Introduction
There’s more to being a father other than merely contributing to the creation of new lives. It’s about influence, love, and a sufficient amount of commitment. Psychologically driven critics often look for subtle glimpses of father figures in various films and literature sources. This theme is particularly evident in Dagobert Gilb’s “Uncle Rock” and John Cheever’s “The Reunion.” Both stories provide a contrasting approach to the role of the father figure. In one story, he is a symbol of wisdom, strength, and caring protection, while on the other hand, he is seen to be behaving in a less saintly manner. The two articles also show a growing narrative of expectation from the child’s perspective, together with the painful and disappointing reality behind it. From these two captivating stories, one boy is utterly disappointed. At the same time, the other slowly learns that his boyish views on masculinity are quite different from what is needed to be a caring husband, father, and partner.
Dagobert Gilb’s “Uncle Rock”
In this story, the author takes us through the life of Eric, a young boy of a single mother who is search for a rich man who can support them. Eric is, however, uninviting and a cautious person who does not like the attention his mother gets from her different suitors. He has watched her get into many disastrous relationships, but with time, he has become content and is ready to adjust to the idea that his mother has finally ‘landed’ an ideal man. The tale is, therefore, a story of Erick, a boy caught in between the swirl of men who continue to pursue his available and attractive mother.
Unfortunately, most of the men in the story are undependable at best. Others are ugly, arrogant, and self-serving. They fool and use Eric by forging ‘fake’ father-son relationships to gain the attention of his mother. Eric’s search for a father-figure is seen when he lies to his close friend Albert by saying that his new father was an engineer (citation). He wanted to convince Albert that they, too, were a complete family. His desire for a father grows significantly to the extent that he feels that if he had a dad, they would probably be rich, live a happy life filled with one or two horses, and free from financial worries.
Interestingly, in the story, there’s one man who is not malignant or grotesque like the rest. This is Roque, a quiet, undistinguished but overly devoted ‘ordinary man’ who grows into becoming one of Erick’s mother’s trusted confidants. In doing so, Roque becomes a severe character in ‘the race’ to win the affections of his mother. However, Erick only sees him as an Uncle by describing him to his friend Albert as ‘Uncle Rock,’ the brother to his mother. Sadly, Albert and Eric stop talking once Albert discovers that Eric had not been honest with him.
What Makes ‘Uncle Rock’ An Ideal Father-Figure?
The author describes Roque as someone with not much to criticize apart from him being too nice always willing to lend a helping hand. Eric sees him as too generous and considerate but still feels that he is better than the flashy men who did not have time for him or fancy the idea of having kids. Roque talked and moved slowly; he was clean and always kept himself neat. Most importantly, Roque only said ‘yes’ to Erick’s mother and was an ever-present figure even at the roughest times. Erick also saw that he loved his mother by continually taking her out to sunset dinners, Hollywood movies, or drives across the Santa Monica beach.
Roque paid attention to Erick’s interests and knew that the young boy loved baseball. While he did not enjoy watching or listening to baseball on TV or via the radio, he was okay accompanying Erick and his mother to a baseball game. This was the first time Erick had attended a major league baseball match and is excited to see his favorite Mexican Boxer. As the game progresses, Erick catches a home run ball, which the entire team later signs as they ask him to pass a note to his mother.
However, by now, Erick has seen the passion and pride Roque feels when they are together. He loves his mother unconditionally, and that is enough to make him throw away the letter. Erick is content with the fact that ‘Uncle Rock’ is neither an engineer nor does he possess an engineer’s income. After all, he could see that Roque felt like a rich man whenever they were together. As they return home, Erick finally speaks in a loud tone saying, “look, they all signed the ball.” This showed that the disgruntled young boy was finally okay with her mother’s choice and didn’t want any person to come in between them. He now understood that although Roque did not have a considerable income, like most men in her mother’s life, his attention and love made him an ideal husband and a real father figure.
“The Reunion” by John Cheever
John Cheever’s “The Reunion” is a story filled with tones of emotion. Although it is short, it makes full use of the limited narrative space. Charlie, the narrator, starts the story by mentioning that he will be having lunch later with his father in New York City. Shockingly, he has not seen him for the last three years, and although he is excited, he can’t help but feel somewhat nervous. He goes on to explain that he has not seen his father since his parents separation and is worried over what to expect. Although he is now an adult, he’s excitement is like that of a little child. This is seen when he says, “I was terribly happy to see him.”
As the tale progresses, we slowly realize that for Charlie, it’s more than just a simple meeting. It’s a desire and hopes that he will make up for the lost time and mend the strained relationship with his father. On the other hand, his father appears arrogant, rude, and proud even to the waiters. He is patronizing, boisterous, and out to prove his superiority over everyone. He uses words such as sommelier and garcon to appear like an intellectual as he tries to impress Charlie. As a result, the waiter is exasperated, suggesting that its best for them to leave and eat elsewhere.
They move on to another restaurant, and notably, his father is not as boisterous as before. However, once the two get served with drinks, and Charlie is questioned over his drinking age, the father receives enraged and tells the waiter, “that is none of your goddamned business.” After having one drink, the waiter is not willing to serve Charlie with another and immediately, his father settles the bill and they both leave. Charlie’s father, by this point, is drunk and continually embarrasses his son in public. He does not stop hurling insults at the hotel attendants even at their next restaurant. He is adamantly rude, and yet again, they are both ‘chased’ out of the restaurant.
What Makes Charlie’s Father A Terrible Father-Figure?
The author of this captivating story has used the alcoholism theme vividly to describe the flaws of Charlie’s father. Although this was a time when a martini-lunch was quite reasonable and popular among people in business, Charlie’s father takes it too far with his excessive type of behavior. In many societies, it is normal for people to catch up and connect over a cold glass of beer or wine. Unfortunately, in this story by John Cheever, alcohol is the main disconnecting factor between Charlie and his father.
He is boisterous, arrogant, and rude even before his son, something that does not represent the ideal qualities of a father. While one might be tempted to blame the alcohol for his behavior, it does not hide the fact that Charlie is disappointed by his father’s conduct. Similarly, by demanding that the waiter serve Charlie some alcohol, he shows that he does not care about his son, at present or in future. The author goes on to highlight the severity of the issue as Charlie’s father treats their meeting like that of two old friends catching up after a long time while Charlie, instead, sees it as a chance for him to know more about his father.
Charlie’s father is portrayed as having a suspicious or mysterious behavior that maybe triggered Charlie’s mother to ask for a divorce. From the reader’s point of view, alcoholism appears to be the long-term cause of their separation. It is also the main reason why Charlie doesn’t enjoy the time he has with his father. After all, he is more concerned with impressing Charlie through his dire need for alcohol. Eventually, he antagonizes and ruins the time they have together.
Conclusion
These two stories show the different depictions of the father-figure through the eyes of the young boys. In John Cheever’s “The Reunion,” Charlie was excited to meet his father, whom he had not seen for almost three years. Sadly, his rudeness and arrogance make the encounter disappointing for him to bear, and he is quick to board the train back home despite the best efforts of his father to apologize.
Similarly, in ‘Uncle Rock’ by Dagobert Gilb, Erick is somewhat disappointed that his mother could not find a wealthy engineer to be his father. He desires to have a complete family like that of his friend Albert and quietly prays to God to help his mother find the ‘right’ man. Eventually, once Erick sees the efforts Roque puts in to please him and his mother, his beliefs on the ‘father figure’ change. He understands that it’s not an issue of wealth but rather having someone who is committed to taking care of them.