Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog by Stephanie Vaughn
"Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog" by Stephanie Vaughn is a poignant exploration of a young woman, Gemma, reflecting on her complex relationship with her alcoholic father, Zachary, a military man turned hardware store owner. The narrative unfolds through a series of vignettes from Gemma's childhood, illustrating how her father's struggles and lessons shaped her understanding of life. The story begins at Fort Niagara, where Gemma, alongside her mother and grandmother, experiences the tension within her family, particularly during meals that serve as a backdrop for her father's teachings.
Throughout the text, Gemma recalls significant moments, such as her father's insistence on proper etiquette and military traditions, juxtaposed with her own childhood fears and the challenges of adolescence. As her father faces personal and professional setbacks, including a forced resignation from the military, the family's dynamics remain strained, yet his influence persists. The narrative ultimately leads to a poignant realization for Gemma, as she comes to terms with her father's lessons and the wisdom he imparted, even in the face of his struggles. This coming-of-age story highlights themes of resilience, familial ties, and the lasting impact of parental relationships.
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Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog by Stephanie Vaughn
First published: 1978
Type of plot: Domestic realism
Time of work: The 1950's to 1960's
Locale: New York, Ohio, and the Philippines
Principal Characters:
Gemma Jackson , the narratorZachary Jackson , her father, a military officer and later a hardware salespersonHer mother Her grandmother
The Story
Gemma Jackson describes her relationship with her father, Zachary, a military man who after being forced to leave the service started a career in the hardware business. The story is a collection of scenes from Gemma's childhood that explain how her alcoholic father dealt with her and other members of the family.
The opening vignette takes place at Fort Niagara, a military post to which Gemma's father, an air defense officer, is assigned. The twelve-year-old Gemma sits at home with her mother and grandmother, who have prepared lunch only to watch it spoil because her father is late. The conversation between the older women makes it clear to the reader, if not to Gemma, that tension exists between the adults in the house. After her father arrives, lunch is like many other meals in the Jackson home: Over his wife's protests, Zachary uses the time to teach his daughter lessons he believes she will need as an adult. On this day, he lectures Gemma on proper speaking etiquette.
Gemma then recounts how her father taught her another lesson when she was only five and the family was living in Manila. Ignoring an approaching typhoon, the elder Jackson drilled his daughter on the military system for reciting the alphabet, which designates letters with words, beginning with "Able," "Baker," "Charlie," and "Dog." Again, the tension between her mother and father is evident in a conversation that Gemma relates without authorial commentary.
A year later, after the family's return to the United States, Gemma's lessons continued. Her father spoke to her about a variety of topics that she did not then comprehend, but in retrospect, she remembers that they demonstrated her father's wide-ranging interests. Ironically, when he was assigned to remote areas without his family, Gemma found herself unable to write to him; in retrospect, she realizes how much his physical presence meant to her.
Returning to the time when she was twelve, Gemma recounts additional details about the family's life at Fort Niagara. The installation has a stately beauty that even the grandmother, no admirer of her son-in-law, found breathtaking. Gemma's father teaches her the history of the region and the significance of the fort in U.S. history. The highlight of his assignment, however, is a trip to Niagara Falls. Gemma is mesmerized by the falls, and her father enhances the experience by relating stories of several men who had attempted to travel over the falls in various contraptions.
Shifting the focus from her relationship with her father, Gemma relates her own fear and embarrassment at going through puberty. The development of her breasts has come unexpectedly to her, and she becomes convinced she had cancer. Her mother intervenes to save her from further angst, however, by explaining that the pain she feels is normal. Relieved, Gemma goes to bed, only to wake up in the middle of the night and overhear an argument between her parents. She hears her grandmother encouraging her mother to leave her father, who had become belligerent. Gemma vaguely realizes that her parents are fighting over a bottle of scotch. The girl's presence has a calming effect on the adults, and the fight dissipates. Later that evening, however, Gemma hears her father going out, and she follows him to the edge of the Niagara River. Although she pleads with him not to go any farther, he descends the bank and walks onto the ice.
In the next vignette, however, it becomes apparent that Zachary returned from his trek unharmed, and Gemma relates the cause of the next family problem. Zachary is passed over for promotion and is forced to resign from the military service and seek another position. The family moves to Ohio, where Zachary invests in a chain of hardware stores. His penchant for learning new things makes him successful in this business, but the family tensions continue all through Gemma's high-school years. The lessons continue, and even when she goes away to college, her father calls to share his wisdom with her.
While Gemma is away pursuing her master's degree, she is called home to be with her dying father. Standing beside his grave, Gemma realizes that she will have to carry on with the wisdom he has already imparted to her.