The Swimmer by Joakim Zander
analytical Essay
1062 words
The Swimmer
In this world there have been a lot of successful people who by hard work have achieved what they wanted in life. We see this all the time in today’s world. Every Up rise must have a downfall like usual. Some of these successful individuals may be celebrities or just common people in our communities. One thing for sure is that when you have an addiction to something, that addiction can take you all the way to where you started or even lower. We’ve seen this in celebrities. When there at their climax of their careers, suddenly you notice there involved in some kind of addiction, which makes them fall down that ladder.
The swimmer is a story that has a lot of interpretations in which we can relate to. The story starts out by introducing Neddy whom in this case is the main character. Neddy is by a poolside with some friends having some drinks and feels young and energetic and decides to get to his home by swimming in all the pools he comes across. The story continues as an adventure for him. He swims in all his neighbors’ pools and in every house he stops in, there’s a unique situation going on. At first I though he was under the influence or on some type of drug. When the story reaches the end we see that Neddy has lost it all. The story has a twist to it in which we have to read carefully to understand it. The two criticisms I will use in this text are Marxist Criticism and Psychological Criticism.
The novel really describes how Neddy basically throws away all his life. When the story starts he is a young man who gives us an impression that he is rich and has been successful in his life till that day. When we go straight to the ending we see that he has lost everything, but how has that happened? The story stat...
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... story can relate to many of us and we can relate to some of Neddy’s actions too. In today’s world on can also go from being somebody to being nobody in a blink of an eye. The choices we do in life can sometimes hurt us or sometimes help us. Depending on the person’s situation we can sometimes understand why they got to the point of falling down to the lowest level. Some people choose to go there because of an addiction but in other cases people don’t choose it and life just takes them there. In Neddy’s case I believe he choose to be there because he seem to be someone who was just wasting his money with friends and once he had wasted all his money he asked his neighbors for some money on loan. After all this story makes good connections with the world and really makes us open our eyes and see how fast time can pass and we will just get old and time will not stop.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that every up rise must have a downfall like usual. an addiction to something can take you all the way to where you started or even lower.
- Analyzes the story of the swimmer, which has a lot of interpretations in which we can relate to.
- Analyzes how the novel describes how neddy basically throws away all his life. he is a young man who gives us an impression that he is rich and has been successful.
- Analyzes how alcohol makes neddy happy and feel much better as he swims in every pool and sees his house locked and empty. it seems like time has passed from the beginning to the end.
- Analyzes how the story is a journey through neddy's life. he doesn't see it that way.
- Analyzes how neddy's story symbolizes a cycle, which starts out as summer and ends in winter.
- Analyzes how plays with our minds by using symbols and relating them to real life situations. neddy's story can relate to many of us and we can understand why they got to the lowest level.
Related
- analytical
- comparative
- The Swimmer, by John Cheever: Time Waits For No Mananalytical essayThe Swimmer begins with a party at the Westerhazy’s house. All the guests there are of high social standing, judging by the fact that tennis courts, sail bags, and alcohol are mentioned repeatedly. The phrase, “I drank too much” comes up repeatedly and the guests mention this phrase repeatedly. One of these guest is Neddy Merrill. By the context of the story, the reader determines that Neddy is well off and enjoys being part of the culture that his status brings. This culture is one of drinking and one where time seems to stand still, regardless of where a person is, be it by the poolside or whilst traveling. Cheever’s The Swimmer is a deceptively easy read but has an overriding theme that can at first be missed if the reader only notices the weather and alcohol. What is the theme of the Swimmer?
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how ned loses track of time and is not immune to the occurrences around him.
- Opines that cheever, john, "the swimmer." the northon anthology american literature.
- Describes cheever's the swimmer as a deceptively easy read but has an overriding theme that can at first be missed if the reader only notices the weather and alcohol.
- Analyzes how ned's mind is failing him, as time seems to be passing too quickly, and his immunity to the effects of time on his body and social status.
1171 wordsRead More - Character Comparison: “The Swimmer” and “Babylon Revisited”comparative essayJohn Cheever and F. Scott Fitzgerald are both 20th century writers whose story’s thematically reflected the despair and the emptiness of life. In both story’s “The Swimmer” and “Babylon Revisited” the main characters undergo similar problems, although they are presented differently in each story. The subject matter of both stories, pertain to the ultimate downfall of a man. “The Swimmer”, conveys the story of a man who swims his way into reality. He at first is very ignorant to his situation; however with the passing of time he becomes cognizant to the idea that he has lost everything. In “Babylon Revisited” the key character is a “recovering alcoholic”, who return to his homeland in hope to get his daughter back. However, problems from his past reemerge and deter his attempt to reunite. Ultimately, both stories share rather inconsolable endings with no direct resolution to their troubles.
