{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27214199","dateCreated":"1284762770","smartDate":"Sep 17, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"danielx_184","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/danielx_184","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27214199"},"dateDigested":1531973816,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"the swimmer D. Andrade","description":"The short story \u201cThe Swimmer\u201d by John Cheever offers a wide gamma of imagery ranging from visual to smell, hear and touch yet there is no real demonstration of taste. This set of words help give the reader familiarity with the location he is being presented to. For instance when Neddy visits the public pool, he says that the pool stank to chlorine, that the water used to wash his feet was cloudy and bitter, and that the noise of the pool was like one of a Bunker. All of this ideas help the reader understand that Neddy is in a rather disturbing place for the way it is described is through a load of negative adjectives.
\nHowever the pools are not all the description that surrounds the story. In a more metaphorical way the reader is also given a description of as a sportsman however, as the story develops it is observed that Neddy\u2019s condition declines, and a new side of him is described, his alcohol passionate side.
\nCheever also says that he (Neddy) \u201cmight have been compared to a summer\u2019s day, particularly the last hours of one.\u201d This type of imagery however leaves the reader in some kind of a crossroad; due to the fact that someone might imagine the last hours of a summer day as the end of the cycle, on the other hand it could also be interpreted as a beauty due to its relation with the sunset. The author also describes Neddy mentally in a more obscure way, he states in several occasions Neddy\u2019s lack of memory, of Eric\u2019s surgery for example.
\nThere is other types that transcend the usual meaning of imagery alone and mean something beyond that. The idea of Neddy going from swimming pool might be to some just the simple idea of his traveling, yet if they are examined more deeply thanks to the use of description of the scenes we are able to see that each scene gets sadder than the one before. At first Neddy is all happy and joyful about his trip, but as he moves on we see that people start treating him differently, up to the point that he is regarded as a lower man in the Biswanger\u2019s get-together. At the beginning of his trip he also seems young and athletic and then towards the end he is sore and starts questioning why he started this trip on the first place. It can be deducted that the use of imagery throughout the story is nothing more than a way used by Cheever to express the changes in Neddy\u2019s life.
\nThe imagery of this story not only helps the reader picture the location or situation but is actually a key element for the flow and understanding of the story itself. It helps build up who Neddy is, both physically and psychologically as well as to build up all of the events that take place in the story and are an essential element for the readers understanding.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27284601","body":"Thanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284997985","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27209955","dateCreated":"1284755488","smartDate":"Sep 17, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"caro3arias","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/caro3arias","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27209955"},"dateDigested":1531973816,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"The Swimmer","description":"At a glance, The Swimmer is a whimsical story about an energetic man, pioneering through swimming pools of the suburbs and finally arriving home exhausted and alone. However, a double take will reveal much more that that. This is not a story that takes place in one afternoon; this is the life story of a man whose happiness and sanity is slowly draining.
\n The story starts out with Neddy as an energetic man, comfortable with his body, loves his wife, lives in the suburbs. It is a hot summer morning and his hand is wrapped around a gin. This is the beginning of Neddy\u2019s life and he can do anything he wants. And so he decides to swim home through the pools of his neighborhood, all linked together like a river. This river is Neddy\u2019s life, all of his decisions and phases spun together in the tapestry of his life. And so the reader is invited to peek into his fate as he swims though swimming pools.
\n Neddy\u2019s arrival is well received from the start but he always hurries on to the next pool because he has his whole life before him. And this may be his greatest mistake. After a while he arrives to a party. Life is good! The men and woman are happy, everyone wants to greet him and he is offered another drink by a bartender he\u2019s known for a long time. And then the gravel cuts his feet. As trifle as this seems, this may be the first of many bad things to come.
\n The sky darkens and a storm approaches. The cumulous cloud covers the whole city so this is not just a darkened stage of Neddy\u2019s life; it is dark for the suburbs, the county, the state, the country. At this point he wonders what time is. Time is passing quickly in Neddy\u2019s life and he\u2019s losing track. The lighthearted tone of his journey is slowly evaporating.
\n When Neddy arrives at the Welcher\u2019s, the pool is dry and he discovers that they moved away without him noticing. He starts questioning his memory, like an old man who can no longer trust all of his thoughts for fear that he is forgetting important details. Neddy is losing friends and people are slipping out of his life. The cold air presses on him and the dark, empty house is foreboding.
