Answer with Explanation:
Neddy is actually swimming in the different pools while under the influence of alcohol and a mental debility. He actually thought that he could reach home by swimming in the pools of the people he know. Drinking heavily covered up his painful experience of losing his wife and children, as well as selling his house. This also caused his inability to think well. One example of this was when Mrs. Halloran asked him about his misfortunes but he just replied that his wife and children were at home. Another example is when he entered Biswanger's house when, in fact, he was uninvited but Neddy was the one who called Grace Biswanger as a "gate-crasher." This clearly shows that he wasn't thinking well. He's disoriented in a sense. Every time he goes to a person's pool, he always looks for drinks which is something he was probably used to in his earlier life because he has always been a heavy drinker.