In this essay, the author
- Compares john cheever and f. scott fitzgerald's "the swimmer" and "babylon revisited." both stories depict the ultimate downfall of a man.
- Compares the characters of "the swimmer" and "babylon revisited".
- Compares the similarities of "the swimmer" and "babylon revisited" in that both characters have similar lifestyles and problems, but s chose to present them differently.
- Compares the main characters of "the swimmer" and "babylon revisited". neddy is nave about his problems until the end.
- Analyzes how neddy and charlie end up in similar circumstances. they can't escape their past or their future with the passage of time. emptiness is used by both authors in the end to reflect the despair and the emptiness of life.
- Introduces cheever, john, and fitzgerald, f. scott. "babylon revisited". short fiction: classic and contemporary. 6th ed.
1033 wordsRead More - Ned Kelly: Victim Or Villain?analytical essayTherefore, Ned had to learn from the ones that taught Ned to become a cattle thief and bush ranger. “As role models he had his uncle and cousin. If they taught anything, it wasn’t how to be an honest law abiding citizen. A dozen of his relative had criminal records.” (Wilkinson, 2002, p. 10). Just like what is expected Ned became a horse and cattle thief, but that didn’t last long. He was sent to prison for receiving a stolen horse that he didn’t know. After two years of hard life in prison, Ned decided to never go there again. Therefore Ned decided to get a job at a timber mill. Ned spent the last three years of hard work at his job, he was a trusted worker and overseer. Even so every time a horse or cattle went missing, the police would always blame it on Ned or his family. Some might’ve been true, but most of them were fake, yet regardless of true or false Ned still had to take the consequence. Nothing will change if he lived his life being harass. For this reason, he became a
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many have called ned kelly a murderous thug, but what people say doesn't necessarily mean it's right. many have recognised his infamousness due to his action and his disgraceful family.
- Explains that ned's mother was sent to jail because she was protecting her own daughter.
- Explains that ned's father, red, was an irish immigrant who died when he was 12-years-old due to the greedy, rich squatters who made unthinkable rent for the lower class.
- Explains that ned had no other role model in the family due to red's death, so he had to learn from the ones that taught him to become a cattle thief and bush ranger
- Analyzes how ned kelly was forced to be a murderous thug, but in truth, he was victim of many people. his mother was taken to jail, his dad died due to greedy squatters
744 wordsRead More - Psychoanalytical Criticism of The Swimmer by John Cheeveranalytical essayThese changes getting older weaker, act as a metaphor for a larger portion of Neddy’s life than the literal journey he undertakes on this afternoon. He has lost his social standing, his money, his wife and children and possibly his mind. In other words, his entire life.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how time seems to pass as reality does with us unaware of its passing in the short story the swimmer by john cheever. neddy merrill embarks on a traditional theme of homeward journey.
- Analyzes how cheever uses an archetypal narrative pattern that he is going on a quest.
- Analyzes how aphrodite's libido is smacked into his backside and he sees himself as free to be an explorer. he is strong, energetic, and decides upon a courageous action that will prove his self-worth.
- Analyzes how graham was happily greeted by the grahams and was rescued by distraction of others so that he could "slip away".
- Analyzes how the lears heard him splashing past the open windows of their living room, but did not recognize him or know who he was.
- Analyzes how neddy's journey is distracted by something in the sky, a "red de haviland trainer" flying above.
- Narrates how ned was on top of the world and at the highest point of his life. the thunder and train whistle turned him back to focusing on his journey.
- Narrates how he lost his social status and went bankrupt after seeing a "for sale" sign at the welchers.
- Analyzes how neddy feels naked, stripped of pride when he swims naked in the hallorans' "waters were the opaque gold of the stream."
- Analyzes how he suddenly has no freedom of choice traveling by water at the sachses. he gasped and was close to drowning, making his way from one end of the pool to the other.
- Analyzes how grace biswanger called neddy a "gate crasher" implying that he has lost his social status and "turned her back on him".
- Analyzes how neddy's inability to cope with his situation caused him to shut down and retreat from reality, back to the pools.