\n Neddy arrives at the highway, another decision. This time it\u2019s not so quick and easy to cross. He stands there, taunted and humiliated. Neddy is at a difficult moment in his life and he regrets ever going on this journey. This may be a midlife crisis for Neddy and his mistakes in life line up and throw plastic bottles at him. Throughout this, Neddy wants a drink. Whiskey, gin, anything. This may represent some sort of alcoholism that Neddy starts falling into.
\n When he reaches the Halloram\u2019s, Neddy is exhausted. His body is old and the Halloram\u2019s comments about all his troubles confuse him. It is cold, autumn is here and he is old. But when he gets home, the house is dark and empty, and his family is gone. It is winter. Neddy has lost his family, his home, his body and mind during this one trip through the county pools.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27284499","body":"Thanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284997879","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27205549","dateCreated":"1284749306","smartDate":"Sep 17, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"maaayyyaaa","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/maaayyyaaa","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1222817730\/maaayyyaaa-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27205549"},"dateDigested":1531973816,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"The Swimmer","description":"In "The Swimmer," John Cheever uses imagery to define and describe several aspects of the story. The story opens with a vivid description of a lazy, sunny, midsummer Sunday afternoon. Neddy is depicted as a convivial and capricious man. Although he is not young, he "seemed to have the especial slenderness of youth." When introducing Neddy, Cheever makes an allusion to Shakespeare's sonnet-- "He might have been compared to a summer's day." Not only does this reinforce the idea of Neddy's youthful vibrancy, but it also relates to the fine summer day outside. It is summer. It is sunny. The day is young, and anything is possible.
\n
\nAs the story progresses, however, it takes on an increasingly darker mood. Cheever's transformation from realism to surrealism is so subtle, one begins to question what, if anything, is "real." This story is open to interpretation and its events should not be taken literally. Neddy's journey is, in many ways, a metaphor for what may have been his life, or a person's life in general. He starts his journey animated and energized. He is youthful and vibrant. Again, Cheever uses visual and auditory imagery to reflect Neddy's mood. "The water refracted the sound of voices and laughter and seemed to suspend it in midair... Oh how bonny and lush were the banks of the Lucinda River!" But after every pool and every swim, he grows more and more fatigued. At this point, it starts to become clear that the passing of time has been warped and transformed. "It would storm. The stand of cumulus cloud--that city-- had risen and darkened..." Why is it storming when, in the story, it was sunny and hot just moments ago? Neddy also notices that the leaves of a tree have turned orange and yellow-- the colors of autumn-- although it is the middle of summer. Neddy's memory begins to desert him and he is not sure of anything anymore. Time becomes hazy and inconsequential to him. Then, at one point, he must cross the highway. This symbolizes a decision; a point of no return. We get a powerful image of Neddy, dirty and dripping at the edge of the highway. "Standing barefoot in the deposits of the highway--beer cans, rags, and blowout patches-- exposed to all kinds of ridicule, he seemed pitiful." Yet for some reason, he carries on with dogged perseverance. He knows that he cannot turn back now. The pools he swims through grow more and more dirty. Neddy grows more and more weary. "He was cold and tired and the naked Hallorans and their dark water had depressed him." He smells burning wood on the wind, another indication that time is passing. When he arrives at the Biswangers' party, he is treated with disrespect and contempt. Here he notices that "no one was swimming and the twilight, reflected on the water of the pool, had a wintry gleam." Autumn has now transformed to winter. The journey is reaching that point of death and despair, of obliteration. His visit to his ex-mistress represents the loss of innocence throughout one's life. "Her figure... excited in him no profound memories." This Neddy is the complete opposite of the Neddy at the start of the story. This Neddy is weary of living. Neddy "swum too long, he had been immersed too long, and his nose and his throat were sore from the water." Finally, when he returns to his old home, he realizes it is no longer his home. Neddy has reached the end of his journey, but his destination is not what expected it to be. Throughout the story, Cheever's use of imagery gives us hints about the passing of time and the plot of the story.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27230627","body":"Wait! Mr. Webster! It IS by Shakespeare!","dateCreated":"1284836814","smartDate":"Sep 18, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"maaayyyaaa","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/maaayyyaaa","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1222817730\/maaayyyaaa-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"27282211","body":"Yes Maya,
\n
\nYou are right... I was thinking of Elizabeth Barret Browning's "How much do I love thee\/ Let me count the ways." My mistake.
