Progressing further into the story, Neddy’s journey becomes more translucent. After various strange encounters with his neighbors along with his alcohol problem, Neddy begins to morph into a confused older man; opposed to when his once vibrant ego.
He finally starts to realize that his adult life, including his marriage, is an immense illusion. As the story nears an ending, Neddy stumbles upon his house, which is abandoned by his wife and children. …show more content…
Neddy has conversations with various neighbors for brief moments before heading to the next neighbor’s pool. When examined in a symbolic lens, the alcohol he consumes throughout the story suppresses the reality of Neddy’s journey and other major events. As the tables slowly begin to turn, Neddy recognizes that the pools are increasingly colder than the previous one and extremely difficult to swim across. Observing Neddy as he grows weaker and older, the journey seems progressively harder than what it started out to be. This serves as a metaphor for Neddy’s life than the planned journey he undertakes; it reveals how easy a marriage seems in the beginning and then develops into a less physical and emotional relationship. One indication that Neddy’s life is becoming further complex is during one specific part of the journey: when he is forced to hide under a gazebo as a storm passes. Paragraphs throughout the story symbolize a passing of time, while Neddy’s memories become more dilute and inaccurate. His inability to remember critical details regarding his neighbors show that he has been ignorant about his everyday life and much rather consume alcoholic beverages to numb his internal conflicts. While depression renders Neddy’s memories creating a sort of imaginative universe, he becomes unable to isolate his world opposed to the reality that surrounds …show more content…
This is like midlife crisis because it splits the smooth lives of men and women in today’s society. Generally, men of the ages 40 to 60 are typically challenged with midlife crisis; Neddy is more than likely in this age range. Men are usually depressed and emotionally unsatisfied with their lives when suffering a midlife crisis. They normally are in need of psychotherapy when experiencing unhappiness, doubt, confusion and boredom. As the weather progresses from a bright and joyous summer afternoon to a cool, stormy autumn eve, Neddy becomes bored with the journey. This shows a timeline of how quickly time has passed in his life. While Neddy is dazed and confused, his neighbors begin to discuss his debt and broken family. In the story, he comes in contact with a woman that he has apparently had an affair with. The woman tells him she cannot give him any more money; upset, Neddy is then faced with the final chapter of his adventure. Being that the return home is the biggest climax throughout the story, Neddy notices that the house is abandoned and weathered. No one is there and nothing remains inside of the house; he did not recognize that his family left him. With everything he once cared about gone, Neddy is left fatigued and