Out of the pieces seen in class “The Swimmer” by John Cheever has brought out the strongest views of different symbols and a critical approach.
In the real world, symbols are everywhere. They can be found all over the media, walking down the street, and even randomly sitting in a room. In this text the symbols are through weather and the actual swimming pools. it was found that passing through the different pools that the main character goes through is equivalent to passing of time. At first, Neddy, the main character is feeling alive and happy with the idea of swimming across the pools. He feels as though strength is in him and people are looking up to him for it. Yet, as time passes he gets the weak feeling within him and is just completely drained in the end. Another example of showing passing of time has to deal with change as well. He goes from being “Mr. Popular” and ignoring people to the one who is being ignored, especially like the lady holding the party Mrs. Biswanger as well as her bartender. While he keeps swimming across the many pools it describes the weather and how a change in season is also becoming apparent. Summer to fall is beginning to happening with storms passing through and leaves falling off the trees. It relates to Neddy because he goes from being comfortably warm and being a part of a group of friends to the storm and becoming chilly, cold, and lonely. The weather truly mirrors Neddy’s life changing and passing on because the way his marriage is. His wife Lucinda ends up leaving and he thought in the end she would be there for him always. Neddy was never truly monogamous because he had an affair that he seemed to be so comfortable and casual about. This ended up leaving him not knowing his family left him as well, and not believing this he ends up at his house alone and abandoned. In the end the symbol of swimming between different pools and staying in a way clueless and not aware of what is happening