Baptism no longer functions as a simple Christian practice in the world of literature. Dr. Thomas Foster highlights this idea in a specific chapter titled "If She Comes Close, It's Baptism" in his novel, How to Read Literature Like a Professor. John Cheever's “The Swimmer” exemplifies Foster's concept of rebirth through baptism and how, to achieve it, the character must truly want it. Neddy, the main character, embarks on a journey, with alcohol as his companion, to find a second chance at life by swimming in other people's pools. Yet he never gets it because his efforts do not reflect his desire. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the story, it is suggested that due to excessive alcoholism, Neddy has lost everything from his home to his family. He sets off on an epic journey across the pools to return to his old home. His bathing in the pools amounts to a form of baptism. The swimming pools are not only relevant to the plot for location reasons, but also have ownership. The sapphire pools Neddy swims in are owned by people just like him, rich and alcoholics. Therefore he never truly pursues a new life by attempting to achieve rebirth through his old habits. His biggest fault, besides constantly drinking. When Neddy swims in pools, he doesn't make much effort. He swims and accepts his small movements as an effort towards his goal. The story changes when Neddy goes to a public swimming pool. There he is stripped of his divine status and becomes an ordinary man. Intentionally, Neddy goes to a swimming pool owned by a couple passionate about communist beliefs. There he swims naked in unfiltered water. At this point it's pure. Coincidentally, he also gets some information about his past. Although he is not baptized or reborn, after swimming he becomes weak and fragile. This shows that the waters in which he bathed externally could not do much since internally, due to the alcohol, his body essentially did not commit to baptism. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essayHis weak body comes home. Yet there Neddy finds an empty, unchanged house. Neddy is not given a second chance. The Swimmer gives truth to Dr. Foster's words by demonstrating that baptism is obtained only when the character truly desires it.