“DINNER AT THE HOMESICK RESTAURANT” by Anne Tyler

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CONFLICTS

CHARACTERS CONFLICT IN THE NOVEL FROM HOW THINGS STAND AS CHAPTER 10 HOW THINGS STAND AS THE
CHAPTER 1 TO 9 OPENS NOVEL CLOSES
CODY & BECK At first Cody was angry and resented Cody was still resentful with Beck for Cody understands Beck and seems
Beck for abandoning him. Cody having left him and his siblings alone to forgive him. He discovers that
needed to know the reason why Beck with his mother. When Cody finds out Beck has troubles too and that he
left and so he constantly wondered that Beck will be present at Pearl’s meant no harm to Cody and the
about it and thought it might have funeral he was skeptic, still mad at rest of the family. Cody give Beck
been his fault. Also, Cody really him. Yet, when Cody first saw Beck, a chance to speak and to explain
needed Beck’s support/approval he seemed to be surprised, almost himself and accepts what Beck
while he was growing up. stunned. Throughout the day, Cody told him. Cody insisted Beck on
treated Beck ironically, as if he had finishing the dinner with the rest
never left, just to annoy him. At the of the family.
restaurant, Cody verbally attacks
Beck, telling him hurtful things, such
as telling him that he’s not part of
his family.
CODY & EZRA Since they were little kids, Cody Cody feels empathy for Ezra because Cody is surprised by Ezra’s
always had an unjustified jealousy he knows Ezra lived for their mother determined attitude to find Beck
towards Ezra. Therefore, he played and now their mother’s death had and finish the meal together.
jokes on Ezra and tried to make him negatively affected Ezra. Cody also During the whole service and the
sort of miserable. Cody resented Ezra feels impressed by Ezra’s attitude dinner, Cody seemed to have
for being Pearl’s favorite son, for towards Pearl’s request and towards forgotten his troubles with Ezra,
earning things without efforts, and Beck. At first, Cody was glad for which might have been due to his
for “stealing” everything he’d ever Ezra’s attitude, but then he resented focusing more on Beck.
wanted, such as Cody’s girlfriends him when he realized Pearl would
(This happened in Cody’s mind. Ezra have done the same. Cody still
did not know about this and never thought that Ezra was annoying and
tried such things.) Cody also resented ridiculous for trying to make a family
Ezra because he believed Ezra dinner after the service.
wanted to, ironically, steal Ruth from
him. Moreover, Cody though Ezra to
be ridiculous for his attempts to keep
the family together and for his
annoying family meals.

