John Cheever's The Swimmer

“The Swimmer” Element of Fiction Essay, Character Use In every story, plot and character go hand in hand, both playing equal roles in creating good fiction. But as fiction moves from escape to interpretive, the character end is likely to become more elaborate. Thus, making reading for character more difficult than reading for plot, and also making it one of the most complex and important elements of fiction. Any one can repeat what a person …

…his deep pain and obvious depression makes him a good character for interpretive fiction. In “The Swimmer”, Neddy’s character both develops and works with the plot in order to create a good fictional story. His emotional façade makes him great for deep interpretive reading and it makes the story more elaborate. Which is why reading for character is harder than reading for plot, but it is also the most important part of fiction.