\n
\nOtherwise, this is good.
\n
\nThanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284995125","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27203875","dateCreated":"1284747774","smartDate":"Sep 17, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"tammy_sev","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/tammy_sev","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1285868666\/tammy_sev-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27203875"},"dateDigested":1531973817,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"The swimmer- Tamara Sevilla","description":"Imagery is present throughout the story to get the reader more involved with it, we can learn about the character and setting from it. In \u201cThe Swimmer\u201d the main character, Neddy swims around his county until he gets to his house. In this short story there are some imagery used to describe Neddy and by it we can see how he changes from the beginning to the end of the story. At the beginning of the story Cheever tells us that \u201cHe was a slender man--he seemed to have the especial slenderness of youth\u2014 and while he was far from young\u2026\u201d (pg.1233). This quote shows us that he looked as a very young man even though he wasn\u2019t and that he had a thin appearance and kept himself in shape. However the description given of him at nearly the end of the story is very different, he begins to forget many things like for example, that his friends had been sick, one of his neighbors had moved out, and what happened to his social statues, among these things he forgets his affair with Shirley, \u201cThey had had an affair last week, last month, last year. He couldn\u2019t remember,\u201d (pg. 1240). His lack of memory is an example of his aging, he is described as a young man at the beginning and energetic but at the end he starts changing and in a metaphoric way he gets older. The setting is also described in many detail and we can put ourselves in the story. When the thunderstone comes, Neddy describes the place after it passes and we can almost see it. He says, \u201cThe rain had cooled the air and he shivered. The force of the wind had stripped a maple its red and yellow leaves and scattered them over the grass and the water,\u201d (pg. 1236). We can see the place as cold and a little sad for Neddy since it says, \u201c he felt a peculiar sadness at the sign of autumn,\u201d (pg. 1236). We can see what he is seeing, all the leaves scattered around in the floor and water, and a windy and cold place with a kind of depressing mood. There is another scene in the story where we can instead, listen to what is happening. Cheever describes the public pool and gives the imagery that it was, \u201cThe effect of water and voices, the illusion of brilliance and suspense, was the same here as it had been at the Bunkers\u2019 but the sound here were louder, harsher, and more shrill\u2026\u201d (pg. 1237).This makes us imagine the public pool as a noisy place that could be compared to the Bunker\u2019s house. We can here a mixture of voices and splashing of water. For this, we can interpret that the changes of description change the story and it\u2019s characters.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27284367","body":"Thanks Tamara,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284997694","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27178705","dateCreated":"1284704119","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"julibarca10","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/julibarca10","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1269448814\/julibarca10-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27178705"},"dateDigested":1531973817,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"The Swimmer","description":"The Swimmer
\n
\nJohn Cheever uses imagery in a great fashion. In The Swimmer he wisely intertwined the setting, plot, and time with the character. He does this by connecting them with Neddy\u2019s epic and crazy journey throughout the pools. The first hints we get, are great examples of imagery \u201cIt was a fine day. In the west there was a massive stand of cumulus cloud so like a city seen from a distance.\u201d(pg. 1233) \u201cHe might be compared to a summer\u2019s day particularly the last hours of one.\u201d (pg. 1234) . Here we face our connection. A fine day is presented to us and moments after Ned is described as being one fine day coming to an end; not only that but we are hinted that there is a storm about to happen during that fine day, meaning that Ned is eventually going to perform a massive change. After Ned decides to embark in his adventure crossing pools, we get another big hint once we are half way through his journey. First the time comes \u201cA train whistle blew what time it had gotten to be. Four? Five?\u201d(pg. 1236) Cheever here uses the image of a train whistle which reminds us of stations and how they are always synchronized with time, next the storm comes and the plot changes \u201cIt was suddenly growing dark; it was that moment when the pin-headed birds seem to organize their song into some acute and knowledgeable recognition of the storm\u2019s approach.