This is a short essay on the short story by John Cheever, "The Swimmer." It gives 3 specific reasons why Neddy Merrill, the main character, is an atypical Grail Hero (according to an essay on the story by Blythe and Sweet): the circular nature of Neddy's quest - to return home after swimming through all the waters of his county, the presence of the modern, disposable, meaningless world throughout the story, and the isolation that Neddy himself feels in this existentialist retelling of the Grail myth. 3 pgs. Bibliography lists 2 sources.