Adultery and dispersed family relationship in John Updike's Rabbit Redux

Abstract

This thesis observes Rabbit Redux as a novel of manner which shows the reality of middle class contemporary American people about marriage, love, sex, morality, American values, etc. in the changing American society of 1970s. The main character Rabbit's wife Janice experiments with freedom by having an affair with a used car salesman Charlie. 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 is ready 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 outer forces 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 track and family relationships are dispersed, it becomes as a prison. So, this novel exists in the human realms of family rather than the intellectual realms of cold doctrinaire. People in this postmodern world are essentially living in alienation and fragmentation. It shows that there is a lack of binding force. So, they are torn apart. However, they never lament for their solitary and disintegrated lives. Updike's characters are guided by internal motives. They do not follow the established and rational way of life. They defy the 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 who blur the borderline of family bond fulfilling her desire.