Major themes in "Reunion" by Sarah Hocutt

The reunion opens with a young man arranging to see his father, whom he has not seen in many years, due to the divorce of his parents.  This opening sets the stage for the theme of this story; we do not choose our families, but rather they are chosen for us.  It was apparent that the young man had many years away from his father when he states his father “was a stranger to [him].”  There is anticipation and happiness upon meeting him, evident by the fact that after meeting him again for the first time he states “as soon as I saw him I knew he was my father.”  The plan for their meeting was to share a meal before the son had to catch a train.  But, as plans seem to do, their meeting did not go as expected. 

His father was very crass and belligerent, as shown in his request for service at the restaurant they entered. He yells, “Could we have a little service here…Chop-Chop.”  The waiter was not pleased with the way he was “summoned.”  The waiter responded “I don’t like to be clapped at.”  So the young son and his father left this restaurant and moved on to another restaurant.  This was a clue to the young man that maybe his father was not the man he had envisioned.  When they go to the next restaurant, the same attitude from his father occurs and they leave that restaurant.  When they arrive at the final restaurant, his father has had a couple drinks and they are refused service.  The actions of the young man’s father showed him a man that was not the father he wanted.  He immediately shortens the visit and wants to leave.  His father, not really sensing his son’s unhappiness, offers to purchase a paper for him to read on the train.  The father’s rudeness surfaces for the final time when he asks the clerk, “is too much for you to sell me one of your disgusting specimens of yellow journalism?” 

At this point of the story the son is done and leaves promptly, never seeing his father again.  The young man began the encounter eager and full of expectation; sadly, the visit ended with disappointment.  We do not have the luxury of choosing our parents, or family.  If we are lucky, we have loving, moral teaching, guides in our lives.  When we see something so disappointing, especially in our parents, sometimes we just have to walk away.