In the novel Learning to Swim by Graham Swift many issues arise among characters, but the main central idea is the rift between men and women. Inside, the reader is submerged in conflict between couples that were thought to be in love. The characters very well might be, but Graham keeps the forceful repetition of characters struggling to comprehend the progression of thought between characters. For example, the first small story was that of a husband and wife whose only battle is the skirmish of teaching their son to swim. The father who was a champion swimmer in high school takes the task upon himself to instill buoyancy into his son, while the wife who loves the arts and was not known for athletics just wants her small son to do whatever pleases him. This battle somehow consumes the struggle that is the marriage. Second up, a young runaway couple slowly learns of the real world and love. The story begins in a small, dirty, and dank apartment that the couple has taken refuge in. The young woman is from a family of large wealth while the man is from nothing, only further foisting a split. Over time the couple becomes agitated at each other. The romance ends and the real world begins when the couple is forced to take jobs to finance living. The story ends in an abrupt fashion when the couple is at the peak of an argument and the young woman learns of her inheritance which allows complete financial freedom to both of them.
Interestingly enough, the final struggle of the book is not that of a man and a woman, but instead of a man and time. The man is born into a family that created a watch that will tick forever and with that comes immortality to the family. The watches as his grandfather lives to around 160 years of age without a hiccup and notices how the quality of life is diminishing. They are all healthy, but the mental attitude of the members degrade over time. So when the man is caught off guard and is roped in to deliver a baby, the watch and its magical powers are used to save the fresh life. This leaves the man with no hope and so he takes his life in a river.
Interestingly enough, the final struggle of the book is not that of a man and a woman, but instead of a man and time. The man is born into a family that created a watch that will tick forever and with that comes immortality to the family. The watches as his grandfather lives to around 160 years of age without a hiccup and notices how the quality of life is diminishing. They are all healthy, but the mental attitude of the members degrade over time. So when the man is caught off guard and is roped in to deliver a baby, the watch and its magical powers are used to save the fresh life. This leaves the man with no hope and so he takes his life in a river.
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