The Swimmer Analysis

The swimming pools, in “The Swimmer”, represent Neddie’s journey down the road to addiction and the consequences that his dependency has on his life and body. Neddie’s state of mind as he begins his addiction is described, “He had an inexplicable contempt for men who did not hurl themselves into pools. […] To be embraced and sustained by the light green water was less a pleasure, it seemed, than the resumption of a natural condition,” (Cheever, 777). Neddie describes the feeling that drinking alcohol gives him as though he is returning to some raw state of being. The swimming pools themselves are a man-made attempt to provide nature within a suburban setting that is lacking. In the beginning the swimming pools represent the idea of nature to …show more content…
As he travels the Lucinda River, hopping from pool to pool, his is left feeling tired from the exertion of the swim. As his addiction progresses he is beginning to feel the strain that it is starting to have on his body, but he continues still. The storm in the distance foretells of the consequences that lay ahead of him. When it begins to rain he revels in the storm as he swims in the Lucinda River. The chaos of the storm is exciting to Neddie and he experiences great deal of gratification from it. The storm itself represents the good time that he has while he’s drinking. Much like the storm is for Neddie, the good time that is had while drinking can often mask the danger of the moment and the consequences of tomorrow. Eventually when the temperature drops and the wind begins to blow, Neddie is left cold, half-naked, and wet. As the toll of his addiction is becoming apparent to Neddie he reflects on his journey, “The swim was too much for his strength, but how could he have guessed this, sliding down the banister that morning and sitting in the Westerhazy’s sun? His arms were lame. His legs felt rubbery and ached at the …show more content…
This swimming pool, much like the others, is fridigly cold. Neddie, having long endured these icy waters, is exhausted from his journey feeling as if he can’t go on. His body has suffered from the strain of swimming such a long distance. The physical effects of enduring the cold waters of dark pools seems to mimic the emotional effects that alcoholism has on Neddie. After experiencing the emotional ups and downs of alcoholism Neddie is weakened just as he is after swimming through the pools. Neddie seems to have lost some of his enthusiasm for the drink, no longer seeing it as a method of salvation. He doesn’t dive joyfully into this pool. Instead, he slowly into the water with a sense of obligation rather than joy. This is one of the last pools before he arrives at his abandoned home and must face the true consequences of his addiction. With the clarity of what alcohol has done to his life perhaps Neddie will be able to move past his debilitating dependency on alcohol. When a person is armed with the truth their situation and their responsibility in it they are able to admit they have a