Reunion

In “Reunion,” the central theme of Expectation Versus Reality pervades the entire story, including the title of narrative. The word reunion often conjures nostalgic connotations of family gatherings, catching up on lost time, and feelings of connectedness. The title alone establishes Charlie’s hopeful anticipation of a happy meeting with his father after three years apart. Given the distance Charlie has had from his father over the past three years, he views his dad in an optimistic light. He forgoes the personality flaws he likely experienced throughout his childhood as he doesn’t voice any surprise about his father’s behavior. The story illuminates two central conflicts that put Charlie’s expectations into stark contrast with reality: Charlie’s internal struggle to accept his father’s true nature and the external battles between his father and the waiters and clerk he encounters. The former conflict goes largely unspoken throughout the narrative, given Charlie’s lack of commentary or internal monologue, but the reader understands that Charlie’s expectation is not going to plan. The latter is the driving force of the narrative.

The title and opening paragraphs set the tone for Charlie’s expectations. Beyond the nostalgic association with the word “Reunion,” when Charlie glimpses his father for the first time, he feels “terribly happy to see him again” and hopes that they “could be photographed” for he “wanted some record of” (518) the time he spends with his father. This desire for all to see them together reflects Charlie’s childlike adoration of his dad. He is proud of his father and excited to spend time with him.

However, as the story progresses, Charlie does not speak or react in the narrative, but rather, only recites what happens at each destination. This “listing” of events implies that Charlie feels removed from the conflicts entirely, viewing them in retrospect instead of participating in present time. Despite the awkward situations Charlie’s father puts them in with waitstaff, Charlie does not defend the staff, challenge his father, or intervene in any way. This lack of interaction, combined with the lack of even internal commentary on Charlie’s part, shows just how distant Charlie feels as the events unfold. Throughout his father’s boisterous interactions and rude tirades, Charlie remains notably silent.

“Reunion” is also about The Inability to Communicate. Many fathers and sons have a close bond, yet Charlie and his father lack this connection, primarily due to flawed communication between them. There is a clear power imbalance between Charlie and his father. The story begins with Charlie narrating that his father’s secretary, not the man himself, wrote to set up a meeting time. Considering the boy’s excitement and the fact that they have not seen each other in three years, it is telling that Charlie’s father uses his secretary as an intermediary, which indicates a degree of separation and disengagement. This theme is underscored by how little Charlie says throughout the story, underscoring the one-sided nature of their relationship. In fact, when Charlie does protest and notes that he must go, his father replies, “Now just wait a second, sonny” (520). Calling his child “sonny” in this moment sounds more like the insults he slings at the waiters and clerks than a term of endearment, emphasizing that their relationship is not typical.

The stark contrast between Charlie’s father and each worker he encounters not only informs Charlie’s view of his dad, but also implies Charlie is Taking the High Ground. It is difficult to ignore the man’s behavior when each person he interacts with remains calm and polite. In fact, it is clear by the third restaurant that Charlie’s father is drunk when he mispronounces his drink order, yet the waiter calmly smiles and corrects him. Furthermore, other details suggest his alcohol consumption and obnoxious demeanor are not an anomaly. When the pair first meets, the father wishes he could take Charlie to his club, but it is too far. Charlie’s decision to walk away while his dad attempts “to get a rise out of this chap” (520) at the newsstand punctuates the theme with Charlie himself taking the moral high ground and turning away from his father one last time.

Charlie’s first line in the story is: “I have to get my train” (520). This indicates not only that his train is arriving but also that he recognizes his father is not and will never be the parent Charlie needs him to be. Consequently, Charlie removes himself from the situation. Despite the emotional detachment present in the scene, Charlie calls his father “Daddy” while saying his goodbyes. This term of endearment is often used by young children, yet Charlie must be at least a teenager because of the drinking age conundrum at the restaurant. The term “daddy” displays a childish longing for connection, even despite what has happened. However, the “daddy” in Charlie’s final goodbye feels empty, for he has embraced the reality of his father’s demeanor and flaws. Charlie’s decision to turn away from his father underscores their inability to communicate, to the extent that this is the “last time” they will ever see each other. While it is not revealed whether emotional distancing or other factors lead to this permanent separation, it is implied that Charlie is better off removed from this relationship and learning to navigate his childhood memories in a more realistic lens.

Ultimately, Charlie’s realization about his father marks his coming of age, and the story’s symbolism reinforces this. Grand Central Station, a train terminal, bookends the story, not just as the setting but also as a metaphorical representation of transitions and journeys. Train stations and tracks often manifest as liminal spaces in literature, sites that mark a boundary between one threshold and another. When Charlie first arrives, his father “was a stranger” he had not seen for three years since his “mother divorced him” (518). The train station is also where the story ends, when Charlie officially transitions from being a naïve boy who blindly believes in his father’s greatness to a young man who realizes his parent’s flaws. In the end, Charlie’s choice makes the title, “Reunion,” ironic because instead of bringing father and son together, this experience pushes them apart.