The characters Ned Merrill encounters at the beginning of The Swimmer were recovering from a night of significant revelry, evidenced by their hangovers.
As the story opens, Ned Merrill drops by a pool party hosted by his old friends. These individuals are actively "nursing hangovers from the night before," indicating they had been engaged in extensive drinking or partying. This detail sets a particular tone for Ned's interactions and highlights the social context of his journey.
Key Aspects of the Characters' Previous Night
- Socializing and Drinking: Ned's friends had spent the previous evening in a manner that resulted in them experiencing hangovers. This suggests a night filled with social interaction, likely involving alcohol.
- State of Recovery: Their condition at the story's outset—nursing hangovers—immediately informs the reader about the preceding night's events and their current state of being.
This specific detail applies to Ned's friends at the first pool party. The narrative introduces Ned himself as arriving at this scene, rather than detailing his own activities from the night before in the same context.
