John Updike Rabbit Run Analysis

Written by John Updike in 1960, Rabbit, Run, is a novel about the life of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, a once successful high school basketball player. After graduation, Rabbit serves in the Army. When he returns Brewer, he becomes a seller of Magic Peel and marries Janice Springer and then they have a son, Nelson. As the title of the book indicates, Rabbit is running away from his wife and family at both the beginning and the end of the novel. Similar to the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath, who move to the California from Oklahoma, Rabbit considers movement as a way to escape from the capitalist society. However, simply moving away is not an effective solution. Capitalism is everywhere, and there is no way out. When Rabbit runs away from his wife …show more content…
Individuals' lives become more similar as well. People are set in a pattern that suit to the reproduction of the capitalist society. Harry is an example of this life pattern. He experiences birth, schooling, work, marriage and the birth of his children, who are possible to repeat this pattern. In this society, wealth becomes one of the most important factors to determine the success of a human being. The character Harrison, with a similar name of Harry, is like a mirror to reflect the situation of Harry by underscoring the contrast of his success in past and mediocre now. When Harry dates Ruth at Club Castanet, he meets Harrison again. “Harrison was never one of the Rabbit’s favorites and has not improved" (150). Rabbit is annoyed by Harrison's "cool air of business success" (150). When they recall the time spent in the basketball team, Rabbit tells Harrison, "You were nothing" (151). The success as a basketball player makes Rabbit proud of himself. He expresses his contempt for Harrison as a basketball player. However, as a magical salesman, he is frustrated with his job and life, especially compared to the seemingly financially better-off Harrison. “[Harry] wonders what he sells; some sort of deal it must be, nothing as definite as the MagiPeel Peeler” (155). The contrast between old glory days and the typical salesman career of Harry are fully exposed in the dialogue between Harry and Harrison. Despite neither Harry nor Harrison is in fond of each other, Harry questions “There’s no difference between Harrison and him, and for that matter is there a difference” (155)? Although Harry and Harrison have differences in school and at work, Harry and Harrison share the same living pattern within capitalist society from birth to work. On a basketball team, they both want to win. At work, they both want to have more money. Even individuals who dislike each