Reunion

“His secretary wrote to say that he would meet me at the information booth at noon.”

After Charlie requests a meeting, the reply comes not from his father but from the man’s secretary, suggesting he is too busy to write to his own son. This is the first hint at the father’s selfish character and an indication that his father is not an effective communicator.

“He was a stranger to me—my mother divorced him three years ago and I hadn’t been with him since—but as soon as I saw him I felt that he was my father, my flesh and blood, my future and my doom. I knew that when I was grown I would be something like him; I would have to plan my campaigns within his limitations.”

These lines emphasize the irony in the title, for a reunion is usually a connection with someone close, yet his father is a “stranger.” Furthermore, although Charlie is excited to see his dad and yearns for a connection, the ominous tone foreshadows his father’s flaws. These flaws seem to have slipped Charlie’s mind in his excitement to see his dad, which suggests Charlie has a muddied view of his father given the distance they’ve experienced. When Charlie notes that he will be like his dad, he acknowledges that this involves his “doom” and that his future will be molded around his father’s “limitations.” This word choice is a stark reminder that an older Charlie is narrating the story and knows how it will end, but it also suggests Charlie, deep down, understands who his father is and fears he will become like him.

“He put his arm around me, and I smelled my father the way my mother sniffs a rose. It was a rich compound of whiskey, after-shave lotion, shoe polish, woolens, and the rankness of a mature male.”

The tone in this passage is one of childlike adoration, as Charlie inhales his father’s scent lovingly like his mother would smell a flower. What he smells on his father is a list of actual scents, along with one that is not a smell: “a mature male.” This suggests that Charlie longs to be like his father.

“I had hoped that someone would see us together. I wished that we could be photographed. I wanted some record of our having been together.”

These statements are written in parallelism (repeated grammatical structure that makes writing more memorable: “I had hoped that,” “I wished that,” and “I wanted some”), and they emphasize Charlie’s desire to memorialize this time with his father. His need to capture the moment in a photograph demonstrates his adoration of his dad; Charlie is proud to be seen with this man and wants everyone to know.

“‘I should have brought my whistle,’ my father said. ‘I have a whistle that is audible only to the ears of old waiters.’”

Unprovoked, Charlie’s father disparages the elderly waiter at the first restaurant by threatening to summon him with a whistle, something used with animals or those who are inferior. Furthermore, suggesting that the sound can only be heard by older ears is a reference to how dogs can hear sounds that humans cannot; therefore, Charlie’s dad is dehumanizing and belittling the man right in front of his son. This moment illuminates the true nature of Charlie’s father.

“‘I’m sorry, sir,’ the waiter said, ‘but I won’t serve the boy another drink.’”

At the second restaurant, the waiter’s polite adherence to the rules juxtaposes the angry tirade by Charlie’s father. The server’s use of the word “sir” in response to the man’s swearing emphasizes the contrast in behavior. Charlie is notably silent in this part of the story, which indicates that he is absorbing all that happens, adding to his struggle between the ideal expectation of his father and the reality of his dad’s behavior.

“He paid the bill, and I followed him out of that restaurant into another.”

Charlie’s presence in the story is in moments like this when he follows his father out of the second restaurant and into the third; he does not speak. He does not interject or defend the waitstaff. It is implied that he still holds onto the hope that his father will be as expected, that “mature male” that he adores in the train station. Charlie goes along with the chain of events, and his lack of participation suggests that distance is growing between the two and Charlie feels an increasing need to remove himself.

“‘Don’t argue with me,’ my father said. ‘Just do as you’re told.’”

At each restaurant, Charlie’s father becomes more aggressive. This interaction at restaurant number three highlights his selfish nature and his own expectation that he gets everything he wants. Also, it’s ironic that he directs the waiter not to argue when he has been intentionally provoking everyone he sees. Again, Charlie says nothing during this interaction. It is likely that Charlie’s father’s behavior is not a new development, and interactions like these with the waitstaff reveal the power imbalance and aggression that Charlie likely experienced in his childhood.

“The fourth place we went to was Italian.”

Although this line appears to be factual plot summary, it provides insight into how Charlie still follows his father after three awful incidents, suggesting that he struggles with his perception of his dad. Also, the fact that this restaurant is Italian does not actually matter. At this point in the story, the pattern has been established, and no matter what kind of restaurant they enter, Charlie’s father will make a scene. Charlie’s listing of events without commentary or an internal monologue has a tired, disquieted tone.

“I have to get to my train.”

After leaving the fourth restaurant, Charlie speaks for the first time. This is a turning point because he finally asserts his voice, literally and figuratively. He does not ask to leave but rather states that he must go. Additionally, this moment marks Charlie’s reckoning with his internal struggle; he is choosing to leave the reunion rather than commemorate it with a photograph, like he desired initially.

“That’s all right, Daddy.”

This is Charlie’s response to his father’s apology, not for his behavior, but for the fact that they have not eaten lunch. By saying it is “all right” Charlie resigns himself to reality; his father will not change, and he recognizes this truth. Also notable is his use of the word “Daddy,” a term of endearment typically used by young children. This word marks the last vestige of Charlie’s adoration for his father, his attempt to hold on to that ideal picture of his parent.

“‘I have to go Daddy,’ I said. ‘It’s late.’”

This is Charlie’s second time insisting he must go, which is a shift from him being a passive observer to being an active and independent participant in the events. Although he still refers to his father as “Daddy,” he is maturing because his desire to leave indicates not just that his train is coming, but also that he is almost ready to turn away from his father and all he represents.

“‘Now, just wait a second, sonny,’ he said. ‘Just wait a second. I want to get a rise out of this chap.’”

By telling Charlie to wait, his father is not truly hearing (or communicating) with his son. Just like in every incident up to this point, his dad expects to get his way, which is to upset the newsstand clerk. Furthermore, he calls his child “sonny” which in this context, feels demeaning and controlling. Charlie’s father is a static character, who will not change, even when his son is about to leave him.