Adultery and Dispersed Family Relationship in John Updike's Rabbit Redux

Abstract

This thesis observesRabbit Reduxas a novelof manner which shows the reality of middle classcontemporaryAmerican people about marriage, love, sex, morality, American values, etc. in the changing American society of 1970s. The main character Rabbit's wifeJaniceexperiments with freedom by havingan affair with a used car salesmanCharlie. Rabbit learns about this at a bar where the television repeatedly shows Apollo 11 blasting off to the moon. Updike thus reveals the emptiness in the life of his chief character at the very moment that America isready to explore a new world in space. Updike's purpose is ultimately to subvert the authority of all sociological and psychological interpretations of family and marriage by showing the self contradictory nature of outerforces and inner motives of the characters. The family is not only the source of security and mutual affection but if it goes out of the trackandfamily relationships aredispersed,it becomes as a prison. So,this novel existsin the human realmsof family rather than the intellectualrealmsof cold doctrinaire. People in this postmodern world are essentially living in alienation and fragmentation. It shows that thereis alack of binding force. So, they are torn apart. However, they never lament for their solitaryand disintegrated lives. Updike's characters are guided by internal motives. They do not follow the established and rational way of life. Theydefythe natural law and conventions. For instance, Rabbit, the Central character has nothing to live for except food and sexual fantasy. He wonders around from wife to friends to old mistress. Janice, Rabbit's mistress represents postmodernist woman whoblurthe borderline of family bond fulfilling her desire.