What is the meaning behind the film The Swimmer?
“The Swimmer” is the story of a man who begins at the dawn of a new day to swim in the backyard pool of some friends. We learn something about this man’s life at every poolside, until finally we are able to piece together a story of his disgrace and failure. “The Swimmer” begins as a perfectly realistic film.
What do the pools symbolize in The Swimmer?
The pools that Neddy swims through as he makes his way home represent periods of time that Neddy passes through. At the beginning of the story, Neddy is strong and active, feels deep contentment with his life, and is admired by his friends.
Why did John Cheever write The Swimmer?
John Cheever’s “The Swimmer” was published in 1964 in the short story collection The Brigadier and the Golf Widow. He also stated that he originally intended to write a story that paralleled the tale of Narcissus, a character in Greek mythology who died while staring at his reflection in a pool of water.
What is the conflict of The Swimmer by John Cheever?
The main conflict is Neddy’s view of himself and the reality of his life. He sees himself as young and strong. As his journey continues, he realizes that he was not aware of the situations of his friends and neighbors. Some neighbors moved, some became ill, and he himself lost his home.
Why was Barbara Loden replaced in the swimmer?
She also wowed Kazan, who became her second husband. A promising film role in Frank Perry’s oddball John Cheever adaptation THE SWIMMER was squelched, possibly as a result of Kazan’s interference, and the part was recast.
Is the swimmer an allegory?
Allegory. ‘ “The Swimmer” is often considered an allegory about decline, the aging process, and the life cycle. An allegory is a symbolic representation through characters or events of truths or generalizations about human existence. The surface story of “The Swimmer” concerns the protagonist’s swim home.
Where did Cheever live?
Ossining1961–1982
John Cheever/Places lived
What does Neddy Merrill’s journey represent in the story?
Neddy’s journey, if examined through a symbolic lens, represents a significant period of passing time in which important events of Neddy’s life are ignored and the overall reality of his life is suppressed. The journey starts off smoothly one summer afternoon, with Neddy being well received by his neighbors.
Where does John Cheever 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.
What is the setting of the swimmer by John Cheever?
Who is the protagonist in the swimmer by John Cheever?
Neddy Merrill
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.
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. He pounds upon the locked door, moaning to be let in.