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