John Updike And Walkers Short Stories Are Culturally...

Updike and Walker Updike and Walkers short stories are culturally different but universal in the understanding of an American family and their heritage. Updike’s â€Å"Separating† you see an upper class white family dealing with separation and potential divorce of a marriage from infidelity. The husband is struggling to make the choice to leave his marriage and family behind for another woman. The husband and wife are trying to figure out a way to break the news to their children. Whereas in Alice Walker’s short story, about a low income African American family that have separation among deep rooted heritage and culture. Between family members a conflict grows from an opinion on some old quilts. Symbolic metaphors are richly placed in both†¦show more content†¦Eventually John, the second-youngest at 15, asks his mother why his dad is crying. Joan then tells him the truth, and talk of the separation triggers various reactions from each child. John becomes more belligerent and expects answers of what went wrong and becomes frustrated. Margaret, the youngest of the children, is relieved to hear the news out loud to release her growing inner suspicion of her parents. After dinner Joan lectures Richard for crying at the table seemed to make it look like the divorce is her fault. The reader realizes that Richard has had an affair. Dickie who is 17, is out with friends at a concert, and is the last child to get the news. Richard struggles to tell him, and when Dickie who is stunned asks for a reason, that moment Richard seems to forget why he is really separating from his family in the first place. Throughout the short story, it becomes noticeable that Richard, the main character and narrator, is at odds with his emotions and become heavier. Not only does he find it difficult to tell the children about the separation, but as he is working on finishing tasks around the home before he departs such as; the lock on the screen porch seems to be struggling with. The locks are a symbol used to secure things and he was trying to secure everything; â€Å"a Houdini making things snug before his escape† (1427). By having Richard change the lock the author is symbolically representing that Richard and