1
CODY & PEARL Cody got along with Pearl except in
Pearl’s moments of craziness. When
Cody was a little boy, he obeyed
Pearl and lover her very much. As he
grew up, he started doing what
adolescents did in his time and
stopped doing what Pearl told him all
the time, which is one of the reasons
why Pearl got exhausted and severely
punished him and his siblings.
CODY & LUKE There is not much insight on Cody
towards Luke. However, Cody
decided not to act like his own father
and took Ruth and Luke with him
every time he had to move away.
When he was home, he tried to spend
time with him and he always told him
memories from his childhood or gave
them talks about time and other
issues. Yet, there are some moments
in the story when Cody sees Luke too
much alike with Ezra and gets mad.
However, when Luke ran away to
Baltimore, Cody showed how
afflicted he was and how important
was Luke to him.
CODY & RUTH Before meeting Ruth, Cody created a
perfect image of her. However, when
he met her, she was nothing like he
expected. Still, Cody needed to win
her away. He fell in love with Ruth
and tried everything so she would
love him back. Cody made Ruth leave
Ezra and they finally got married.
They got along well but years later
they’d fight a lot. Their marriage
never seemed to be so happy.
Moreover, every time
As chapter 10 opens, Cody doesn’t There are not many references
know how to react to Pearl’s death. about how Cody felt towards his
He seems to feel neither sorrow nor mother, but he seemed to be in
sadness, yet he feels heavy and peace with everyone, including
confused, which is actually a Pearl. He seemed to have forgiven
symptom of sadness. He still everyone that caused him pain in
remembered Pearl with resentment the past.
Luke does not appear in Chapter 10 When Cody and the rest of the
because he is away at college. family were looking for Beck, Cody
though he saw Luke sitting on the
street, although he knew Luke was
away at college. When he got
closer he realized it was Beck and,
under the street light, Cody
realized Beck and Luke looked
alike. Maybe, this scene reveals
that Cody finally accepted Beck as
part of his family and it was the
triggering event that helped him
forgive Beck.
Cody seemed to let Ruth sort of There’s not much about this two
comfort him after she told him the characters at the end of the story.
news about Pearl’s death. However, Any trouble they had between
it didn’t seem to last so long. She them and Ezra seemed to have
took Ruth with her to the funeral but been forgotten or avoided for the
he didn’t act like he used to when occasion.
Ezra appeared.
2
CODY & JENNY They always had a good brotherly
relationship and Cody always took
care of her. Cody always supported
her when she needed money but he
didn’t spend much time with her
because he was always busy working.
Yet, the only conflict they appeared
to have is that Cody always thought
that Jenny spoke the way Pearl did,
as if asking for things without
actually asking for them.
CODY & CODY Cody was always stubborn. He was
impatient and did not like to follow
anyone else’s orders, as we can see
in the scene of the archery set. When
Beck left, he kept wondering if it had
anything to do with him. His father
departure may have been the prime
cause for his behaviour and his bad
habits, such as drinking alcohol,
smoking, etc. Another internal
problem is his jealousy towards his
brother, Ezra. At first, Cody just
made some pranks to Ezra. However,
when he grew up, his jealousy was so
intense that he ended up stealing
Ezra’s girlfriend. After Cody married
Ruth, he made terrible efforts to
keep Ruth away from Ezra each time
they visited Baltimore.
EZRA & RUTH Ezra couldn’t face up the fact that
Ruth had left him for his brother. His
way of being and his joy changed. He
became shyer and began being
calmer and sort of depressed.
EZRA & LUKE They saw each other few times.
Whenever Luke saw Ezra, he was
happy and they both shared the same
interests. Luke would have loved to
They seemed to get along well. They There is not much insight of these
treated each other with respect. two characters at the end of the
novel. They seemed to get along
well.
Cody was struggling with his not Cody’s issues seem to have been
accepting his mother’s death, his resolved. He finally forgave his
having to attend to Ezra’s dinner, his father, which relieved him and
having to put up with Ruth being near helped him to overcome every
Ezra and with the unexpected issue he had. He seemed to have
presence of his father. This last finally accepted his life
event was the most important in this circumstances and acknowledge
chapter. Cody was very irritated and the people who surrounded him.
acted ironically. Perhaps he
remembered all the bad things that
had happened to him during his
childhood and was striving to
understand the sudden presence of
his father, the reason of his father’s
departure and whether or not to
forgive him.
Ezra treated Ruth with respect, as There’s not much insight on these
usually. two characters. Ezra and Ruth
finally finished a meal without
having Cody taking Ruth away.
Luke was away at college. Luke was away at college.
3
 spend more time with Ezra. When
Luke ran away from home, he went
to Baltimore to visit Ezra. Whenever
Luke saw something that he liked,
Ezra tried to give it to him as a gift.
EZRA & BECK Ezra did not seem to resent Beck for Ezra contacted Beck and spoke to They finally had a dinner together
leaving him. Ezra did not talk much him cordially. Ezra did not treat Beck and Beck seemed to try to make
about his father. badly nor did he treat with much up for the lost time.
love.
EZRA & JENNY They got along well. They seemed to They got along well during Pearl’s There’s not much insight on this.
be close and to trust each other. Ezra service.
visited Jenny when she needed him
and helped him with Becky.
EZRA & PEARL On the one hand, Ezra lived to take Ezra carried out Pearl’s last will,
care of Pearl. He helped her in every which was inviting Beck to her
way and made his best when she funeral.
started to go blind.
On the other hand, Pearl loved Ezra
way too much. It was her favorite son
and she wished him the best and
feared for him as well. Pearl always
tried to help Ezra (making him play
with the archery set, giving him
advices, etc.)
EZRA & EZRA Shyness
Inability to defend himself and his
belongings (Ruth)
Inability to stop Cody’s jealousy and
Cody’s pranks
JENNY & PEARL
JENNY & JENNY Self-pity