Allegorical Elements in The Swimmer Throughout the course of the story, John Cheever, the author of The Swimmer uses a variety of symbols and elements in order to reinforce his theme of the passing of time through life. For example, the pools throughout the county or “the Lucinda River” as Neddy calls it, symbolize his journey through life. As he swims from pool to pool, Neddy’s physical and mental states weaken while the settings around him change. His neighbors, who once respected him and viewed Neddy as superior, ignored him and the weather around him becomes cold and stormy. Through this journey, Neddy stays in denial about his weaknesses and lives in a fantasy world. Alcohol is another key symbol that Cheever includes because it confirms …show more content…
Cheever describes Neddy in a way that portrays him almost as a hero. Cheever describes Neddy as, “a slender man- he seemed to have the especial slenderness of youth- and while he was far from young he had slid down his banister that morning…” (514). Cheever mentions Neddy’s attributes in the first couple of paragraphs in order to emphasize how Neddy differs and stands out from others. Also, Neddy’s swim through the county’s pools parallel with the long quest of the grail. Neddy faces many obstacles like fatigue, alienation from his “friends”, alcoholism, and changing in seasons. Cheever describes these hurdles writing, “His arms were lame. His legs felt rubbery and ached at the joints… He needed a drink,” (520). Likewise on the quest to the grail, one faces may obstacles similar to those that Neddy faced. For example, Sir Gawain faces a terrible storm on his quest to find the Holy Grail forcing him to take refuge in a shelter (Blythe). Temptation and adultery also show up in both stories. In The Swimmer, Neddy hopes for a long, successful marriage with Lucinda, but ruins this ideal by having an affair with his mistress, Shirley Adams. In the Arthurian legend and quest for the Holy Grail, the woman is often “ultimately unattainable, and, according to Weston, She often reprimands the hero for his