The Swimmer Quote Response

Cheever, The Swimmer
page # 1490

1) "Making his way home by an uncommon route gave him the feeling that he was a pilgrim, an explorer, a man with a destiny, and he knew that he would find friends all along the way, friends would line the banks of the Lucinda River."

It can be perceived from this quote that Neddy is an imaginative, adventurous person. He is willing to try something new and difficult because he loves to swim and believes that it will be fun. He is excited about the task ahead. He compares himself to a pilgrim, which shows that he has a great imagination. He feels like a pilgrim because he is doing something different, in a way he is entering a new world.

Cheever, The Swimmer
page, # 1497

2) "He shouted, pounded on the door, tried to force it with his shpulder, and then, looking in the windows, saw that the place was empty."

This is the last sentence of the story. Neddy finishes his cross-country swim, and arrives at his home. Over the course of his journey, he finds that people are angry at him, or sorry about his misfortunes, but he has no clue what they are talking about. This quote is important because he realizes that he has lost his home, money, and everything else.