Separating”, by John Updike

What are the parameters of parental love? Society assumes that parents will do anything to protect and care for their children, even lie if the situation demands it. Although the short story, “Separating”, by John Updike was written in 1979, it deals with one of the overwhelming problems of contemporary society, the dissolution of the family. In the story, Joan and Richard are faced with the dilemma of telling their four children about the demise of their marriage. Following the reality of Richard’s affair, the couple decides to divorce. The how, why, when, and what they should tell their children is the focus of the characters’ interactions. They conceal the reality of the situation, they minimize the severity of the situation to make it appear as if this is just a trial separation, and they organize and shape the strategy of their dissolution. Joan and Richard Maple forsake truthfulness in favor of lies, deceit, and misconceptions in order to protect, not their childre...