\u201d(pg.1236) As Ned gets closer to the end, the storm gets closer every time and more is revealed about Neddy\u2019s way of being. The birds are used to illustrate what is going on and to show us the type of weather that was taking place, since birds always sense the incoming storms. As Neddy hides from the storm in a gazebo he notices some Japanese lanterns \u201cMrs. Levy had bought in Kyoto the year before last, or was it the year before that?\u201d(pg. 1236) With this we find Neddy\u2019s first defect, he has trouble remembering things which one might say is usual for someone not very young, but after this as he enters the next house he presents another memory flaw. \u201cHe seemed to remember having heard something about the Lindleys and their horses but the memory was unclear.\u201d(pg 1236.) His memory seems to be failing and when the first storm passed Neddy\u2019s first \u201cstorm\u201d begins since we see how he is suffering from memory problems. As Ned begins to reach the end another sign is given to us of how things aren\u2019t just right \u201cWe\u2019ve been terribly to hear about all your misfortunes, Neddy\u201d (pg 1238) said Ms. Haloran \u201cWhy, we heard that you\u2019d sold your house and that your poor children\u2026\u201d(pg1238) she continued. Clearly something went wrong and Ned can\u2019t remember. When Ned reaches the final pool the sky is clear \u201cLooking overhead he saw that the stars had come out, but why should he seem to see Andromeda, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia? What had become of the constellations of midsummer?\u201d(pg. 1240) This is probably one of the best connections that goes on in the whole story. The skies are clear and so is our image of Ned, we know that he suffers from memory problems, not only that but time has passed it isn\u2019t midsummer no longer autumn is coming and with the end of summer there is no more joy, not only is there no more joy but it is already nighttime, there are no more pools left the journey has finally led to the end and so has Neddy\u2019s way of being completely changed. When Ned finally arrives home and tries to open the door \u201crust came off the handles onto his hands.\u201d(pg. 1241) The end of the journey arrives and the rust means that Neddy came to late that there is only the rust of memories left, not only this but the rust symbolizes Ned\u2019s full transition from being a young sport to being a tired old rusty man.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27281921","body":"Thanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284994808","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27175705","dateCreated":"1284693987","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"ad.ri","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/ad.ri","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1283992059\/ad.ri-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27175705"},"dateDigested":1531973817,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"The Swimmer","description":"Throughout The Swimmer Cheever writes us into a world of color and aromas, sounds and feelings where we can almost experience what Neddy Merrill lives. As Neddy swims across the county, Cheever uses visual, as well as auditory and olfactory, descriptions, and references from other known texts to get his ideas about Neddy\u00b4s world into the readers\u2019 heads. From the beginning of the story Neddy is described as \u201ca summer\u00b4s day, particularly the last hours of one\u2026 [T]he impression was definitely one of youth, sport, and clement weather,\u201d (1234). However, as his journey continues he seems to grow old and weak and his mission develops into a yet more imperative task. Things start to get gloom when \u201cthe stand of cumulus cloud- that city- had risen and darkened, and while he sat there he heard the percussiveness of thunder again,\u201d (1236). Even then he continued after the storm through the chilly air. He stood up to the humiliation on the route 424, he tainted \u201cown prosperousness and charm\u201d as he swam through the murky, chlorine-smelling waters of the public pool of Lancaster. Nevertheless he continued because \u201che was an explorer, a pilgrim\u201d and he had set his mind on swimming across the county. He continued until his \u201carms were lame. His legs felt rubbery and ached at the joints. The worst of it was the cold in his bones,\u201d (1238). Besides this Mrs. Halloran had left him confused and depressed, telling him that he had sold his house and that his daughters were in some kind of trouble when he didn\u2019t recall any of it. Yet again he set out towards his house through the Lucinda River. He passed his neighbor\u2019s house, in which he was treated with scorn and continued to his former mistress\u2019s house where he was sure to be well treated. He was wrong, though, and began to weep miserably when he noticed the darkness of that Sunday summer afternoon. When he nears his house expecting the usual comfort of his home and family, he ineffectively tried to turn the rusty handles of the garage door. \u201cHe shouted, pounded on the door, tried to force it with his shoulder, and then, looking in at the windows, saw that the place was empty,\u201d (1241). By starting describing beautiful, wonderful things and slowly turning towards describing more ominously Cheever depicts Neddy\u2019s crumbling life, which he forgets trying to conceal the painful facts.