- Narrates how the man was tempted to "stray" from home and reality, but faced reality that he was not as strong as once was.
- Analyzes how the "hero" has been defeated by his own delusions and illusions. while searching for his home the dream of attainment slowly became a nightmare.
- Analyzes how neddy's changes getting older, weaker, act as metaphor for a larger portion of his life than the literal journey he undertakes on this afternoon. he has lost his social standing, money, wife and children, and possibly his mind.
1435 wordsRead More - Cheever The Swimmer Analysisanalytical essayInitial darkness and age is all over the story, troubling the apparently relaxing summer day on which the story takes place. The setting is the rich Westchester County suburbs of New York City, where the towns and villages divide themselves up along very strict lines of class, religion and national origin. The weekend parties and barbecues, and their carefully set guest lists, are the social scene in which these divisions play out, and Neddy seems comfortable there.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how "the swimmer" examines the journey of a character familiar to readers of cheever's fiction.
- Analyzes how the setting is the rich westchester county suburbs of new york city, where the towns and villages divide themselves along strict lines of class, religion, and national origin.
- Narrates how neddy feels comfortable in his surroundings, but has a vague and modest idea of himself. he decides to make the eight-mile journey home from the westerhazy's not by car but by water.
- Analyzes how the funny thing about neddy's quest draws attention to the lack of superior meaning in the lives of the rich in middle america.
- Analyzes how cheever originally intended neddy to call to mind the greek mythological figure of narcissus, the beautiful youth who saw his reflection in a pool and killed himself trying to unite with his image.
431 wordsRead More - Surrealism vs. Realism in The Swimmer, by John Cheeveranalytical essayJohn Cheever uniquely crafted the story “The Swimmer” by using a mix of surrealism and realism throughout the story. Most people when they read “The Swimmer” they have to reevaluate it to comprehend what is happening. The reason for that is because Cheever shifts between surrealism and realism so much that the reader does not even notice. The story starts out with Neddy being so strong and youthful, but as the story goes on he weakens and ages. When he was youthful Neddy decided to swim every pool in his neighborhood. As he ages and weakens, the pools get harder to swim and the seasons pass without him even noticing.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how john cheever crafted the story "the swimmer" by using a mix of surrealism and realism.
- Compares surrealism and realism. surrealists create art that represents unconscious thoughts and fantasies in a non-realistic environment.
- Analyzes how certain situations in "the swimmer" are realism, but the story is mostly surreal. the season's change rapidly represents the changing of seasons.
- Analyzes how realism is scarce in "the swimmer", but as the story progressed, the surrealism became stronger and stronger.
- Analyzes how ned's life, once filled with happiness, youth, and love, now fills with sorrow, loneliness and pity. alcohol played a major part in him losing everything he had.
548 wordsRead More - “The Swimmer” is an allegory that is narrated in third person point of view as someone who is observing Neddy’s journey. This enables the reader to discover the reactions of friends and neighbors as Neddy arrives at their homes while still revealing the shift of the round character’s own attitude and feelings as his journey through life continues. Cheever wisely tells the story from a perspective in which the reader can still be connected to Neddy from the beginning to the end of the story while learning how his actions have disappointed others and not just himself. It also uncovers the involvement of each character and their relationship with Neddy before and after his mid-life crisis. If this story was told from any other point of view then the reader would only be obtaining one sided, in a sense a close minded, version whereas with a third person point of view the reader is approached to the entire situation given all perspectives. It guides the reader from one meaningful piece to another on an even level without any bias impressions while the story is being delivered.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how cheever, also known as "the chekhov of the suburbs," is skillful at creating places with a particular atmosphere that reveal each character's characteristics to the reader.
- Analyzes how cheever conveys the story theme with the use of symbolism. the different swimming pools represent each stage of neddy's life.
- Analyzes how cheever used point of view, setting, and symbolism in "the swimmer" to convey the message that life is short.
- Analyzes how john cheever uses point of view, setting, and symbolism to show the value of true relationships and the moments of life that are taken for granted.
