The Swimmer

John Cheever emphasizes Neddy Merrill’s alienation from his suburban surroundings through story structure, characterization, and connotation in “The Swimmer.” The narrative’s third-person limited perspective and elements of Surrealism emphasize the protagonist’s sense of disconnection from events. As Neddy begins to question his reality, he can only do so through repeated rhetorical questions:

When had he last heard from the Welchers […]? […] Was his memory failing or had he so disciplined it in the repression of unpleasant facts that he had damaged his sense of the truth? […] Why was he determined to complete his journey even if it meant putting his life in danger? (Paragraphs 11, 12).

Neddy’s uncertainty creeps into other facets of the narration. For example, when attempting to put the timeline of his journey in order, he thinks, “In the space of an hour, more or less, he had covered a distance that made his return impossible” (Paragraph 11). The reader experiences the distorted passage of time from Neddy’s point of view, noting the dissonances without understanding them.

Neddy’s alienation from his community and family members is emphasized through his interactions.