The Swimmer by John Cheever :The Swimmer by John Cheever the dark side of the American dream…


John Cheever :John Cheever Born May 27, 1912, in Quincy, MA Died of cancer, June 18, 1982, Ossining, NY John Cheever has come to be considered among the finest American writers of the twentieth century, a master of the short story, and a competent novelist. Best known as a chronicler of suburbia, Cheever won critical acclaim for his humorous, yet compassionate, accounts of privileged communities populated by affluent people living spiritually impoverished lives. A rehabilitated alcoholic and a suburban dweller himself, "Cheever knew," eulogized Peter S. Prescott in Newsweek,"that in a world that most people envy there are people who are bravely enduring."


Cheever’s 20th century man :Cheever’s 20th century man For the most part, the characters represented in Cheever's short stories and novels are white and Protestant; they are bored with their jobs, trapped in their lifestyles, and out of touch with their families.


Cheever’s 20th century man :Cheever’s 20th century man Cheever offers a desolate yet sympathetic critique of 20th-century middle-class society in America by holding a mirror to the values and limitations of its members


Who/what is the 20th century man? :Who/what is the 20th century man?


The twentieth-century man :The twentieth-century man As our society becomes more modern and technically advanced, physical strength (a long-honored male characteristic) is less valuable


The twentieth-century man :The twentieth-century man Males looking for purpose in wealth, alcohol, sexual conquest, social status.


Cheever’s 20th century man :Cheever’s 20th century man Themes of dissociation, alienation, and the loss of purpose


Cheever’s 20th century man :Cheever’s 20th century man Loss of a sense of purpose among America's privileged class, men in particular


Neddy Merrill: :Neddy Merrill: Who is he?


Neddy Merrill: :Neddy Merrill: Protagonist - approaching middle age “Neddy” a boyish nickname Youthful-looking but "far from young" Active, playful - slides down the banister


Neddy Merrill: :Neddy Merrill: Likened to "a summer's day, particularly the last hours of one, and . . . the impression [he made] was definitely one of youth, sport, and clement weather." Unsatisfied - yearning for something more Sees himself as a heroic figure/explorer: has a vague and modest idea of himself as a legendary figure.


Neddy Merrill: :Neddy Merrill: Drinks excessively Family: wife Lucinda and 4 daughters Active in neighborhood's social circle/attend numerous parties.


Neddy Merrill: :Neddy Merrill: Declined to attend several functions/offended acquaintances resulting in snobbish reputation Has financial problems Has had extramarital affair(s)


Neddy Merrill: :Neddy Merrill: Becomes lonely, miserable, fatigued, forgetful, disoriented Never acknowledges his problems they are revealed through others’ comments


Symbolic journey :Symbolic journey …from beginning to end…


Symbolic journey :Symbolic journey Like Odysseus, Dante, the Fisher King, a knight of King Arthur, Rip Van Winkle Neddy is reminiscent of the Greek mythological figure of Narcissus, the beautiful youth who saw his reflection in a pool and dies trying to unite with his image


Symbolic journey :Symbolic journey Omniscient POV – flat tone maintains reality vs. Neddy’s hero-fantasy Surreal, non-literal seasons change quickly; time is fluid Pilgrimage is both geographical and social


Symbolic journey :Symbolic journey Neddy’s journey through his own history ends in bleak reality Neddy has lived his life in a dream—avoiding reality in a haze of alcohol and possessions


Symbolic journey :Symbolic journey Public pool - assaulted by loud noises/harsh smells; jostled by the kind of people he has spent his well-to-do suburban life successfully avoiding. Yet even here Neddy finds himself excluded


Symbolic journey :Symbolic journey Neddy moves from freedom of youth to responsibility/ consequences of adulthood Lucinda = derived from Latin for “light”…is Neddy on a journey to enlightenment? (an unpleasant one?)


Symbolic journey :Symbolic journey Odyssey to regain innocence, purity, and youth (impossible quest) Neddy is pitifully unprepared and exposed (reflecting his lack of responsibility/planning) King Arthur Holy Grail myth Crosscups


Setting :Setting


Setting: :Setting: Social privilege, leisure, parties, wealthy neighborhood Artificial “river” of swimming pools; pool = unnatural water/artificial


Setting: :Setting: Youth/sport/vitality/ socializing very important Morality is lax Materialism clearly evident and accepted as norm


Setting: :Setting: “The Swimmer" was published in 1964, at a time of great prosperity for middle- and upper-class Americans. Having survived World War II, which ended in 1945, and the Korean War, which took place in the 1950s, many Americans—at least white Americans—were enjoying the wealth and affluence of the postwar era.