The Convoluted Reunion

Every relationship is complex and when and has struggles that can be explored. With an ambitious and enthusiastic son named Charlie and a father who shows little care for his son, “The Reunion” demonstrates a complex father-son relationship as they meet after three years. One can note a father who is lost in his drunk world to care for his son and a son who is first excited to meet his father but is disappointed in his father's behavior.But does the father really neglect Charlie or is he trying to help Charlie. Through the short story, Cheever exhibits the convoluted reunion that can be seen through the point of view, tone, dialogue, and diction.

The short story is a flashback narrated by Charlie. Already one can detect a distance that Charlie holds with his father as he continuously calls him "father" and the "father" is not named. But the story starts with an enthusiastic tone that shows the naive hope of Charlie. Charlie's enthusiasm and hope can be noticed in his description of his father as "ranking of mature male" and "my flesh and blood, my future and my doom". Charlie states that he hopes someone will capture his and his father's memories because Charlie adores his role model. .
Charlie sends a letter to his father that regards his arrival, but the returning letter is not written by his father but his father's secretary. Here one can perceive a distance since the father cannot even find time to write his own son a return letter. The father's ambivalent feelings can be further questioned be deduced when he mentions that he wished to take his son to his club. Does the father want to keep a distance and takes him to a place he would take his colleagues or does the father see his son as a man? With his usage of diction, the author seems to portray a distance relationship side from the father who simply shakes his son's hand instead of embracing him with a