The swimmer Deifendorf is regarded as a merman and sometimes Hercules.  
A critical moment in this work occurs when the two main characters are unable to get their Buick up a hill in the snow.  The main character's obituary appears as the entirety of chapter five despite the fact that his death will not come until the end.  The swimmer Deifendorf is regarded as a merman and sometimes Hercules.  Most characters have direct analogues in mythology, such as Venus for Vera Hummel and Zeus for Principal Zimmerman.  FTP, what is this novel by John Updike about the science teacher George Caldwell and his son Peter, who represent Prometheus and the title character Chiron?
A critical moment in this work occurs when the two main characters are unable to get their Buick up a hill in the snow.  
The Centaur