John Cheever's "Reunion"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in "Reunion", John Cleever stresses the fact that appearances are not nearly as important as relationships. The author points out that the story ends just as it begins, with Charlie telling us that this visit was the last time he had ever seen his father. The paper concludes that the father is the epitome of what people should not be concerned with when it comes to relationships with people that are important to us.

From the Paper:

"Early in the story, we see that Charlie is different from his father because he is the one that initiates the lunch date. Charlie goes to the trouble of writing his father and asking if he was free. This request is met with a letter from his father's secretary. Charlie states that his father "was a stranger" (Cheever 518) to him, indicating a distance between the two of them. However, it is important to note that throughout the story and all of the events, Charlie consistently refers to the man as his father. Here we see how Charlie wishes he had more of a personal relationship with his father."

More papers on John Cheever's "Reunion":

• Book Review # 107889 : "The Swimmer" by John Cheever"
• Analytical Essay # 103473 : "John Cheever's "The Swimmer"

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