A River in Egypt Like the famous saying goes, denial isn't just a river in Egypt. On the surface, "The Swimmer" may appear to be a tale of the effects of alcohol abuse or maybe even a characterization of a mental disorder like Alzheimer's. Upon closer scrutiny, however, one discerns that it is denial that allows for the supremacy of the human mind over logic and reason during desperate times. Cheever insinuates that the mind …showed first 75 words of 852 total…

…showed last 75 words of 852 total…his reality by allowing his mind to suppress the warnings almost to the point of extinction. Instead of trying to alleviate the situation by "snapping out of it" and owning up to his mistakes, he threw himself deeper into the fantasy that his modern-day life was no different than the picture-perfect existence he had enjoyed for so long. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt... unless you happen to be swimming in the Lucinda River.