Separating By John Updike Analysis

After reading many stories, one in particular seemed to stick out above all the others. Author, John Updike, wrote a short story called “Separating.” The title already gives off a small clue as to what the story will be about. He writes about the Maple family, and the impact the parents have on the children by telling them of their separation from each other. After finishing the last sentence of this story, I immediately had a flash back of the pain I went through when my parents got a divorce. Updike made it seem like the younger children had an easier time dealing with the news of their parents splitting up, and one of the oldest siblings took it the hardest. I completely agree with this claim Updike is making. Divorce impacts all children, …show more content…
This age group by far has the hardest time coping with divorce. Updike makes a clear statement that the younger children are not effected as dramatically as the older ones by what the youngest son, John, says while crying. He cries, “It’s not just the separation, it’s the whole crummy year, I hate that school, you can’t make any friends, the history teacher’s a scud” (Updike 740). As the reader, I can see that John is really worried about himself, and what’s going on in his own life. Most young teens are very self-centered. Updike demonstrates the feelings of the older son, Dickie, at the very end of the story. Dickie was the only child that didn’t have an outburst, cried silently in his room, and asked his father, “Why?” (Updike 743). Dickie shows maturity by being the older child, but he also feels extreme sadness whereas the other children got over the news rather quickly. I share the same experience as Dickie. I am the oldest child, and when my parents split I was in my early twenties. Even though I expected it, the intense feeing of sorrow took over my life. My younger brother, being only a newly teen, adjusted well. I on the other hand became in