Cunningham, Michael: *1952

A Home at the End of the World, 1990 - Chapter Summaries

Chapters 1–4: Childhood and the Beginning of Bobby and Jonathan’s Friendship
The novel begins by introducing Bobby Morrow and Jonathan Glover through their childhood experiences in Cleveland. Bobby grows up in a family affected by drugs, emotional distance, and eventually tragedy when his older brother Carlton dies after crashing through a glass door. Jonathan, meanwhile, grows up in a more comfortable but emotionally complicated household with his parents, Alice and Ned. Jonathan experiments with gender roles and begins questioning the expectations placed on him. When Bobby and Jonathan meet at school, they quickly become close friends because they recognize something unusual and vulnerable in each other. Their friendship becomes increasingly important as both boys struggle to understand themselves and their families.
Characters
Bobby: Increasing emotional dependence on Jonathan.
Jonathan: Growing awareness of his sexuality and identity.
Alice: Protective but emotionally complicated mother.
Chapters 5–7: Bobby Becomes Part of the Glover Family
Bobby becomes increasingly involved with Jonathan’s family and develops a close relationship with Alice. Alice sees Bobby as a troubled but vulnerable young person and begins treating him almost like another son. Bobby’s own relationship with his father remains distant, especially as his father struggles with grief and changes in his life. The boys’ friendship develops into something resembling a family relationship, with Alice becoming an important maternal figure for both of them. The idea of the boys as “lost” young people who need a home becomes increasingly important to the novel.
Characters
Bobby: Greater attachment to Alice.
Jonathan: Increasing independence from his parents.
Alice: Maternal role toward Bobby and Jonathan.
Chapters 8–12: New York, Clare, and the Formation of an Unusual Relationship
As adults, Jonathan moves to New York and begins building a life there, eventually living with Clare, an older woman who becomes his closest friend. Bobby later leaves Cleveland and joins Jonathan in New York after Alice encourages him to create a life of his own. Clare, Jonathan, and Bobby gradually form a close household in which traditional romantic and family roles become increasingly blurred. Clare begins to question whether she wants children, while Bobby struggles to establish his own identity in the city. Clare eventually becomes sexually involved with Bobby, changing the balance of the relationship between the three characters.
Characters
Bobby: From dependence toward independence.
Jonathan: Continued emotional dependence on Bobby.
Clare: Emotional attachment to Bobby.
Chapters 13–16: Relationships, Family Illness, and Growing Tension
Jonathan develops a romantic relationship with Erich while continuing to struggle with his feelings toward Bobby and Clare. At the same time, Jonathan’s father becomes seriously ill with emphysema, forcing Jonathan to confront aging, death, and his complicated relationship with his parents. Alice and Ned move to Arizona because of Ned’s declining health, creating greater distance between Jonathan and his childhood home. Back in New York, Clare becomes increasingly determined to create a family and begins secretly hoping that she will become pregnant. Jonathan, however, feels trapped by the unconventional household and starts considering leaving.
Characters
Jonathan: Conflict between independence and attachment.
Clare: Stronger emotional attachment to Bobby.
Bobby: Desire to preserve the three-person family.
Erich: Growing intimacy with Jonathan.
Chapters 17–19: Jonathan Leaves and the Family Faces Loss
Jonathan unexpectedly leaves Bobby and Clare, leaving behind a note and creating a painful separation. Bobby is devastated by Jonathan’s disappearance, while Clare responds with anger and tries to continue with her life. Soon afterward, Ned dies, bringing Jonathan back into contact with Bobby, Clare, and Alice. Clare is pregnant, which makes the reunion even more complicated because the three friends must reconsider what their family will look like. Jonathan and Bobby struggle with jealousy, resentment, grief, and their long history together.
Characters
Bobby: Deep grief over Jonathan’s departure.
Jonathan: Recognition of his continuing attachment to Bobby.
Clare: Determination to preserve the family.
Alice: Acceptance of Jonathan’s unconventional life.
Chapters 20–22: Building a Home and Becoming a Family
Bobby, Jonathan, and Clare decide that raising a child in New York will not provide the kind of life they want, so they search for a home in the countryside. Clare uses her inheritance to help establish their new life in Woodstock. After Rebecca is born, the three adults attempt to create a functioning family while also running a café and managing their different relationships with one another. Clare discovers that motherhood brings both overwhelming love and exhaustion, while Bobby and Jonathan develop their own relationships with Rebecca. Meanwhile, Alice has built a new life in Arizona and remains connected to Jonathan despite the distance.
Characters
Bobby: Stronger connection to home and family.
Jonathan: Continuing uncertainty about his relationships.
Clare: Increasing emotional independence.
Alice: Acceptance of Jonathan’s chosen family.
Chapters 23–25: Erich’s Return and the Reality of Illness
Erich comes to stay with Bobby, Jonathan, Clare, and Rebecca after his health deteriorates. His arrival forces Jonathan to confront his feelings about their relationship and his discomfort with Erich’s illness. Bobby responds to Erich with compassion and becomes particularly attentive to his needs. The household begins functioning as a place where illness and death can be confronted rather than hidden. Clare, however, increasingly focuses on Rebecca and struggles to balance caring for her child with caring for a dying adult.
Characters
Bobby: Increased compassion and responsibility.
Jonathan: Fear and discomfort surrounding illness.
Clare: Emotional distancing from Erich’s decline.
Erich: Desire to experience life while he can.