Unfortunate Relations
...Charlie is faced with his alcoholic father. The clock seems to stop as Charlie basks in the presence of his dad. He even wishes to be photographed in order to cherish this moment spent with his father. As Charlie and his father arrive at the first restaurant they encounter, Charlie soon realizes his dad’s true personality. He says rude remarks, speaks harshly to the restaurant staff, and demands immediate service. Several restaurants later, Charlie is not impressed. He is actually disappointed in his father’s behavior, which downplays the positivism he mentally held for his dad. The hour drags on with more frustration and regret for the lunch date between them. Charlie finally gives up and leaves on the train towards a life that will never again include his father. Charlie’s father, a character never named by Cheever, represents disappointment and negativism in Charlie’s life. It is unfortunate that Charlie’s father cannot be the man Charlie wants him to be. Charlie imagines his father as a saint – a role model that he can look up to. Through the short visit with him, Charlie sees the side of his father that probably drove him away from the family in first place. Charlie’s dad is seen as treating people with very little respect. He even talks down to the wait...