Summary of separating by john updike?

Answer 1

Summary The affluent Maples are getting a divorce, but they cannot decide on the right time to tell their four children. They finally decide to break the news after their eldest, Judith, 19, returns from studying abroad in England. Richard Maple hopes to make an announcement at the dinner table, while Joan prefers to tell the children individually. After bickering, they finally agree that Joan's way is better. As one of his final tasks while he still lives in the house, Richard replaces a lock on the porch door. Unaware that anything is wrong, his children happily mill around the house as usual. Judith regales him with stories of her time in England. He sadly reflects that Judith is the only child that he and Joan "endured together" (37) long enough to raise into adulthood. That night, the Maples serve a dinner of lobster and champagne to welcome Judith back from her travels. Richard begins to cry at the table, something his children attempt to ignore. Eventually John, the second-youngest at 15, asks his mother why Richard is crying. Joan tells the boy the truth, and talk of the separation ripples through the dinner table. It becomes clear that Margaret, 13, the youngest child, somehow figured out that her parents were separating and her fears are now named. John demands to know why Richard and Joan failed to tell their children that they were having problems getting along. Richard tries to explain that they do get along but they don't love each other, but trails off. John is drunk from the champagne, and begins playing with matches, holding them close to his mother's face. He stuffs a cigarette into his mouth ands shows it to Margaret. Judith warns him to act mature. After dinner, Richard and John go on a walk, over which John confides that he is frustrated with his new school as well as the separation. Richard assures John that they will transfer him to a new school, as "life's too short to be miserable" (39). Later, Joan reprimands Richard for crying at the table, because it made Joan look like the separation was all her idea. Both parties agree, though, that they are lucky the children didn't think to ask whether the separation was caused by "a third person." They realize that they still need to inform their second-oldest child, Dickie, 17, who has been away at a rock concert. Richard will confront him alone, as the boy is most like him. After sleeping badly, Richard goes to the train station to pick Dickie up after the concert. He dreads telling Dickie about the separation, and happily procrastinates by driving Dickie's friends home. When he finally reveals the news, Dickie is stunned but takes it stoically. Richard confides that he hates being the bearer of such bad news. On their way home, Richard acknowledges a home on their block that contains a woman he hopes to marry. When they get home, Dickie goes to his room without another word. Joan and Richard go up to say good night to Dickie. They offer to call him in sick to work, but he declines. As Richard goes to kiss his son good night, Dickie turns and kisses him on the lips as "passionate as a woman" (41). With agony, he asks "Why?" Richard realizes that after living with the decision for such a long time, he has forgotten why he is separating from his wife.

Answer 2

The story "Son" by John Updike is the story of a sixteen year old boy living in the year 1949. The story tells of the boy turning from a child into a man and how hard it is for the parent.