Abstract This paper analyzes John Updike's novel "Rabbit is Rich" with the following question in mind: Is Rabbit truly rich? The paper contends that in spite of material success, Rabbit's life is hollow.
From the Paper "In the third novel in John Updike's Rabbit series "Rabbit is Rich" Updike's protagonist, Harry Rabbit Angstrom has achieved financial security as the owner of a Toyota dealership. Indeed Harry appears to be enjoying the good life and he believes himself as happy and fulfilled. However, as the novel progresses it becomes obvious that the life that Harry believes he has built for himself is truly an illusion."
This paper reviews John Updike's ?Rabbit, Run?, published in 1960, but depicting the American society of the 50s, and the first book in a four-book series.
Abstract This paper explains Updike's general literary statement in ?Rabbit, Run? was that, in the middle-class American society of the 1950s, people were going through the motions of a meaningful life, but not achieving satisfactory meaning from it. The author points out that the central character is so bizarre from time to time that he keeps the reader off balance, which is what Rabbit is actually doing in a fictionalized state to his wife Janice and others. The paper relates that continuity is the key to Updike's maintaining character growth throughout the series he wrote; of the characters Updike uses in the first book, ?Rabbit, Run?, almost all continue to appear in his three novel sequels: "Rabbit Redux" (1971), "Rabbit is Rich" (1981) (Pulitzer prize); "Rabbit at Rest" (1990); and the novella, "Rabbit Remembered" (2000).
Table of Contents
John Updike
Plot Summary
Character Development
Reflection of Contemporary American Culture?
Conclusion
From the Paper "The author was born in Shillington, Pennsylvania, in 1932, and he later attended Harvard University and the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Arts, located in Oxford, England. He began his professional writing career by contributing poems, articles and book reviews to "The New Yorker" magazine (1955-1957). Updike, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1982 for "Rabbit Is Rich", has written over 25 books. He is the father of four children, and lives in Massachusetts. It is believed that the central character in Updike's "Rabbit" series (four novels, beginning with "Rabbit, Run"), was a real-life basketball hero who hailed from Shillington, Pennsylvania, where Updike grew up."
Abstract This essay discusses the history, geography and ecology of the introduction of the European rabbit into Australia. Special focus on eradication techniques and a discussion on whether the complete eradication of rabbits from Australia is feasible.
Contents:
Introduction and subsequent spread
Implications of invasion
Previous attempts for control
The future
Is eradication feasible?
From the Paper "Although European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were first introduced into Australia with the arrival of the First Fleet, they did not become feral until an English settler by the name of Thomas Austin introduced 24 rabbits on to his homestead near Geelong in 1858 (EPA, 1999). It is difficult to exactly quantify the rate of spread of European rabbits, since liberation occurred independently in Victoria, South Australia and northern New South Wales, however figure 1 shows a plausible suggestion as to the progressive distribution of rabbit populations in Australia over time (AGPL, 1996)."
Tags: calicivirus, cuniculus, eradication, haemmorhagic, introduced, myxomatosis, oryctolagus, rhd, species
An analysis of John Updike's "Rabbit Run", with an emphasis on its historical approach and the context of the story in the times in which it was written.
Abstract This paper examines "Rabbit Run", a powerful novel by John Updike published in 1960, based on one of the characters, Harry ?Rabbit? Angstrom, a 26-year-old former high school basketball star. In particular, it looks at how the historical approach of the story is increasingly evident as the plot reveals the consequences of the post-war family's independence from the church and the assumption of the nuclear mantle. Updike shows us the contemptuous and paradoxical behavior of people of the era, who, by their actions, revel in the freedom that they have gained with the demise of social structures, and yet bemoan the fact that they have lost their way and are disillusioned and directionless. It demonstrates how this concept is best summed up by Updike's creation of a man who tries to justify his concern for clean clothes and, simultaneously, is responsible for destroying his wife and children.
