The suburban lifestyle of the 1960's is said to symbolize the American dream: nuclear families, poolside gatherings, and evening chats on the front porch-the good life. The unprecedented "Honey, I'm home" era was filled with prosperity and affluence, which on the surface presents a picture perfect lifestyle. The story of Neddy Merrill's epic journey indicates this picturesque life is in fact blurry or imperfect. John Cheever uses Neddy's life as a critical representation of the early sixties affluent suburban society. Examining Neddy's life, Cheever exposes this society in general as shallow, superficial, and lacking genuine personal interaction. This contrast between the reality of the time and the perception that affluence equates to happiness challenges this early sixties society and modern day American values as well. Through the triumph and trials of Neddy Merrill's life Cheever maintains that the greatest indictment of this society is that by over indulging in alcohol and attending meaningless socials the members of this class let their lives completely pass them by, never finding the genuine happiness that they seek.
             After a couple drinks at a social one Sunday afternoon, Neddy decides rather than taking the usual route home he would embark on an 8 mile journey, hiking and swimming down "that string of swimming pools, that quasi-subterranean stream that curved across the county" to his home. Although Neddy looks at this stream as a "contribution to modern geography" Cheever is really using this route as a symbol of Neddy's journey down the river of life. Neddy is swimming in the stream of this society's values: success, status, and affluence. The journey is supposed to take place over the course of an afternoon, however in actuality it used as a metaphor for the rest of Neddy's life.
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