Structure

The short story “Reunion” by John Cheever has a chronological structure and follows the characters for over an hour and a half, from the moment Charlie arrives at Grand Central Station to the moment he leaves to catch his train. The text also has a circular structure, as the story ends where it begins, in Grand Central Station.

The beginning of the story foreshadows the conflict between father and son, as the narrative begins with Charlie admitting “The last time I saw my father was in Grand Central Station” (p. 1, l. 4). In this part, Charlie offers a brief backstory of his family, explaining that his parents are divorced: 

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 ...