Anne Tyler's dinner at Homesick Restaurant is filled with many of the complex characters that make up the Tull family. However, throughout the interconnected lives of siblings Ezra, Cody and Jenny, the only key character they are missing is their father, Beck. In Anne Tyler's novel, Beck's characteristics ultimately lead to a disjointed family unit. The Tull family's eldest son, Cody, is perhaps the most misunderstood character of all. Like Beck, he can never settle into one area and is constantly moving around for work. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the same way that Beck had worked so hard to impress Pearl, Cody works so hard at his job to impress his father. His subconscious desire to please his father is seen when it is said, "His success had finally achieved its goal." Was this all he had been striving for: that brief moment of respect that flashed across his father's face? (291) Cody's dedication to his job leads to his family's inability to become rooted in the same way that Pearl's family had been because of Beck. Cody's disjointed family unit is also caused by his inability to connect with his child, a characteristic previously seen with Beck. While Beck's poor job as a parent comes from abandoning his family, Cody's simply comes from the lack of a father figure in his own life. The distant father-son relationship observed between Cody and Beck is paralleled by the distant relationship that Cody then has with his own son, Luke. Ultimately, the characteristics that Cody inherits from Beck are the cause of the dysfunctional nature of the Tull family. Besides Cody, another character who inherits Beck's traits is Jenny. Like Beck, she wants to make others happy. This is seen in his profession as a pediatrician as well as in his constant need to lighten the atmosphere around him. In the same way, she is always shaping herself to become the person she thinks others need. This is seen in the way she tries to be a sort of mother figure to Slevin as well as the way she divorces him whenever her husbands seem unhappy. These traits all come from his father, Beck. His desire to please others is seen when he says, "Here's my downfall...I just can't resist a person I make happy...moving on when she's gotten closer to me and no longer has acted so please” (300). Beck's inability to settle down with a lifelong partner is echoed in his daughter Jenny, who marries three times. Due to Beck and Jenny's constant need to make others happy, both are never able to find true happiness for themselves. The characteristics that Jenny inherits from Beck are what prevent her from settling down with her own family. Like Cody and Jenny, Beck's other child, Ezra, also inherits certain characteristics that lead to the disjointed nature of the Tull family. Throughout Ezra's childhood, Beck always had good intentions that somehow failed to achieve the desired effect. This is seen in the surprise archery set he buys for his children which results in an arrow piercing Pearl's shoulder. While he initially purchased the archery set as a fun family activity, the accident he causes with Pearl is what ultimately leads him to decide to leave. The way Beck's good intentions always go wrong is reflected in Ezra's determination to have a nice family dinner. Little.