From the Paper "The character of Angstrom is indirectly autobiographical in that by calculation, his age and the author's age would approximately tally. This instantly allows the reader to understand the historic perspective of the novel as we are given the opportunity to trace the social changes that have occurred since the 30's down to the day of the novel. The social climate of the thirties was significantly different from the fifties, and sixties. The immense and drastic changes that came about in social standards after the Second World War meant that there lay a greatly urgent need for consolidation of moral values. Creators of the system turned to eco-political means by which they could bring about this consolidation. As a result of this, the average person in the U.S. was subjected to a newer, (imagined) improved lifestyle based on economic success and superficiality."
Abstract This paper discusses how rabbits have the same need as humans to produce energy in order to survive and how this energy production is directly related to the food the animal intakes. It looks at how the rabbit, oryctolagus cuniculus, obtains its nourishment from the foods it eats, which are mainly grasses, clovers, and sometimes even bark and how it then eats the droppings to get the maximum nourishment available from the food. The paper also discusses how this method is extremely different from how humans obtain the necessary nutrients to further endure life even though both species share the same internal process of cellular respiration necessary to exist and prevail.
From the Paper "The mitochondria, which can be simply defined as a membrane-bound organelle located in all eukaryotic cells, is important for several reasons including its responsibility for the process of cellular respiration (Cellular). This process works through redox reactions, which is the term given to a chemical reaction in which at least one electron is transferred from one particular substance to another (Solomon 138). The importance of cellular respiration is apparent because of its resulting production of Adenosine triphosphate, which is commonly known as ATP. The ATP serves various purposes; however, the one most relevant to the nourishment of a rabbit would be the fact that it provides the energy which is used throughout the cells in several different activities. This fact results in the ATP being referred to as the energy currency of the cell (Solomon 125). "
Abstract The paper reports on the excavation of an ancient village, named the Rabbit-Woman Village, sister to the Lizard-Man Village. The paper investigates the archaeological work done on the site and the different techniques used such as stratigraphy and the development of a relative chronology.
From the Paper "Another area of importance is the family organization of the people of Rabbit Woman village. Did they have traditional family units, as we think of them today. Did the men have more than one wife? Did the women have multiple husbands? Did they send their children to be raised by a family member and raised another family members children? Is there even a concept of marriage and family or do they thin of themselves as a communal family? Evidence of this can be found in the artifacts, and from the stories of the decedents of Rabbit Woman village. Looking at the surrounding areas, it is good to note the family organization of those sites that we know and that coincided chronologically with the Rabbit Woman village. We will also look at burial patters, were families buried together? And housing. Is there evidence of a male presence at all the camp sites, houses of Rabbit Women village, things like spears and other weapons usually indicate the presence of a male."
Abstract This paper will discuss the book "When Rabbit Howls" by Truddi Chase and seek the basis for a sociological premise within the text. By understanding the roles of the characters and the way that they live within the racial boundaries that are presented, we can see the aim of the author in this scope. These themes will be covered to better illuminate subjects that are existent within the world of Truddi Chase.
Abstract This paper discusses and analyzes the film produced by Emiko Omori, "Rabbit in the Moon". Specifically, it examines the relationality of racial-ethnic images, including context, effects, and resistance. The paper explores how difficult it was and still is to be Asian in America and how racial stereotypes, images, and misinformation still persist in a society that prides itself on democracy, freedom, and social justice.
From the Paper "Two images (or stereotypes) of Asian Americans stand out. They are the yellow peril and the gook, both extremely derogatory terms used especially during World War II against the Japanese, and against Japanese Americans. The "yellow peril" image stems from Japan's aggressive behavior in Asia and elsewhere before war actually broke out. The Japanese attacked China, made a pact with Hitler and Mussolini, and then attacked Pearl Harbor. Thus, they seemed as if they wanted to rule their area of the world, and would stop at nothing to gain their goals. They became a "yellow peril" threatening the very fabric of America and American freedoms. These fears were also based on earlier images of the Chinese, who were often described as "wily" or "crafty." In other words, they were sneaky, and Americans did not trust all Asians simply because of these ignorant stereotypes. It was easy for Americans to believe Asians were a yellow peril after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and that extended to all Asians, regardless of their heritage, time in the United States, or any other factors. The Japanese had attacked, that made them, and so all, Asians bad."
