John Cheever the Swimmer
Living in a Dream World: Fantasy and Social Hierarchy in Cheever’s “The Swimmer”
John Cheever’s short story, “The Swimmer,” describes the epic journey of Neddy Merrill as he attempts to swim his way back home. Throughout the story, readers continually question reality and fantasy while wondering whether Merrill is really experiencing what Cheever portrays or if he is simply stuck in the past. Merrill goes from house to house as he freestyles across each swimming pool along the way. As the story draws to the end, Cheever points out that Merrill’s world is not what it seems and he has really lost everything he loved. An analysis of “The Swimmer” by John Cheever through the liberal humanist and Marxist lenses suggests that the story is really about how our human desire to relive pass successes and the pursuit of materialism will eventually lead to downfall. Looking at “The Swimmer” through the liberal humanist lens suggests that the story is really about how living in a fantasy world and believing in a false youth will cause ignorance of reality and the loss identity. In the story, Neddy Merrill seems to be living in a fantasy world as he heavily drinks alcohol, socializes at parties, and attempts to swim through the neighborhood. The real world appears to be quite different for Neddy Merrill and the truth is not good for him. After one particular swim through a pool, Neddy Merrill notices something strange; “He dove in and swam the pool, but when he tried to haul himself up onto the curb he found that the strength in his arms and shoulders had gone” (Cheever 2050). Now Merrill is starting to have thoughts about reality and questions what is happening to him. He began his journey youthful and enthusiastic, but now he feels weak and worried. He is unsure of himself and is beginning to lose himself a bit. In a critical essay regarding Cheever’s use of Merrill’s transition, Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet say: “Perhaps the second half of the story, in which Ned
John Cheever’s short story, “The Swimmer,” describes the epic journey of Neddy Merrill as he attempts to swim his way back home. Throughout the story, readers continually question reality and fantasy while wondering whether Merrill is really experiencing what Cheever portrays or if he is simply stuck in the past. Merrill goes from house to house as he freestyles across each swimming pool along the way. As the story draws to the end, Cheever points out that Merrill’s world is not what it seems and he has really lost everything he loved. An analysis of “The Swimmer” by John Cheever through the liberal humanist and Marxist lenses suggests that the story is really about how our human desire to relive pass successes and the pursuit of materialism will eventually lead to downfall. Looking at “The Swimmer” through the liberal humanist lens suggests that the story is really about how living in a fantasy world and believing in a false youth will cause ignorance of reality and the loss identity. In the story, Neddy Merrill seems to be living in a fantasy world as he heavily drinks alcohol, socializes at parties, and attempts to swim through the neighborhood. The real world appears to be quite different for Neddy Merrill and the truth is not good for him. After one particular swim through a pool, Neddy Merrill notices something strange; “He dove in and swam the pool, but when he tried to haul himself up onto the curb he found that the strength in his arms and shoulders had gone” (Cheever 2050). Now Merrill is starting to have thoughts about reality and questions what is happening to him. He began his journey youthful and enthusiastic, but now he feels weak and worried. He is unsure of himself and is beginning to lose himself a bit. In a critical essay regarding Cheever’s use of Merrill’s transition, Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet say: “Perhaps the second half of the story, in which Ned
Cited: Barnhisel, Greg. "An overview of “The Swimmer”." Short Stories for Students. Detroit: Gale, 2002 Blythe, Hal, and Charlie Sweet. "Man-Made vs. Natural Cycles: What Really Happens in 'The Swimmer. '." Studies in Short Fiction 27.3 (Summer 1990): 415-418 Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 120. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. Byrne, Michael D. "The River of Names in 'The Swimmer. '." Studies in Short Fiction 23.3 (Summer 1986) Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. Piwinski, David J. "Lisbon and Hackensack in Cheever 's 'The Swimmer. '." Studies in Short Fiction 33.2 (Spring 1996) Riley, Kathryn. "John Cheever and the Limitations of Fantasy." The CEA Critic 45.3-4 (Mar.-May 1983): 21-26