Thomas Hardy, English novelist and poet, once observed: "Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change." In "The Swimmer", the world around Ned Merrill, the main character, constantly transforms as time passes, causing Ned's physical, mental and social state to decline. However, although Ned Merrill experiences the inevitable - growing old - he does not fully grasp the reality and idea that time moves on, even if you are not ready. "The Swimmer" is a short story written by John Cheever, a writer who used his own experiences as inspiration for his stories - "Cheever's problems with his parents, brother, wife, alcoholism and bisexuality have already been outlined in HOME BEFORE DARK, the 1984 memoir by his daughter, Susan Cheever, but Scott Donaldson… goes into more detail about these personal issues by showing how the writer transformed the often painful raw materials of his life into beauty and order of fiction” (Donaldson). He had difficult relationships with both his family and peers, perhaps he chose to live in his reality, just as Ned Merrill seems to be stuck in his bubble, unconsciously watching events through his eyes. "The Swimmer", many of Ned's friends and neighbors live in large homes with nice swimming pools and many have high social status, leading researchers and readers to believe that “The Swimmer” is set around the 1960s “[“The Swimmer ”] was published in 1964, at the time great prosperity for middle- and upper-class Americans. Having survived World War II...and the Korean War...many Americans, at least white Americans, were enjoying postwar wealth and opulence" ("Historical Context: 'The Swimmer'." EXPLORING Short Stories ) At a Glance......middle of paper......mmer.html>."Historical Context: 'The Swimmer.'" EXPLORING Short Stories: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Web Context 6 February 2014. "John Cheever." : np, n.d. EBSCO Web. 19 February 2014. .Riley, Kathryn. "John Cheever and the Limits of Imagination." Literary Criticism. Roger Matuz and Cathy Falk. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Literature Resource Center Web, 21 January 2014. Ross, Diane M. "The Swimmer." ): 1-2 Literary reference center. 21 January. 2014