understanding the author’s meaning. The author makes effort to keep the reader immersed in Neddy’s good memories and attempts to hide from all sources the fact he has lost his …show more content…

This is seen as the main character jouneys from pool to pool seeing all the people he remembers from his past. The good events of Neddy’s past drive him to push for the end regardless of how tired, cold, and pitiful he seems to others. When the main character tells his mistress he is going to swim cross-country she says,” Good Christ. Will you ever grow up?” This clue tells the reader how far away from reality Neddy is living and the fact his brain is forgetting all the unpleasantness from his past. As the seasons change his spirit is still strong to finish his journey and believing in the midsummer dream he set out to complete. The mention of midsummer repeatedly even when the ice and cold are overwhelming Neddy is an example of good triumphing bad. Several of the neighbors mention his shortcomings, but the main character never ceases to keep focus on the good memories. He decides to not use a map; therefore, the result is a long roundabout path through roads and fields until he finally finds his home empty. The legendary youth he remembers from the party at the Westerhazys’ pool is fading along with his …show more content…

The main focus of this essay is to reveal literary concepts of good and bad also compare nature to the human spirit. Through the story, “The Swimmer”, Cheever uses technique to put the reader fully into the journey of the main characters life. The introduction gives the reader a false sense of good because Neddy is fully involved with his friends and family. The progression of the story reveals how persistent human nature can be when focused on good thoughts. The overall feeling of the story is tedious, but constantly keeps the reader involved going from pool to pool with the main character. Many times in the story the good overcomes the bad fortune of the main character. The primary conflict can be observed through the main characters forgetful memory and the constant reminders during the story of how much he lost. One likely theme is the passage of time, so the author uses nature to illustrate the passage of time without outright admitting any time has passed for the main character. The sadness Neddy feels about his life and shortcomings are resolved in the story by sharing a friendly conversation with friends. The pools of water are metaphorical for the passage of time, and the beauty he saw in the pools were faded to murky leaf filled swamps. The underlying message the author is conveying

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