Neddy has named the chain of pools the “Lucinda River,” invoking the security and longevity of his marriage and family, but his choice of name becomes sad and ironic when he winds up at his dark, deserted home. Neddy has taken Lucinda, just as he took his comfortable life, for granted.

What is the Lucinda River in the swimmer?

In “The Swimmer,” Neddy Merill swims home through a chain of suburban swimming pools, which he imagines is actually the “Lucinda River,” a wild river flowing into unexplored territory.

Where does the swimmer take place?

The action takes place in suburban New York City—probably in Westchester County, where author John Cheever once lived. Westchester, one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, is north of New York City and west of Connecticut. Neddy Merrill: The title character.

Why does Neddy swim home?

He decides to swim home because his life is not confined to where he lives. He wants to discover all the swimming pools in the county. ... It is showing the reactions of his neighbor's and friends as Neddy shows up at their pools and the changes to Neddy's attitudes and feelings as his journey continues.

Why does Neddy cry in the swimmer?

Neddy starts crying for the first time since childhood, feeling cold and confused. He thinks that he has just been swimming too long and needs a drink and dry clothes. He swims weakly across a few more pools.

The Swimmer (1968) — The American Nightmare

24 related questions found

What happened Ned Merrill?

Ned Merrill drowns in the deep end of his own shallow self-image of masculinity. And he does it, finally, at the steps of his own front door: When he finally reaches his home beneath a torrential winter storm, he finds that it is for sale, abandoned long ago. ... Just like Ned. Just like everyone else when they die.

What is wrong with Neddy in the swimmer?

Rather than being eternally youthful, Neddy is actually aging and moving toward death. Everything he once considered his right—his family, mistress's affection, youth, and social standing—have disappeared, and at the end of the story he is left entirely alone.

What does Neddy Merrill's journey represent in the story?

Neddy Merrill's journey is an excellent representation of the typical mid-life crisis that many middle and upper class suburbanite parents experience. It illustrates how ignorance, apathy, and an inability to recognize and accept reality can so quickly destroy lives and entire families in the blink of an eye.

Why does Neddy Merrill call the path he takes home the Lucinda River?

A lot has happened as he's been moving from pool to pool, and Neddy has undergone these changes unwittingly. Neddy has named the chain of pools the “Lucinda River,” invoking the security and longevity of his marriage and family, but his choice of name becomes sad and ironic when he winds up at his dark, deserted home.

What does Neddy Merrill represent?

John Cheever's relationship with alcohol presents itself throughout the short story “The Swimmer”, and uses the character, Ned Merrill, to represent the struggles he was experiencing. Addiction and the need for alcohol drove this character into a storm he couldn't retreat from.

What does water represent in The Swimmer?

In the short story, The Swimmer, John Cheever employs water as a symbol for passing time and as a representation of escapism from lifes hardships. Cheevers main character, Ned Merrill, swims across the county via his neighborhood swimming pools.

How old is Neddy The Swimmer?

Neddy, the story's protagonist, is an athletic man, probably in his 30s or 40s, who lives in an unnamed suburb.

What did Neddy gain in The Swimmer?

Expert Answers

He does not gain a sense of freedom. In fact, he is trapped. At the end of the story, Neddy is trapped at the end of his journey. Not only is he locked out of his house, but his house has also been foreclosed upon.

How does Neddy change physically by the end of the story?

As the story progresses, however, Neddy ages—until, by the story's end, he has become a tired, older man. Cheever shows this aging process mainly by describing changes in Neddy's swimming.

What new elements enter the story when Neddy crosses Route 424?

Thunder, a train whistle, and rushing water display a more thoughtful rather than vibrant tone, and Neddy's memory begins to get foggy. At Neddy's crossing Route 424, the story takes on a more ominous tone as drivers laugh and jeer at him and pelt him with garbage.

What is the role of alcohol in the swimmer?

Alcohol. The pervasive consumption of alcohol throughout the story sharpens the distortion of time and Neddy's sense of unhappiness. The drinking, serving, and desire for alcohol become significant motivators for Neddy as well as a way to measure his social standing.

What is the meaning of The Swimmer by John Cheever?

In “The Swimmer “, John Cheever uses setting to symbolize the meaning of the story. ... The entire story was a symbol of Needy's life. The setting in the story was symbolic to the way Needy was feeling. Needy's life was diminishing right before his eyes, and he did not realize it.

What is the irony in The Swimmer by John Cheever?

Cheever's portrait of the hero, for example, is ironic. Instead of being vibrant, successful, and young—qualities often associated with heroes— Neddy is eventually portrayed as old, fatigued, weak, miserable, confused, lonely, and disoriented.

How does Neddy Merrill relate to the world in which he moves Why does he decide to swim home?

He approaches the world around him as an invitation, with a general spirit related to the belief that “his life was not confining.” He views his surroundings as full of potential, and the act of swimming home through the “Lucinda River” is his way of interacting with those possibilities.

Is Neddy Merrill a hero?

Neddy Merrill

At the beginning of the story, Neddy appears to be a successful man. He can afford to live with his family in an affluent suburb, has many prosperous friends, and seems to be well liked. He sees himself as the legendary figure or hero of his own life.

Why does Neddy take delight in his realization that it may be possible to reach his home via a river of swimming pools?

In "The Swimmer" why does Neddy take delight in his realization that it may be possible to reach his home via a river of swimming pools? ... He confirms this belief by naming the river of swimming pools after his wife, Lucinda. The author goes on to explain that Neddy sees himself as a type of legendary figure.

Is the storm that breaks a surprise how does Neddy feel about the beginning of the rain?

Is the storm that breaks a surprise? How does Neddy feel about the beginning of the rain? Neddy seems to be joyful that it starts to rain. He seems to think about the past and he questions to himself on why he loved the storm.

How old was Burt Lancaster when he did swimming?

In 1966, at the age of 52, Lancaster appeared nude in director Frank Perry's film The Swimmer (1968), in what the critic Roger Ebert called "his finest performance". Prior to working on The Swimmer, Lancaster was terrified of the water because he did not know how to swim.

Why is Burt Lancaster limping in The Swimmer?

In the film's diegesis, Ned Merrill gains the limp after a “bad takeoff” while jumping hurdles with his blonde babysitter (Janet Landgard). But the limp was not in the original Eleanor Perry treatment of the Cheever story; Lancaster's limp, though temporary, was real.

Who is the protagonist in The Swimmer?

Neddy Merrill

The protagonist, who decides to go home from his friends' house by swimming through all the pools in his neighborhood. Neddy and his wife, Lucinda, enjoy a high social standing in their affluent neighborhood.