The Swimmer by John Cheever

This story by John Cheever is very interesting. In the first couple of paragraphs, you can already envision what the author writes. "In the west there was a massive stand of cumulus cloud so like a city seen from a distance—from the bow of an approaching ship—that it might have had a name." Cheever creates great imagery here which really makes the story flow and entertaining. This story takes place in Westchester County, New York and focuses on the main character, Neddy. Even though Neddy is a middle aged man, he wants to retain his youth and his spirits. Neddy gets this crazy idea in his head that he will swim the county in order to get home. No matter what the obstacles are or what it take to do this, Neddy feels that he has confidence in himself and will be able to achieve this goal. One interesting motif throughout the story is that of seasons. Neddy starts off swimming the county in the summer. As he makes his way further and further the seasons begin to change and the weather seems to be getting colder. As Neddy makes his way through the swimming pools and across the county he realizes that every pool he gets into along the way is becoming harder and harder for him to swim in. The author gives us a clue that the seasons are changing when Neddy notices that some of the leaves on the trees have turned yellow. If the story started when it was summer time, we as a reader can now guess that it is now fall. As Neddy gets closer and closer to home, he realizes that the season has changed again. He now smells wood smoke, leading us to believe he smells a fire or something similar to it. Finally, Neddy does make it back home at the end of the story, but to find his family missing from the house. The house is locked, deserted, dark, and up for sale. Neddy wonders why this is, but has no explanation to his wondering.
For Neddy to come home and find nothing in his house, not even his whole family can symbolize yet another theme throughout this story: alienation. It almost seems that Neddy's family has alienated him after he arrives home from his 8 mile long swim through the county. He came home to find nothing but a house on a piece of land. The theme of alienation is also present throughout the story because as Neddy continues to make his way down the county, he encounters many homes along his way that are either vacant, or locked up and for sale.
I also think something to do with life and its cycle is another theme present in Cheever's story. In the beginning of the story when Neddy is just starting his journey he is this man who is young and has a burst full of energy. Along the way, Neddy encounters many challenges and even considers giving up his swim across county. From the text, the reader can guess that Neddy is getting older as time goes on and he is becoming more weak. At the end when Neddy finally finishes his journey,we see him as this cold, tired, miserable lonely man. These two statements stand at opposite ends of the spectrum and really give the reader a clear picture of how Neddy went through the life cycle as he swam 8 miles across county.