Prowler by Elizabeth Tallent
"Prowler" by Elizabeth Tallent is a poignant exploration of familial relationships and the emotional complexities that accompany divorce and parental responsibilities. The narrative centers on Dennis, a divorced father grappling with the unexpected return of his ex-wife, Christie, from Paris, and her request for their teenage son, Andy, to spend the summer with her. Throughout the story, Dennis expresses his distrust of Christie, perceiving her as erratic and inconsistent, especially in her rare communication with Andy during her time abroad. This tension is compounded by Dennis's concerns about Andy's influences, particularly his friend Leo, and his growing sense of separation from his son.
As the story unfolds, Dennis confronts his feelings of resentment and fear regarding Andy's burgeoning independence, highlighted by Andy's decision to get a tattoo. The emotional strain is palpable as Dennis reflects on his own experiences as a father and his conflicting sentiments about Christie and Andy's relationship. The climax involves Dennis's unannounced visit to Christie’s apartment, where he has a moment of introspection, allowing him to recognize the complexities of love and responsibility in familial ties. Ultimately, the story concludes with a sense of ambivalence as Andy prepares to spend time with his mother, leaving readers to ponder the nuances of parental love, separation, and the evolving dynamics within a family.
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Prowler by Elizabeth Tallent
First published: 1989
Type of plot: Domestic realism
Time of work: The late 1980's
Locale: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Principal Characters:
Dennis , a divorced manFrancesca , his wife, mother of their twinsChristie , his former wifeAndy , their thirteen-year-old son
The Story
"Prowler" focuses on a divorced man named Dennis as he struggles with his emotional reactions to the unexpected return of his former wife to New Mexico and his growing separation from his thirteen-year-old son, Andy. The story opens with Dennis in a frustrating conversation with Christie, his former wife and mother of Andy. She has stopped by on a spur-of-the-moment visit and has asked to have Andy spend the summer with her and her new baby. Christie has spent the last year in Paris, France, but has suddenly returned to the United States, leaving the father of her young daughter behind.
Dennis does not want to let his son go with the boy's mother. While in Europe, she has called Andy rarely, even letting a month go between calls. He does not trust Christie; he sees her as flighty, as inconsistent. Dennis also worries about Andy. He is unsure of Andy's smooth friend, Leo; Dennis imagines Leo getting Andy into trouble, perhaps drugs.
After Christie leaves, Dennis goes upstairs and talks with his current wife, Francesca. She is at the edge of sleep, having been sick, along with their twin infants. Dennis grouses about Christie's irresponsibility, but Francesca tries to point out how unfair Dennis is toward his son Andy's relationship with the boy's mother. She does not defend Christie, but she does believe Andy needs to see his mother.
The next day, Dennis tells Andy that his mother has returned. Andy had noticed that something was wrong with his father and wonders if his mother's sudden reappearance is what is troubling his father, but Dennis explains that he has been unable to sleep. Andy changes his shirt, and his father explodes when he sees Andy has gotten a tattoo. Dennis demands to know if Andy's troublesome friend Leo had put Andy up to this decision, but Andy insists that it is his body and he can do with it as he chooses. Dennis recalls a variety of times Andy has hurt himself, thinking back, for instance, to a bloodied lip back when Andy was five. He realizes that Andy is managing to separate himself a little from his father. Dennis realizes there is now something about Andy that Dennis hates. He does not believe he could ever hate anything about his boy and realizes that his former wife is the only other person who might share this feeling with him. He grounds his son and, for the next two days, does not return phone calls from Christie.
Dennis has been unable to sleep and decides to stop by Christie's apartment unannounced. She is not home, but Dennis correctly guesses where she hides a key. He enters the apartment and studies its disarray. After peering into the different rooms, he finally reaches the one planned for Andy. He cannot help but like the room, a place he was not intended to see. He lies down on Andy's bed and dozes off for his first real sleep in days. He dreams a dream that he believes should have been Andy's. It is of Andy, as a young child, playing with his mother. Mother and son laugh together, as cutout animals come to life. Dennis finally awakes and sneaks back out of the apartment, leaving no sign of his presence.
The story ends with Dennis and Andy in the car, outside Christie's apartment. Andy worries for a moment that they have not called ahead, but then he jumps out of the car, bag of clothes in hand, to spend the weekend. Christie looks back at Dennis, with a puzzled look, but he just waves at her.