I find that the narration that is presented in "The Swimmer" allows for an otherwise boring and drawn out journey to better capture the reader's attention. By giving more information to the audience and making the main character oblivious creates a sort of mystery that forces you to keep reading in order to reach a climax. With the main portion of the story being centered around a peculiar swimming journey across the county, I found myself itching for some drama around the time Ned comes along the Levys' house (1462). Yet with the conclusion of the time there I was not sure there was more to the story than a simple mission of determination. However when issues of money problems and such arose, I was given a bafflement that hooked my attention once again. The fact that the author gives implications to the audience that the character, Ned, in the story has not a clue about makes you feel sorry for the ignorant man, while at the same time makes you urge to get to the end to find out if Ned has lost his mind or what exactly was going on. I actually quite enjoyed this unfamiliar narrative style.
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Yes, the story is very interesting. As the story goes on more and more is revealed about, Ned, the swimmer. I think if the author told all about Ned's life in the beginning of the story then the story wouldn't have the effect of an unsolved mystery and it might have became a bit boring. The story as told the way it is makes one think, question and put the pieces together.
ReplyDeleteI agree to both of your insights. I must say that the story captures the readers attention at the same time seeing the motif of the author from its setting where a place in a wealthy neighborhood in New York introduces Neddy Merrill. It is interesting how the author made Neddy seems to look like no longer a young man,but wanting to maintain his youth. In addition, the character of Neddy shows that he believes that he is a full spirited man. The story grabs the attention of the reader on how goal setting is practiced by the character in the "Swimmer". The story begins when Neddy is at a cocktail party and become aware that by following the chain of private and public pools in his upper-class community, he can exactly swim home. The story has a mix of surrealism and realism that both reader and author appreciates because the story is made for its dream-like and alarming features with particular analysis of suburban America and how life is played. When I read the story "Swimmer", I realized that the author appears to understand the relationship between fortune and happiness because of how the author uses cunning symbolism and myths. For example, Alcohol in “The Swimmer” may symbolize a gesture to forget reality and hide from reality. As the reader comes to find out, Neddy covers reality completely and drinking was part of the cause. By the end of the story, his constant desire to drink, or to stop and have a drink is tragic as opposed to social and the reader sees how this culture of escapism and the associated constant use of alcohol are main themes about suburban that Cheever may want his readers to see..
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