30 pages • 1 hour read
John CheeverA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The American suburbs produce similar feelings of disconnection across the nation, yet John Cheever mainly set his work in the Northeast. How would this story be different if it were set in the Midwest or the South? What social or political specificities of the Northeast shape “The Swimmer,” and what does Cheever do to help ground it in this place and time?
Neddy Merrill does not have many meaningful interactions with other characters in “The Swimmer.” Compare his conversation with Helen and Eric to his conversation with Shirley Adams—the only two instances when more than a few lines are traded back and forth. What do these conversations say about Neddy’s relationship to these individuals? How does his knowledge (or lack thereof) of their lives seem to affect him?
By John Cheever