This instinct manifests itself by alcohol and drug abuse, getting lost in a book, craving sleep, or sometimes as seriously as suicide. Throughout the whole story of The Swimmer, we are constantly asking the question why? We first wonder why Neddy is pushing himself to the point of exhaustion while undertaking this journey, then we begin to wonder what it is that happened to Neddy and his family, and we finally wonder why Neddy himself cannot remember the crucial event or the times leading up to it. If we take a look at the Freuds theories of the id we begin to answer some of these questions. The life instinct, or pleasure principle, offers an explanation as to why Neddy is drinking heavily throughout the story. He is attempting to maximize his pleasure and avoid pain and discomfort. The death instinct also offers a possible answer to why he is drinking so heavily while undertaking such a difficult journey. His id may be pushing him to be still, at peace, and with no more needs.The superego is another structure in the unconscious mind that is just as illogical as the id. The superegos quest is not one of pleasure though. The superegos goal is to be ultimately right and just in the eyes of society above all things. The superego functions within cultural norms and societal standards. As we start to progress through The Swimmer we begin to form an understanding of the cultural norms and societal standards that Neddy has had to adopt and function within. In Neddys prestigious neighborhood, there is a certain expectation to conduct yourself in a respectable way. We start to realize that Neddy must be the picture of class since he is so respected and well liked by his peers. Neddy himself gave us an explanation of what is considered unacceptable behavior when he tells us about the Biswangers before he enters their party. The Biswangers discuss prices of things at parties and tell inappropriate stories with mixed company. He te...