935 wordsRead More - The Drowned and the Saved, by Primo Levianalytical essayIn looking back upon his experience in Auschwitz, Primo Levi wrote in 1988: ?It is naïve, absurd, and historically false to believe that an infernal system such as National Socialism (Nazism) sanctifies its victims. On the contrary, it degrades them, it makes them resemble itself.? (Primo Levi, The Drowned and the Saved, 40). The victims of National Socialism in Levi?s book are clearly the Jewish Haftlings. Survival in Auschwitz, a book written by Levi after he was liberated from the camp, clearly makes a case that the majority of the Jews in the lager were stripped of their human dignity. The Jewish prisoners not only went through a physical hell, but they were psychologically driven under as well. Levi writes, ??the Lager was a great machine to reduce us to beasts? We are slaves, deprived of every right, exposed to every insult, condemned to certain death?? (Levi, 41). One would be hard pressed to find passages in Survival in Auschwitz that portray victims of the camp as being martyrs. The treatment of the Jews in the book explicitly spells out the dehumanization to which they were subjected. It is important to look at how the Jews were degraded in the camp, and then examine whether or not they came to embody National Socialism after this.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how levi's book, survival in auschwitz, makes a case that the majority of the jews in the lager were stripped of their human dignity.
- Opines that when describing hardships of the concentration camps, understatements will inevitably be made.
- Explains that concentration camps were tools of national socialist ideology and empowered the nazis to treat the jews as subhuman.
- Explains that prisoners are degraded because they simply do not have enough to eat. they become haggard and have difficulty in judging each other's age.
- Analyzes levi's supposition that elias is a madman, incomprehensible and para-human, who ended up in the lager by chance.
- Analyzes how henri, like elias, has been transformed by the pressure to survive in the camp.
- Compares henri and elias' method of survival to that of national socialism.
- Analyzes how the miserable nature of the camp is captured when levi talks about a man named kraus. since the pain and suffering is so great, it is more bearable if the prisoners are detached from people and the situation.
- Analyzes how levi views the dying prisoners as being sanctified, and how his belief in god's intervention in the lives of individuals has been shaped by his experience.
- Cites primo levi's the drowned and the saved.
1398 wordsRead More - The Con-Artist Named Addiction By Sally Satelanalytical essaySally Satel, author of “Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate? Wrong,” leads us down a harrowing path of the causes and effects that lead people to addiction. It can be a choice, possibly subconscious, or a condition that leads a person left fighting a lifelong battle they did not intend to sign up for. Mental and emotional health/conditions, personality traits, attitudes, values, behaviors, choices, and perceived rewards are just a few of the supposed causes of becoming an addict.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how sally satel, author of "addiction doesn't discriminate? wrong," leads us down a harrowing path of the causes and effects of addiction.
- Explains that while theoretically anyone can become an addict, it is more likely the fate of some. women who were sexually abused as children turn to drugs to escape their reality.
- Analyzes how mental illnesses are a key component in the group of those more likely to use. the most common contributors are bipolar disease and depression.
- Explains that certain personality traits can contribute to one's predisposed chance to addiction. satel says addiction discriminates against those who can't resist instant relief or euphoria.
- Analyzes how satel convinces the reader to agree with her argument without giving accurate information for them to base an opinion on.
- Analyzes how satel insinuates that seeking comfort in drugs rather than friends, or simply allowing themselves to become bored makes an addict.
- Opines that the culture of drink endures because it offers so many rewards. the same could be said for drug use. it shows the possibilities, drawing people further down the path of usage.
- Analyzes how satel's argument appears to be a correlation proves causation fallacy. she implies that the correlation between conditions, personality traits, or rewards and drug use is the cause for addiction.
962 wordsRead More - Apathy and Addiction in William Gibson's Neuromanceranalytical essayIn the reality of the postmodern world, where nature is gone and has been replaced by technology, where the world and humankind have become fused with the machine, and the existence of morality and reality are uncertain, it is difficult to find hope for a better existence or motivation to attempt to change one's existence. Addiction then becomes a logical avenue of escape from these bleak circumstances--not affecting reality, but transforming it into something bearable. The addictions that Case turns to allow him to escape from the hard reality of his life th...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the postmodern protagonist, case, immerses himself or herself in an alternate form of reality that is offered by the same society that makes an escape desirable.
- Analyzes how addiction becomes a logical avenue of escape from the bleak circumstances of the postmodern world.
- Explains that addiction is made possible only by the same forces that create the conditions that make such an addictive escape attractive.
- Analyzes how the power of the anonymous corporate "they" is dependent on the apathy of an average citizen.
- Explains csicsery-ronay, jr., istvan, and samuel r. delany. "some real mothers."
- Cites grant, glenn, hollinger, veronica, jameson, frederick, slusser, george, and mccaffrey in storming the reality studio.
1391 wordsRead More