“The Swimmer,” a short story by John Cheever, presents the reader with a theme about the inevitable changes in life. The story focuses on the round character named Neddy Merrill who is in total denial of the reality of his life. He has lost his youth, his wealth, and his family, but only at the end of the story does he develop to his fullest, experiencing a glimmer of realization about all that he has actually lost. In the short story "The Swimmer," John Cheever uses point of view, setting, and symbolism to show the value of real relationships and the moments in life that are taken for granted. "The Swimmer" is an allegory told in the third-person point of view of someone observing Neddy's journey. This allows the reader to discover the reactions of friends and neighbors when Neddy arrives at their home, while also revealing the change in the character's all-round attitude and feelings as his journey through life continues. Cheever wisely tells the story from a perspective where the reader can still be connected to Neddy from the beginning to the end of the story as he learns how his actions have failed others and not just himself. He also discovers each character's involvement and relationship with Neddy before and after his mid-life crisis. If this story were told from any other point of view, the reader would only get a one-sided, somewhat closed version, whereas with a third-person point of view the reader is brought closer to the entire situation, given all perspectives. It guides the reader from one significant piece to the next at a smooth level, without any distorted impression as the story is told. Cheever, also known as "the Chekhov of his...... middle of paper ..... .his story conveys the main message that life is short and he succeeds in doing so, using point of view, setting and symbolism, “The Swimmer” can teach many readers not to waste precious time as Neddy did when he drank, worrying about insincere relationships between social status, etc. and taking his family for granted by Cheever not only shows the theme of “The Swimmer” but also organizes passages of events that the reader can experience throughout the story John Cheever once said: “The need to write comes from the need to make sense of one's own life and discover one's usefulness" (Good Reads). He illustrates this goal perfectly in “The Swimmer.” Works Cited Cheever, John "The Swimmer Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama,". and Writing 12th ed. XJ Kennedy and Dana Gioia. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. Print.