\n Besides creating a plot with his descriptions, Cheever manages to convey the beauty of swimming from Neddy\u2019s point of view. For Neddy, \u201cto be embraced and sustained by the light green water was less a pleasure than the resumption of a natural condition,\u201d (1234). Water is also a way to escape from people and noise. Before he could get stuck in a conversation at the Bunkers\u2019 party, he dove into the water and he \u201cheard the brilliant, watery sound of voices fade,\u201d (1235). He cares so much about this new task of swimming across the county that when he finds a \u201cbreach in his chain of water, [he is] disappointed absurdly, and he felt like some explorer who seeks a torrential headwater and finds a dead stream,\u201d (1236). Through this kind of imagery, comparisons and descriptions that evoke our senses, Cheever reveals to us the wet world through Neddy Merrill\u2019s eyes.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27281627","body":"Good Adrinana,
\n
\nThanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284994506","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27171613","dateCreated":"1284688920","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"paulasev_th","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/paulasev_th","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1265121950\/paulasev_th-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27171613"},"dateDigested":1531973817,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"The Swimmer Paula Sevilla","description":"Paula Sevilla
\nHonors Question 4
\nThe Swimmer; imagery
\n
\n
\nThe use of imagery in John Cheever\u2019s \u201cThe Swimmer\u201d is crucial, because it describes the setting and evokes different feelings. These two elements are what drive the plot. For example, the author describes how Neddy has a picture, or a map, of the county in his head, and this is what the author does throughout the story to the reader. By describing in detail Neddy\u2019s stops and the houses he passes through, an image of the setting is created in the mind of the reader, giving a better understanding of the plot. When Ned goes into the Bunkers\u2019, he feels \u201ca passing affection for the scene, a tenderness for the gathering, as if was something he might touch,\u201d (1235). This feeling is caused because of the scene, including \u201cprosperous men and women gathered by the sapphire-colored water,\u201d (1235), or a man \u201ccircling around and around and around in the sky with something like the glee of a child in a swing,\u201d (1235). The description of setting is important when Ned goes to the Welchers\u2019, and finds out the pool is dry. The house has all the windows and doors shut, and a for-sale sign in the front. Because of this, Ned feels \u201clike some explorer who seeks a torrential headwater and finds a dead stream. He was disappointed and mystified,\u201d (1236). The image of the empty house evokes loneliness and an unhappy feeling.
\n The imagery used in the scene when Ned is trying to cross the road is the key element to the atmosphere created. The author describes Ned \u201cstanding barefoot in the deposits of the highway \u2013 beer cans, rags, and blowout patches \u2013 exposed to all kinds of ridicule, he seemed pitiful,\u201d (1237). The plot begins to take a mysterious, gloomy turn, shown through images such as this one, where Ned is found in a miserable situation. It keeps getting worse when he arrives to the public pool, and says, \u201cthe effect of the water on voices, the illusion of brilliance and suspense was the same here as it had been at the Bunkers\u2019 but the sounds here were louder, harsher, and more shrill,\u201d (1237). The mood created is hostile, and negative. Then comes the most powerful image in the story: Ned tries to get out of the water and realizes that \u201cthe strength in his arms and his shoulders had gone, and he paddled to the ladder and climbed out,\u201d (1240). The image of a healthy man is replaced by that of an old, tired man, because of the comparison between the image of him jumping out of the pool at the beginning of the story, and him climbing out through the stairs. When Ned gets into the next pool, he swims \u201cstopping again and again with his and on the curb to rest,\u201d (1240). The story is no longer about the journey of an enthusiastic pilgrim, but about the difficult and exhausted journey home.
\n This story begins describing a man that \u201cmight have been compared to a summer\u2019s day, particularly the last hours of one,\u201d (1234) and ends with the man feeling \u201cmiserable, cold, tired, and bewildered,\u201d (1240). The route in between is all provoked by imagery.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27281343","body":"Well-done Paula,
\n
\nThanks,
\n
\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284994249","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27169765","dateCreated":"1284687221","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"teagvest","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/teagvest","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27169765"},"dateDigested":1531973817,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Teag Vest- The Swimmer","description":"Cheever uses subtle imagery for most of the story, while in smaller parts he employs more vivid and realistic imagery. For example, in the first paragraph there isn\u2019t much description about the characters themselves or even places, but he does write what kind of day it was: a Sunday when everybody has a hangover. From that, one can infer that the community must be the party-on-the-weekend type. The next paragraph contrasts the first with a detailed description about someone\u2019s pool, the weather and clouds and sun, and the main character himself: Neddy. Even though he is a grown man, he is so slender it seems as if he still has somewhat of a child\u2019s physique. Later on in the story, the author implies that he also has a form of memory loss, as he forgets the state of his family and that of his house. He does seem to maintain somewhat of a childish disposition in the fact that he spends his entire day doing something as trivial as swimming across the county simply for the joy of it, whereas most adults of his age would be more focused on work and\/or family. Hopefully family. But the point is that he is somewhat- regressed or slower-developed in his mind than most adults of his age. For example, he has a strange contempt for men who did not hurl themselves into the water, and, because of this, he makes a point of always doing this. What kind of mature man does that? He also plans to name this quasi-subterranean stream after his wife: Lucinda. Lucinda River? Clearly he is not all there.
