The Reencounter

In the story “The Re Encounter” by Isaac Singer, Dr. Max Greitzer is woken up to telephone call by an unknown woman telling him Liza Nestling is dead. Max and Liza were once lovers for thirteen years, but after breaking up they have not spoken since. Max goes to Liza’s funeral but has arrived early, he talks to the receptionist and is let inside to see Liza. A woman who resembles Liza walks in a few minutes after Max and Max assumes that the woman is Liza’s younger sister because they look so much alike. Upon talking to each other Max learns the woman who walked in is actually Liza and they are both in fact dead.

The point of view in this story is told from third person. Max and Liza’s thoughts are not revealed to the audience and details are being impressed as they are both going through the motions. The tone of the story seems to me like it doesn’t take place until Max realizes Liza is dead, and you feel a sense of sadness as he goes through his thoughts about when they first got together and how it ended. Liza on the other hand seems to be a bit more vocal about her feelings about what is going on. The setting seemed to be like a normal day, perhaps a Saturday or Sunday since Max was woken up by a phone call. Other than Max being at home, going to the funeral, and floating above the city with Liza, there wasn’t much detail about the setting. The imagery seemed a bit better but not by much. Obviously it’s easy to picture being woken up by a phone call and going to a funeral, but what about everything else? Singer did mention the buildings below as Max and Liza floated away but there was nothing so in depth that I could picture in my head.

The style seemed a bit dry as well. It seemed like I was just reading through the story with nothing to put thoughts into my head, no intense thinking. Also, the way Singer introduces the characters were dead was a little odd as well. One second you think Max is seeing an old friend for the last time and then it hits you in the face that he’s really dead. I had to double read that section just to make sure I wasn’t adding my own ideas to the story.

The “Re Encounter” wasn’t an awful story, I just wish there was a little more detail about what was really going on. Although, with that being said, the conversation with Max and Liza does bring up an interesting point about the belief in the afterlife with religion. Liza and Max being to question if there is a Hell or Heaven, and if they’re going to float somewhere and tell someone lists of all their good deeds. I love Max’s line at the end “Of all my disenchantments immortality is the greatest” (341). Of all my illusions, immortality is the greatest.