Disconnect in The Reunion by John Cheever

Disconnect in The Reunion by John Cheever

As children, we look up to our parents as role models, and it’s vital to have them in our lives to know they care. A parent’s responsibility is not only to provide food and shelter but also to set an excellent example for their child. Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Often, parents are inattentive to their child’s needs, parents who don’t set the right example for their children. In John Cheever’s story “Reunion”, we see a classic example of how a father does not play the ‘role model dad’ his son was hoping for hence the theme of disconnect is portrayed.

Disconnect is the lack of connection between things which can also occur among human relationships such as that of children and parents. In the Reunion by John Cheever, Charlie is seeing his father three years after his mother divorced him. We instantly see what Charlie thinks of his father: “to me, he was a stranger, my flesh and blood, my future and my destiny” (Cheever). We see that this relationship is a distant and an estranged one. A son wants typically to look up to his father, but in this case, Charlie sees this role model as a “doom.” The Reunion at this point has already portrayed the disconnect in Charlie’s family. There is a disconnect between Charlie’s mother and father for they had divorced and the disconnect between Charlie and his father.  

As I read the first part of the story, I couldn’t help but try to put myself in Charlie’s shoes. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have a family where I shared a good relationship with my parents, hence a good connection existed between us. However, as I lived in a joint family, I watched how my grandfather’s job as a policeman affected his behaviour, which created a disconnect between him and us. It is through my grandfather’s disconnect that I can understand Charlie’s position. My father told me how he used to long for more time with my grandfather, who was rarely at home as he was a cop. My father also told me how, on most evenings, he found my grandfather in a negative mood and how little time he had available to spend with his family. I could see how this most have affected my father.

Charlie gives us his father’s initial characterization where he states that his father looked great when he smelt him, he got a smell of whiskey mixed with aftershave, shoe polish, woollens and the rank of a mature male. Charlie also observed his father had a condescending attitude towards the waiters when they went into a couple of restaurants. Charlie’s father would raise his voice while trying to order his whisky and talked in various languages to show his dominance and went on to belittle the waiters. Charlie saw his father’s actions as obnoxious and knew they would not meet again (Cheever). The action of Charlie’s father only fueled the disconnect between him and his son for Charlie did not see his father’s actions fit and were not comfortable to the extent he did not want to meet him again.

From the behaviour of  Charlie’s father, my grandfather would also act offensively towards my father. My father would stay up to wait for my grandfather only  for him to be welcomed to the sight of empty cans of beer on the table, and my grandfather being loud and acting ‘strange’. After some time, my father realized that alcohol affects behaviour, and he became disappointed with his father. It is clear that disconnect is fueled by factors such as alcoholism and obnoxious behaviour.

Disconnect is the lack of connection between a parent, and a child is present in The Reunion. Disconnect is observed when Cheever explains that Charlie’s father and mother had long divorced hence Charlie had not seen his father in a long time. Charlie also feels disconnected to his father because of his ways of doing things and the lack of seeing him as a role model. I connected to the theme of disconnect for I could relate it from my father’s story about his father’s, my grandfather, actions when he was young and how he behaved causing them to have a disconnect. The Reunion by John Cheever hence clearly portrays the theme of disconnect between father and son.

Work Cited

Cheever, John. “John Cheever – Reunion.” Genius, genius.com/John-cheever-reunion-annotated.