John Updike Rabbit Run Analysis

John Updike’s Rabbit, Run details the account of a struggling young adult who tries to straighten out his life. Unfortunately, Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom’s involvement with alcohol, adultery, and accidental murder within a short time period do not help his situation. In a negative feedback loop, Rabbit runs back and forth in and out of different situations with a variety of people. The need to take control of his life and escape mediocrity drives Rabbit to make bad decisions. Unable to accept his subpar marriage and life, he makes numerous bad decisions in an effort to escape. These negative choices are a result of Rabbit’s constant fears, especially about religion, death, and others’ disappointment, guilt arising from his unwillingness to take responsibility for his actions, and discontent in his fragile lifestyle. Many of Rabbit’s choices are spurred by resurfacing fears of his moral violations and the effects of these actions on the people closest to him. Sadly, Rabbit starts his story as the top man on his high school basketball team who unhappily settled down with an unsatisfying spouse, and he finishes it as a deeply troubled man that has only worsened his situation through his desire to run from his problems. Rabbit becomes
In his mind, his own search for self overrides the concept of sin” (Thomason). Rabbit would rather hide from his sins and never identify them than acknowledge his mistakes and improve upon himself. Unknowingly, by running from his problems, Rabbit is extremely selfish, as he does not seem to care much for the effects his actions have on the woman he fell in love with or even his family that has been present throughout his entire life. By fleeing one bad situation and avoiding his responsibilities, Rabbit enters another one, due to his guilty