\nAs for the setting, it takes place in a county where a quasi-subterranean stream is the source of water for many families\u2019 pools. At nearly every one he stops at, there is a party. The only exception is a public pool. The author does a good job describing these pools as well as other parts of Neddy\u2019s journey, such as houses in the community and the highway which doubles as a dump. The story is basically a chronicle of Neddy\u2019s trip through the county, swimming through pools and stream. He begins his journey midday-ish and it ends in the late evening: during his swim in the last pool, the sun began to set and it began to get dark. By the time he finally gets to his house, the dark is semi-absolute. He then also sees that it is empty and remembers that he had moved out already- again, he is not all there. The plot is that of a memory-deficient man on a quest. Along the way he happens to meet people who know about this memory deficiency, some of whom pity him, others who give him the cold shoulder, but none of whom actually break it to him. This obviously leaves him to figure it all out on his own, which is sad because when he is exhausted from swimming so much, he makes it to his used-to-be-but-not-anymore house, ready to drop. Then he gets depressed and confused (go figure) and the story ends there. It didn\u2019t seem to me like there was much of a theme, or even a plot- it was more like a step-by-step chronicle.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27281221","body":"Thanks,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284994057","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27169553","dateCreated":"1284687041","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"fabiborelly31","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/fabiborelly31","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1225493296\/fabiborelly31-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27169553"},"dateDigested":1531973818,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"The Swimmer Response ","description":"In the story, Cheever applies the use of imagery to evoke some sort of connection with the story through our senses and to allow us, the readers, to relate to the different aspects of the story. We can see a clear use of imagery in the way in which Cheever portrays the main character, Neddy Merril and his voyage through the county pools. His trip is one of revelation, and the pools all serve as connecting links that reveal a man with a deteriorating psychological sanity and with an initial strength that is lost as he faces the different links in the chain. In \u201cThe Swimmer\u201d, Neddy begins his trip with joy, strength and determination. He is filled with a thriving force that pushes him to swim. \u201cHe had an inexplicable contempt for men who did not hurt themselves into pools,\u201d (pg.1234). We can see here that Neddy is strong and determined. As he travels along, his journey turns into a period of dark realization and discontent, which seem to emphasize the mess his life has turned out to be, all through the image of a chain of pools. \u201cHe seemed to see, with a cartographer\u2019s eye, that string of swimming pools, that quasi-subterranean stream that curved across the whole county,\u201d (pg.1234). As Neddy swims on, through the chain of pools, he suddenly begins having problems remembering, just like when he forgot when Mrs. Levy had bought the Japanese lanterns or that the Lindleys had no horses anymore. \u201c[He] seemed to remember having heard something about the Lindley\u2019s and their horses, but the memory was unclear,\u201d (pg.1236). Neddy then keeps on traveling further ahead in the chain, but then comes to a breach between the links. \u201cHe was disappointed and mystified,\u201d (pg. 1236). It seems as if this broken link represents something more than just an empty pool. This empty pool might actually reveal that Neddy, at that point of his life, was disappointed and mystified and that he is missing something. That empty pool is a void that Neddy must deal with and that may help explain why he is having trouble remembering and why he is so troubled. This empty pool might serve as a way to visualize an obstacle that is impeding Neddy from completely moving on. Then, we come to the public pool, where \u201che dove, scowling with distaste, into the chlorine\u2026\u201d (pg. 1237). This image of the pool, dirty and quite disgusting, also helps reveal that Neddy might be going through bad times in his life. A time in which he is not completely sane and has to face difficult times that cause disgust and discontent within him. Then, Neddy reaches the Halloran\u2019s pool, where \u201c[they\u2019ve been] terribly sorry to hear about all [his] misfortunes,\u201d (pg. 1238). Once Neddy reaches this point in the chain of pools, he is confronted by his misfortunes even though he has no knowledge of them. \u201cMy misfortunes\u2026I don\u2019t know what you mean,\u201d (pg.1238). Here we realize that Neddy may have some sort of mental issues or is somehow psychologically troubled and