What would you do to break the daily grind of life? Just for a day, to be part of something new and indulge in random activities. How far would you go to feel alive again? A wealthy suburban man named Neddy Merrill, who author John Cheveer portrays in his short story titled "The Swimmer", lived a quiet and uncomplicated life. Despite this “high quality” life, Neddy Merrill felt bored and fatigued. Trying to find something exciting, he decided to undertake an unusual and adventurous task. Along the way it becomes clear that Neddy's journey may be more than meets the eye. He discovers that things are no longer the same and that his life and relationships with people have changed. As the story continues, we can observe the inevitable passage of time and the repetitive and empty life of the suburbs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The story begins on a midsummer Sunday afternoon where Neddy and his wife Lucinda Merril were accompanied by their close friends Helen and Donald Westerhazy. They were all sitting around the Westerhazys' pool, complaining about the hangover from the previous night, while drinking. At that time Neddy felt young, energetic and happy, as the author describes: "He was a slender man - he seemed to have the special slenderness of youth." He notes that his home is eight miles away, where his four daughters may have just finished lunch. Then a crazy idea came to him. He decides to go home by swimming in all the pools in his county. Feeling like an explorer, Neddy imagines the backyard pools from here to his house as an unbroken line of water, more like a river he named after his wife, "Lucinda River." This idea made him feel alive. “His life was not limiting and the joy he felt in this observation could not be explained by his suggestion of escape.” He thinks of all the swimming pools waiting for him and the friends waiting for him. Determined as he was and full of energy, Neddy began his unknown quest. His first stop was the Grahams' swimming pool. Mrs. Graham welcomes Neddy and notices that he tried to call him, as she pours him a drink. As soon as he finished his drink, he swam the length of their pool and got back on track because he felt distracted from his trip. After passing the Hammers, Lears, Crosscups and Howlands pools, he arrived at the Bunkers where he could hear a party going on. When Enid Bunker saw him she rushed to meet him. The author describes her greetings to Neddy with a hint of irony: “Oh, look who's here! What a wonderful surprise! When Lucinda said you couldn't come I thought I was going to die. Then he gets a drink from a bartender he's seen hundreds of times at similar parties. This makes us think that life in the suburbs sometimes becomes really repetitive. Neddy's next destination was Levy's swimming pool. As soon as he arrived he discovered that they were far away, but they had just left, because glasses and bottles were left in the back yard. He enters their backyard and swims in their pool, then helps himself to a drink. Note that this is his fourth or fifth drink, and he's only halfway to the end of the "river." The Levys' absence haunts Neddy, but he searches for some in the alcohol left out. For him, alcohol was like an artificial support. It's hard to imagine a wealthy suburban man needing an artificial boost to find happiness. “The train whistle blew and he wondered what time it had become. Four? Five? Suddenly it got dark; it was at that time that the pin-headed birds seem to organize their song inan acute and conscious recognition of the approaching storm. We can observe that time passes quickly as the birds warn that the storm is approaching. The weather is starting to change like it's not midsummer's day. Then the author makes us understand that at this point Neddy has lost track of time by questioning himself: “There was an explosion, a smell of cordite, and the rain lashed the Japanese lanterns that Mrs. Levy had bought in Kyoto two years ago. , or was it the year before." When the storm emerges, Neddy hides in Levy's gazebo. After the storm the air has cooled considerably. There is a hint of a mood change after the storm as they begin to appear signs of fall. “The force of the wind had stripped a maple's red and yellow leaves and scattered them over the grass and water. Since it was midsummer, the tree must have been rotten, yet it felt particularly sad to this sign of autumn. The author is letting us know that time is passing quickly. The changes in season and weather also symbolize Neddy's mood, attitude and emotions Welcher. When he got there, he saw that their pool was dry. “He was disappointed and disconcerted. It was quite common to go away for the summer but no one ever drained the pool. The Welchers were gone permanently his perfect family, high social position and expensive suburban house, he felt sad. The man who began this journey as a legendary figure is now tired and disgusted with himself and disappointed with how things have changed. He can't even remember the last time he heard from the Welchers. He wonders whether his memory is failing him or whether he has simply repressed unpleasant information. After leaving their house he begins walking down the driveway. People in the car start throwing things at him. He thinks about going back to the Westerhazys, but he can't. “Why was he determined to complete his journey even if it meant putting his life in danger? What was the point of this joke, this joke, this joke?" This passage, which appears about halfway through the story, suggests that Neddy's journey, which began as a game, is actually more significant than Neddy expected. Neddy started his journey from one pool to another seeing himself as an explorer, doing something unexpected on an ordinary afternoon. At this point, Neddy just wanted to take a new route home and didn't see it as a life-changing decision. However, Neddy finds himself in a bathing suit next to a busy highway, and the trip suddenly becomes more than just a game. He doesn't understand why he continues to persevere or why the trip has become something serious, but he recognizes that the fun is over. This quote also refers to a larger idea of ​​"The Swimmer claims that he is satisfied and happy with his life, but does not seem to realize that this life is all he has and that his actions have. of the consequences. All his rejected invitations have earned him enemies. He also ruined his marriage and apparently lost his fortune. His life, as the quote suggests, is truly serious, not a joke or joke. Just as he is unable to stop his strange journey home, he is unable to go back in time and make up for the mistakes of the past. There is nowhere to go but forward, across the highway and into the future. He then arrives at the Hallorans' house and immediately starts swimming in their pool before starting to talk to them. The Hallorans greet him and say they are sorry for all his "misfortunes", suggesting that he has sold his house and that something has happened to his.