The story takes place in a very wealthy neighborhood where almost everyone has a pool. Not your average above ground pool, but enormous in-ground pools, some fed by streams. One hot summer day a man named Neddy Merrill was swimming at the Westerhazy's pool, "Neddy Merrill sat by the green water, one hand in it, one around a glass of gin" (369) He is described as a slender man, a man of youth even though he is not young. "He might be described as a summers day..." (369) Cheever compares Needy to a

"Was his memory failing him or had he so disciplined it in the repression of unpleasant facts that he damaged the sense of the truth." (372) Further down along the trip he notices more and more things out of the ordinary, thing he doesn't remember. Mrs. Hakbran said, "we've been terribly sorry about all your misfortunes" (374) She spoke of him selling the house and his troubled children. He did not understand,"was he losing his memory or was his gift for concealing painful facts let him forget he had sold the house or that his children are in trouble..." (374)

On his was home he knew he would see many friends and didn't want to be slowed down by conversation so he would have to be slick and slip away whenever he got tied up. It seems as though everyone was having friends

Some common words found in the essay are:
Bullet Park, Neddy Merrill, Biswanger Neddy, John Cheever, English Comp, Truth Hurts, neddy merrill, short story,
Approximate Word count = 524
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)