Buckeye

The Impact of Secrets on Marriage and Family remains a critical focal point in Part 3 as Felix, Cal, and Becky are left to handle Margaret’s shocking revelation. The narrative foreshadowed marital difficulties in Buckeye’s first chapters, and at this point, each couple must navigate some serious issues. Although Cal and Margaret acted unethically, and Becky does become angry enough to initiate a separation, the novel’s focus remains on how each of these characters responds to their choices rather than the choices themselves. Felix, who is obviously upset with Cal, still treats him with respect during their fraught conversation and keeps his focus on Tom rather than on his own hurt feelings. Cal does his part to respect Felix’s wishes to keep Tom’s parentage a secret, and Becky is empathetic in her own conversation with Felix. The broader message at play here is that no marriage will be without its tests; what is most important is how spouses respond to those tests.

Much of the narrative during these chapters is dedicated to descriptions of family life in both the Salt and Jenkins homes. Felix becomes characterized not by his secrets, his inner pain, or his PTSD but by his role as a loving father. Although he does bear some resentment toward Margaret and struggles to speak about her positively to Tom, he again keeps his focus on Tom as he helps him navigate a childhood and adolescence rendered difficult by the loss of his mother. Becky and Cal struggle too, but they also benefit from the wisdom of the older generation, much of which comes from Ida, Roman, and Everett. With their insight, the novel again reinforces its message about the resonance of ideas and decisions across generations. Ida, Roman, and Everett share their opinions about marriage with Becky and Cal during these chapters, voicing the novel’s broader truth about long-term commitment: Marriage is difficult, and conflict-free marriages do not exist. What matters in marriage is how individuals respond to conflict and how well they are able to forgive past transgressions.

The Impact of War on Individual and Cultural Identity returns as an important theme during these chapters through the author’s depictions of the Vietnam War. Everett is initially the only character who realizes what a great mistake this new conflict might be, and he writes letters to the US government voicing his opposition to it. Here, again, the older generation possesses a wisdom that the younger generation lacks, although Skip will come to realize that much of what Everett believes about war rings true. Skip pens a letter to Tom that is important within the broader context of the novel’s depiction of war and helps the author to clarify this theme: He writes that the actual experience of combat is horrific and openly wonders about the pervasive culture of silence among veterans, asking, “Why didn’t they ever talk about how awful it is” (385). The narrative has already explored the reasons for this silence through the characters of Everett and Felix and does not cast blame on the actual veterans themselves. However, both Everett’s and Felix’s stories, in combination with Skip’s letter, support the novel’s argument that societal attitudes toward war, norms surrounding patriotism and masculinity, and the lack of resources available to veterans all contribute to a climate in which returning soldiers fail to receive the support they need and public perceptions of armed conflict are often skewed.