The swimmer short story summary. The Swimmer: Full Book Summary 2022-12-17

The swimmer short story summary Rating: 7,7/10 1352 reviews

The short story "The Swimmer" by John Cheever is a poignant tale about a man named Neddy Merrill who embarks on a journey through his neighborhood, swimming through the pools of his friends and acquaintances. Along the way, Neddy reflects on his past and the changes that have occurred in his life and in the lives of those around him.

At the beginning of the story, Neddy is described as a fit and energetic man who is in the prime of his life. He is also wealthy and well-respected in his community, with a beautiful wife and children. On a hot summer day, Neddy decides to take a swim in his neighbor's pool, and from there he decides to swim through the pools of all of his friends and neighbors, eventually making his way home.

As Neddy swims from pool to pool, he encounters a number of people who are struggling with various problems and challenges. Some of his friends are struggling with financial difficulties, while others are dealing with marital problems or health issues. Despite these challenges, Neddy remains upbeat and positive, determined to enjoy his journey and make the most of his day.

As the story progresses, however, it becomes clear that Neddy's journey is not just about physical exertion, but also about coming to terms with his own past and the changes that have occurred in his life. Along the way, he encounters people who are no longer his friends, and he realizes that his own life has changed significantly since his youth.

As Neddy nears the end of his journey, he becomes increasingly exhausted and disoriented, and he begins to question the reality of his journey. He realizes that his neighborhood has changed dramatically since he was young, and he begins to question whether he has truly been swimming through the pools of his friends, or whether he has simply been hallucinating the entire journey.

In the end, Neddy collapses on the side of the road, exhausted and confused, as the story ends on a poignant and thought-provoking note. "The Swimmer" is a poignant and deeply moving tale about the passage of time, the changes that life brings, and the importance of cherishing the moments that we have.

The Swimmer (1968)

the swimmer short story summary

How is Neddy Merrill described? Climbs a steep hill in back of the club's pool and finds the tennis court overgrown and the house locked and boarded. Repression of Reality and Hopelessness Ned seems to live in a world of denial and his need to avoid painful memories, details, and occurrences is reflected in his confused state when he hears certain facts. What was once a heroic swim along a river is now just an obligation to get in the pool so he can say he did. When Ned replies he didn't recall asking for help Mr Halloran diverts by inquiring how Lucinda and the girls are. Struggling out of the pool, Ned is next confronted by route 424 and struggles to cross the six lanes of traffic, like a wounded animal.

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Summary Of S. J. Butler's The Swimmer

the swimmer short story summary

He limps into an unkempt and overgrown garden. GradeSaver, 11 March 2020 Web. Short Stories for Students. Howie speculates that the house is probably still worth much more than Ned paid for it, with the tennis courts and all the planting done. Ned next arrives at the pool of Shirley Abbot, an actress. Neddy can hear people talking behind his back about a time when he showed up drunk and asked for money.

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The Swimmer: Character List

the swimmer short story summary

When he finally arrives at his destination, he notices that something is terribly wrong. John has created the story purposely to show how well and constructive people use their free time; some use it for the right reasons while some misuse it for their own self-interest reasons. Buy Study Guide The story starts with a town reeling from a collective hangover. Neddy expresses a dominance over other men by diving into pools rather than stepping into them. The first few pools stand in for youth, where life seems less complex and there are fewer obstacles. His unpleasant experience crossing the road makes Neddy question his plan to swim home.

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The Swimmer Summary

the swimmer short story summary

And when this happens, we assume that the easiest way to deal with it is through denial or repression. This is revealed as Ned's true reality, that of the broken man slumped outside as the rain pours down on him. Ned leaves the car at the front of the house and brings the newspaper for the Hallorans out to their pool at the rear. He looks in the windows and sees that his house is empty. As he departs, Helen Westerhazy poses the question; "Swim to his house, now why would he want to do that? Julie becomes somewhat more flirtatious in a bid to show how grown up she's become.

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The Swimmer: Important Quotes Explained

the swimmer short story summary

Most importantly, the people who he assumes will receive him happily to their homes and maybe offer him a gin before he swims their pool now treat him rudely or gossip about some vague misfortunes of his behind his back. The way Neddy refers to this morning as if it were long ago emphasizes how much time seems to have passed for Neddy. So in my first version I let him out, and he swam in an immense number of pools- thirty of them! Cheever himself was a part of this time period and it is probably written from experience. She is joined by the other couple, who echo the same sentiments. What is the setting of The Swimmer by John Cheever? The storm seems to have stripped away the leaves from the trees and they oddly bear the colors of autumn.

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The Swimmer Summary & Analysis

the swimmer short story summary

He thinks of Shirley not as a real person, but as an object, one of several that can provide a momentary relief from pain. Neddy proceeds on his increasingly grim odyssey. Rather than being eternally youthful, Neddy is actually aging and moving toward death. . The Mad Woman In The Attic Summary 1228 Words 5 Pages In process of diving she lost her conscious and she attempted to use her mask to get defense but then she realized that if she use the defense, she cannot understand the real situation. But somewhere along the way we realize it is an allegory, and the ending makes that clear.

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The Swimmer (short story)

the swimmer short story summary

Some Terms Explained Andromeda, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia— Autumn Constellations. He meets with undisguised hostility at the Biswangers poolside party, a couple whom Neddy and his wife Lucinda have persistently snubbed socially. It is the portrait of the lives of people in post World War II suburban America, and the lifestyles and experiences of people during that time. He names the route Lucinda's River, after his wife. At last he arrives at his goal, older and wiser and with many a tale to tell. The water is cool and fresh, and the day is beautiful. When Ned says Lucinda has always done a lot of good in the town, Shirley acidly replies that she just didn't do very good at home.

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The Swimmer movie review & film summary (1968)

the swimmer short story summary

Neddy thinks his maid or cook has mistakenly locked the doors, but then he remembers that he had been forced to let them both go a while ago. The Biswangers regularly invite him and Lucinda to dinner, but they always refuse because the Biswangers are of a lower social standing. He frantically searches for alternate explanations for his empty house, anything to avoid confronting his own immaturity, infidelity, and shortsightedness. Why not swim every one -- swim all the way home, as it were? It has the same nostalgia as " "The Swimmer" is based on a One interesting thing about "The Swimmer" is that it manages so successfully to reproduce the feeling of a short story in the medium of film. Ned offers to buy it back, offering to send a check for whatever price they want, at which Mr Biswanger scoffs.

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The Swimmer by John Cheever Plot Summary

the swimmer short story summary

One of only a very few movies with a cameo by Joan Rivers and Kim Hunter outside her Planet of the Apes make-up. This is a turning point because discrepancies in the facts seem to emerge. Delusional he thinks he has left his car on a quest to swim to his boarded up home in an imaginary 'river' of the valley's numerous swimming pools. As his journey continues, he realizes that he was not aware of the situations of his friends and neighbors. The scars also represent the bodily markers of age and a reminder of human frailty.


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What is the summary of the short story The Swimmer?

the swimmer short story summary

Next Ned approaches the Gilmartins where he encounters a young boy Kevin Gilmartin, Jr. This disturbs Neddy because of his investment in fantasies about a connection to primal human nature. As he walks through the dilapidated tennis courts, rain starts to fall and autumn leaves are piled in heaps. There Ned again impresses Julie with his athletic virility by jumping over the horse jumps, before over reaching himself and hurting his ankle in the process. He does not remember any of the events alluded to—selling his house or a misfortune befalling his daughters, for example.

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