Cheever's allegorical story of a man swimming across his town presents several themes common to twentieth-century fiction.
Set in an affluent county in suburban New York, "The Swimmer" comments on the wealth associated with the upper classes of American society. The beginning of.the tale opens with Neddy Merrill at a cocktail party on a pleasant midsummer afternoon. He has a drink in one hand and is dangling his other hand in a backyard swimming pool. Although pools are frequently considered a luxury by most people, in this community they are commonplace. In fact, pools are so prevalent in his neighborhood that Neddy can make the eight-mile journey home by swimming. The wealth of Neddy and his neighbors is reinforced by the fact that one of them even has a riding range that Neddy must.....
This is a free excerpt of 135 words. This section contains 770 words. This
study guide contains 14,608 words (approx. 49 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our The Swimmer Access Pass.
