Summary and structure

In what follows, you can read the summ…

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Summary

On a hot summers’ day, a young woman decides to take a swim in the river to cool down. She cannot understand why people do not swim in rivers anymore.

At first, she is rel…

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Structure

The short story “The Swimmer” follows a simple plot structure. The story is constructed using symbolism and minimalism. The narration simply follows a young woman who begins to go swimming in a river to see a swan, until she discovers that the swan is trapped in nylon fishing lines and sets it free. 

Title

The title of the short story, “The Swimmer” indicates that the plot concerns someone who swims. As it turns out, the main character, a young woman, becomes a frequent swimmer in the local river. Because the story involves the woman’s interactions with a swan, the title may also refer to the bird (which is also a swimmer). At a symbolical level, both the swan and the woman swim their way to freedom. The woman feels free when she swims in the river. Later on, she fre…