The Swimmers

Julie Otsuka’s use of first-person plural point of view to narrate the swimmers’ story in Parts 1 and 2, speaking as “we,” sets the tone for an exploration of communal identity. The swimmers’ avid devotion to the pool compared to more casual pool patrons demonstrates a bonding force created by their commonalities. The first two paragraphs of the novel suggest they all have something to escape, some part of their lives that makes them feel like failures or that causes them pain. However, their individual traits soon become apparent—almost but not quite intrusive on their idyllic pool time—creating a sense of contrast and contradiction. Throughout the rest of the novel, this juxtaposition of communal identity versus individual identity takes on various forms for the swimmers, Alice, and Alice’s family. Ultimately, the contrast between these two types of identity represents the convergence of US and Japanese cultures.

Historically, Japan has been defined as a collectivist culture, one in which group cohesion is prioritized over individual pursuits. The US, on the other hand, is qualified as an individualist culture, one which venerates human independence and freedom.