it was this link the chain that revealed even more about his true character. Almost at the end of his voyage, Neddy reaches the pool of his old mistress and when swimming in this pool, he finally loses all his strengths and breaks down. \u201c\u2026he found that the strength in his arms and his shoulders had gone\u2026\u201d (pg.1240). Neddy even begins to cry and through this, we can see that maybe, Neddy\u2019s marriage was not happy and good. That would explain why he was with a mistress, but in the end, that mistress only manage to cause him pain and despair and left him all alone crying. It seems that as the image of the connected pools progresses, the more is unveiled about Neddy and all that he is going through. Finally, as Neddy completes the chain and reaches his home, he realizes that he is all alone, that his house is empty and that he is left outside. \u201cHe shouted, pounded on the door, tied to force it with his shoulder, and then, looking in at the windows saw that the place was empty,\u201d (pg. 1241). In the end, it seems that this image of pools in chain serve as a way to illustrate Neddy\u2019s character and that he encounters through this revealing journey, each link in the chain connected with the previous one but revealing more depth than its predecessor.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27280731","body":"Thanks,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284993492","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"27163061","dateCreated":"1284681423","smartDate":"Sep 16, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"MaFe1595","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/MaFe1595","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/davidgarethw-books-b.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/27163061"},"dateDigested":1531973818,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Ned","description":"In the story, the Swimmer the main character, Ned, is described in several ways. The first part we get an image of him. \u201cHe was a slender man.\u201d The author describes him as thin, as well as old, since he mentions that Neddy is far from youth. Through the story, the author also shows Neddy\u2019s character through his interaction with people. We see that his life isn\u2019t very good. He has economical problems because when he visited Grace, she talks behind his back about a loan he asked for. Then, when he visits his mistress, she refuses to give him any money as soon as she sees him. Then, we also see that he drinks a lot. At every house, he asks for a drink, and he uses alcoholic drinks to be able to keep on swimming. This shows that maybe he looks comfort or strength in alcohol. This doesn\u2019t really reflect something good of Neddy. He also had a mistress, meaning he didn\u2019t take the holiness of a marriage into consideration. Then, when he goes to the Hallorans, Mrs. Halloran tells him that she is very sorry about his kids having trouble, and the fact that he had to sell his house. Ned doesn\u2019t know what she\u2019s talking about. Then he starts wondering how he forgot that his kids were troubled and that he had economical issues. The story starts off with this slender man that wants to swim through the whole county, but as we move forward, we discover that this man is very troubled.
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\nThe author starts the story in midsummer. The imagery is very well done. He uses very descriptive words and stimulates our senses. Reading this I can smell the chlorine in the pool. Also, you can almost listen the sound of the people in a party, and the music. You can feel the cold wind, after you get out of the pool. The smell of alcohol, the rust against his hand. Also, at the beginning of the story, it\u2019s midsummer, but it\u2019s warmer. It\u2019s that transition from summer to autumn, but it\u2019s closer to summer than autumn. This is when he started swimming and all his problems were still undisclosed. As his problems are being revealed, the weather starts getting cooler, closer to autumn. The weather complements that transitions from a maybe happier time when he was having lunch with friends and Lucinda, to being alone, broke and people reject him. People start off being nice at the beginning like the Holograms, but then his mistress and Grace treat him like crap. Also, you can relate to the descriptions he gives of the parties, and the weather. We can actually feel the pool, and the breeze. The author used imagery very well, because we really feel what Ned is feeling in this story. It stimulates your senses and it makes us feel like we are part of the story, part of the setting. Like if we were going through the journey back home with Neddy.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"27280555","body":"Thanks,
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\nWebster","dateCreated":"1284993278","smartDate":"Sep 20, 2010","userCreated":{"username":"davidgarethw","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/davidgarethw","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}