Analysis of Updike
John Updike's "Rabbit Run," and "A & P" are two works that deals with the same unifying themes. They are two separate, independent works, and yet they both share the same centralizing main points. Updike's unique ability to contort and disassemble the human mind is present in both novels. He is able to depict human nature as a wild lust for passion; in both stories he presents two main characters that suffer the same dilemma. They are unable hold back their sexual temptations, thus causing their lives to go into a chaotic state. Because of this, they leave their old lives to seek out refuge. Both characters are cowards; they both show signs of anxiety towards the society/community in which they live in. They both have a mentality that women are inferior to men. And in both works Updikes uses a specific naming designation to name his characters; each name in both works have a certain meaning to themselves. One character, Harry Angstrom, who is referred, as "Rabbit" in Updike's "Rabbit run" is a coward. Udpike names him as "Rabbit" because like a rabbit he is terrified at everything he sees, he runs away from his problems instead of facing it like a normal man would. Rabbit is unable to realize his role in his community, and his
Updike creates a character in Rabbit, which has the ability to be a productive member of society, but tragically cannot put others on the same level as him. He yearns for his childhood days, when he was free of responsibility, and is jealous of children, even his son, for this reason (21). He is a former high school basketball star who is well known throughout the county, and is told that he could inspire faith in people (144). However, people do not look up to him because he does not try to use his position to help other. He "doesn't like to manage things, he likes to let things happen of themselves" (306). At his daughter's funeral, Rabbit said, "You all keep acting as if I killed my daughter, I wasn't anywhere near, she's the one" (296). Updike's ultimate denial of Rabbit's value to society was that he was more concerned with placing blame than in having compassion for others. These analyses can also to correlate with the character Sammy in Updike's "A &P." Updike names him "Sammy" to emphasize Sammy's immaturity, the name Sammy is a nickname for a young person, thus by naming him Sammy Updike imposes on us Sammy's immature nature. Instead of being satisfied to love one woman, he acts upon outdated sexual urges, which make him feel the need to spread his genes. In truth, Rabbit was "monstrously selfish, he doesn't care about right or wrong, and worshiped nothing except his own worst instincts (134). The animalistic behavior Rabbit demonstrates towards women causes his life to go into a chaotic dismal. Sammy is a man who like Rabbit is at the end of his ropes. He is stuck at a dead-end job, although he does not have a wife to support, he does have his parents to take care of. Sammy is a coward just as Rabbit because he uses women, as a scapegoat for him leaving is current situation. But however like Rabbit, the main reason why Sammy left his job was because he wasn't content there; he used those girls as an excuse to escape his own reality. He wants to run away from his dull, dead end job, his mundane life and possibly his parents who he has to support. "A&P" is short story pervaded with the consciousness of the author. Sammy's actions reflect the mentality of the author, John Updike. The connection between the sexual remarks, the ch
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Approximate Word count = 1529
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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