The Effects of Alcohol in the “The Swimmer” John Cheever’s short story, “The Swimmer”, discloses the vivid details of a man’s distortion of time, which ultimately leads to his unhappiness. Neddy Merrill, young and vigorous man, sets off on an aquatic journey by swimming in neighboring pools one to another. As he swims in his neighbors’ pools in order to reach his house, he experiences physical and emotional deterioration of his life. Cheevar’s “The Swimmer” reveals the physical and emotional damage of alcoholism reflected through passage of time taking place as Neddy’s journey progresses.
To begin with, alcoholism causes great physical deterioration in Neddy. He initiates his journey as a “youthful slender man…seemed to have the especial slenderness of youth” (Cheever 401). Described as to have an “inexplicable contempt for men who didn’t hurl themselves into pool…[and] he never used a ladder [to get out]”, he feels happy and comforted when he is honorably served with a …show more content…
He experienced a gradual social depredation. When he stopped at the Bunkers’ pool, countless men and women greeted him; even Enid Bunker, the property’s owner, screamed and made her way to welcome Needy. “A smiling bartender he had seen at a hundred parties gave him a gin and tonic” (Cheever 403). Right after he headed to Levys’ pool, but found the entire house empty. Since they had recently left, and disregarded bottles and glasses, he still helped himself to a drink. He, at this point, couldn’t pinpoint if it was his “fourth or fifth drink” (Cheever 404). When he reached the Biswangers’, the hostess marginalized him – referring him as a “gate crasher”. Retreating to some whiskey, the bartender serves him rudely, causing Neddy a great emotional setback. He saw himself in a world, “which caterer’s men kept the social score, and to be rebuffed by a part-time barkeep meant that he suffered some loss of social esteem” (Cheever