An Exile Searching For His Paradise

John Updike is one of the greatest contemporary American writers. Since the publication of Rabbit, Run in 1960, Updike has been well received by the readers and his works have been widely read and discussed at home and abroad. Most of his novels and stories are written in a well-modulated prose of extraordinary beauty and dazzling fluidity. They are acclaimed for the favorable comment on language. The major subjects are the domestic life of the American middle-class, such as marriage, divorce, religion and even sex. Under the influence of existentialism, especially the thoughts of philosopher Soren Kierkegaard and theologian Karl Barth, Updike presents the characters who have seriously suffered from spiritual crisis. To study John Updike, the best choice is his Rabbit tetralogy; and to study Rabbit tetralogy, we should begin from the first installment Rabbit, Run.Overseas, Updike is very famous and influential; in China, the real systematic study of Updike is just beginning at present. Few critical articles concerning Rabbit series can be found, which, are mostly introductory studies about the writer and the novels. In 1990s, the research began to expand. However, they are sporadic and lack of systematic studies. In my paper, from the perspective of existentialism, I would like to consider Rabbit as an exile suffering from anxiety and isolation, searching for his paradise in a constricting and meaningless world.The thesis consists of three parts:The first part gives a brief introduction to John Updike and Rabbit, Run.The second part is the main body of the thesis, including four chapters.In the first chapter, it presents the theoretical basis for the thesis. It introduces the related theoretical ideas of Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard and Swiss theologian Karl Barth: human existence, "outwardness and inwardness", and "angst".Chapter Two is about the social milieu (outwardness) Rabbit is confronted with, which compels him to run. Except for the external circumstances, Rabbit's spiritual area is in a crisis.In Chapter Three, Harry's ideal life (inwardness) and his own belief are displayed. Through running, Harry wants to search for his paradise and set up his belief "Inwardness is truth" as the effective method to get rid of his plight.In Chapter Four, the romantic quest for Rabbit is hard to fulfill. Through sports and sex, he can't achieve his spiritual truth. In addition, the structure of the novel implies that the effort to find an opening and to make moral decision is a futile one.The Conclusion part makes a summary of the thesis.