Midair by Frank Conroy
"Midair" by Frank Conroy explores the complex relationship between a father and son, set against the backdrop of childhood trauma and adult struggles. The story begins with Sean Kennedy, whose father is largely absent, residing in a rest home until he unexpectedly reappears during Sean's childhood. This chaotic reunion leads to a terrifying experience on a rooftop that deeply affects Sean and his sister, Mary. As an adult, Sean grapples with the emotional fallout of his upbringing, including a troubled marriage and a profound fear of abandonment. The narrative unfolds through Sean's interactions as a college student and later as a father, revealing his attempts to navigate his own insecurities while maintaining connections with his two sons. Key events, such as Sean's impulsive decision to break into his mistress's apartment and his protective instincts towards his children, highlight the lingering impact of his father's erratic behavior. Ultimately, a moment of crisis in an elevator triggers repressed memories of his father, suggesting that understanding his past may provide insight into his present challenges. The story is a poignant exploration of familial bonds, memory, and the cycle of emotional inheritance.
Midair by Frank Conroy
First published: 1985
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: 1942 to the 1980's
Locale: New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia
Principal Characters:
Sean Kennedy , a writer and teacherMr. Kennedy , his father, a mental hospital escapee
The Story
Sean Kennedy's father is nearly a stranger to him; his mother has told him and his older sister, Mary, that he is in a rest home. When Sean is six years old, his father inexplicably shows up one day and takes the children home to the apartment where they live with their mother. Neither child has a key; Mr. Kennedy, who is dangerously and frighteningly exuberant, climbs with them to the roof of the four-story building to break into the apartment through the fire escape. Once inside the apartment, he excitedly begins to rearrange books and then insists on washing the windows. The fearful children stay with him, not knowing what else to do.
When the doctor and orderlies from the asylum arrive to take the father back, Mr. Kennedy grabs Sean and climbs with him to the windowsill. Sean stares down at the cracks in the sidewalk for a time, until they are finally pulled back in.
Sean apparently has forgotten the incident when the story encounters him next as a college student. Terrified of being alone, he is determined to find a wife. He marries a reserved and intelligent young woman, and for four years they drift, never becoming closer. They have two sons, John and Philip.
The next two scenes show Sean's attraction and aversion to his father's imbalanced pattern: Drunk and determined to get into his mistress's apartment, Sean climbs to the fifth story to try to break in. Gradually he comes to his senses and gives up. Later, a friend talks about the tragic death of a baby who fell from a window. Sean reacts violently, rushing home to see if his sons are all right. Neither incident, in Sean's mind, has any connection to the event in 1942.
His oldest son is six when Sean finally realizes that his marriage is foundering. He is heartbroken over what he fears will be the loss of his sons. Twelve years later, as Sean commutes between his two jobs, readers see that he has remained close to his sons. In the last scene, Sean is trapped in an elevator between floors with a young man much like Philip. When the young man panics, Sean comforts him and gives him confidence until the elevator moves.
After this incident, Sean remembers his father carrying him out on the windowsill more than forty years earlier. He has never thought about this incident before, and the resurfacing of this memory might explain much about his past he does not understand.
Sources for Further Study
Booklist. LXXXII, September 15, 1985, p. 107.
Kirkus Reviews. LIII. August 1, 1985, p. 725.
Library Journal. CX, October 1, 1985, p. 111.
Los Angeles Times. October 28, 1985, V, p. 6.
The New Republic. CXCIII, November 18, 1985, p. 48.
The New York Times. CXXXIV, September 7, 1985, p. 15.
The New York Times Book Review. XC, September 22, 1985, p. 12.
Publishers Weekly. CCXXVIII, August 9, 1985, p. 63.
The Village Voice. XXX, September 24, 1985, p. 51.
Vogue. CLXXV, September, 1985, p. 498.
Washington Post Book World. XV, September 15, 1985, p. 2.