John Updike
Here's a report on John Updike and some of the things that he has written. If someone wants to use it, be advised that they should change all of the "its" referring to morality and etc... to something else. My extremely anal english teacher marked me off a point for every "it" that I used. Janice Tsai Senior-Munster High School Existence is like a creature that hides and then reveals itself. Existence is defined in Webster's New World Dictionary as the "state or fact of being." This existence strives to reach truth which is located beyond space and time, yet truth must be grasped by existence nevertheless. This is accomplished through ritual, which can bring about the capturing of the inconceivable. Edward P. Vargo stated that John Updike uses ritual "to fulfill the great desire of capturing the past, to make the present meaningful through connection with the past, to overcome death, and to grasp immortality" (Contemporary Vol. 7 487). He combines the aspects and meaning of seemingly unimportant ritual along with mankind's desire for a relationship with God to form truth and value for the past, present, and future. Updike uses his talents as a writer to bring together the conceivable and the inconceivable. John Updike implements
"Updike, John." Broadening Views, 1968-1988. Vol. 6. Ed. C.E. Frazer Clark Jr. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1989. Updike, John. The Centaur. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1963. "Updike, John." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 5. Ed. Carolyn Riley and Phyllis Carmel Mendelson. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1976. "Updike, John." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 7. Ed. Phyllis Carmel Mendelson and Dedria Bryfonski. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1977. "Updike, John." Magill's Survey of American Literature. Vol. 6. Ed. Frank N. Magill. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1991. "Updike, John." World Literature Criticism: 1500 to the Present. Vol. 6. Ed. James P. Draper. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1992. 10 his philosophies and ideals in a way that brings together existence with meaning. "Updike is in the best sense of the word an intellectual novelist, a novelist of paradox, tension and complexity who as a college wit in the fifties learned that we are all symbols and inhabit symbols" (World 3752). Updike uses his beliefs to form stronger meanings in his writings. John Updike has a strong faith in human intelligence. He believes that people can use it to explore the universe. He finds the world "to be a place of intricate and marvelous patterns of meaning" (Contemporary Vol. 5 449). With this faith he is able to bring things into focus that would not ordinarily be seen. "I describe things not because their muteness mocks our subjectivity but because they seem to be masks for God. . ." (Contemporary Vol. 7 486). Updike is able to see past the facade of normal, ordinary life. John Updike uses his insights in his writing to emphasize human feelings. He suggests in his writings that "the human conscience constantly suffers guilt for transgressing the laws of two different moralities" (World 3754). John Updike recognizes this feeling of guilt and is more able to clearly show the connections of the past to the present. His writings are also able to capture a "sense of human incompleteness, of the sense of discrepancy between actual and the ideal" (Magill's 1988). He shows how humans strive to overcome these feelings. John Updike fulfills his philosophies with the usage of his characters. He sees them as "many-sided and intellectual designs." He takes an interest in them, and they have meaning. Updike sees his books "as objects, with different shapes and textures and the mysteriousness of anything that exists." He feels that an artist "brings something into the world that didn't exist before" and does not destroy something else at the same time (World 3752). The implementation of his characters brings out his beliefs to their fullest. John Updike uses his talents in his writing to connect humanity to all things present in the universe. He shows how existence is meaningful through the past and the present. He writes in a way that creates new ideas and frames of thought. To him, everything must have a purpose and a meaning; and he is able to use his insights to draw that to attention. Since the beginning of time, man has struggled to comprehend God and the heavens. John Updike writes about God and the relationship with man. Man has always sought to reach immortality, yet is impeded by humanity. John Updike shaped his religious beliefs from the teachings of "Karl Barth and his predecessor Kierkegaard." He [Updike] was drawn to the insistence that God is the "Wholly Other," and that "man cannot reach God and that only God can touch man" (Broadening 280). This suggests that God has a great hold over man and that He has a power to change things in o
Some common words found in the essay are:
John Updike, Contemporary Vol, George Caldwell, Prometheus Magill's, God Mankind, God Centaur, God God, World Dictionary, john updike, Research Company, Chiron Chiron, contemporary vol, vol 7, contemporary vol 7, updike john, 7 487, vol 7 487, world 3754, detroit gale research, ritual worship, george caldwell, vol 7 486, research company, detroit gale, gale research company,
Approximate Word count = 2419
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