Abstract This paper will argue that both of these novels are critiques of the "American dream" of suburban prosperity and success. The profound unhappiness of "Rabbit" (Angst)rom - the protagonist's own name signifying his condition - despite his material prosperity and sexual opportunities, is indicative of the hollow nature of the "American dream".
Abstract This paper examines the film, "Rabbit Proof Fence", which is based on the true story, "Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence," written by Doris Pilkington and Nugi Garmara. It highlights representations of aboriginality in the film and discusses the main ideas around which such representations, both negative and positive, are organized. The paper also looks at the how the film's audience is positioned.
From the Paper "The terminology used throughout the film was relevant for its time but it is considered very racial and controversial today. The Aboriginals were often referred to by the colour of their skin. They were called "half caste" and ?full blood.? These terms would be unheard of today, and although the movie was set in the 1930?s, hearing these words can be offensive to many people ? emphasizing the viewers understanding of the Aboriginals. For example in today's organizations and policies, an Aborigine is defined as by the Federal Government as someone who: ?Is of Aboriginal descent, identifies as an Aboriginal person or is accepted by the Aboriginal community in which he or she lives in.? (Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 2001, Pg 27). It reinforces to the audience that they should feel sympathetic for the Aborigines."
Abstract This paper explains that, in "Mariette in Ecstasy", Ron Hansen utilizes the symbols found in nature to enhance the repressed sexuality Mariette experiences: In nature, sex is not a sin; it is a part of God's creation. The author points out that Hansen uses his poetic descriptions of the natural environment as an editorial critique of the Catholic condemnation of sexuality and pits the nuns' rejection of nature and sex against its insistent and wholesome presence, represented by Mariette. The paper relates that Hansen employs the natural image of moonlight along with Mariettes nakedness and the imagery of the rabbit wire, the rabbit being a symbol for fertility, tied just below her sex.
From the Paper "Mariette in Ecstasy begins in the autumn of 1906 in upstate New York, when a 17-year-old girl wearing "her mother's wedding trousseau of white Holland cloth and watered silk" leaves her father's house to join the Sisters of the Crucifixion. Beautiful and educated and eager to assume the rigors of cloistered life, Mariette Baptiste is a
perfect model of obedience and piety- at first, but then she begins to doubt the strength of her own faith. She writes in her confessional diary..."
From the Paper "This essay presents a critical analysis of John Updike's novel "Rabbit, Run" (1960). Updike writes mostly of the lives of common people in small-town Pennsylvania situations. Frank N. Magill suggests: "The quality distinguishing John Updike's fiction and putting him in the front rank of novelists at an unusually young age is his ability to 'get into' his characters, to experience their palpable worlds as they experience them, and to convey these experiences in prose that is at once rich and translucent. He is in that stream of post-realism that conceives life as it is broadly and inclusively, that finds in the ordinary enough of the extraordinary to excite the poetic imagination without forsaking thorough grounding in quotidian reality. Beyond this, faint but perceptible, is a tough intellectual and ... "
An examination of the how the concept of time affects the characters of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" by Edward Albee and "Rabbit, Run" by John Updike.
Abstract This paper discusses and analyzes the two books "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" by Edward Albee and "Rabbit, Run" by John Updike. Specifically, it discusses at least one character from each book in light of his/her relationship to time. It shows how time plays an important role in both books, and heavily affects both characters as they search for meaning in their unfulfilled lives.
From the Paper "In "Rabbit, Run," one of a succession of "Rabbit" novels concerning the main character, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, Rabbit is a man who often lives vicariously through the deeds of his youth, because his present and future are so depressing. Because his real life is out of control, he is consistently running away from it, trying to recreate his life in better circumstances, but he cannot forget his old life, and so he is constantly caught in a paradox of time, where he cannot control the present, all he can do is remember the past. This happens throughout the book, and his memories of the past always seem to rule his choices for his future. "Out of all his remembered life the one place that comes forward where he can stand without the ground turning into faces he is treading on is that lot outside the diner in West Virginia after he went in and had a cup of coffee the night he drove down there" (Updike 214). Thus, Rabbit is a prisoner of his past. He was successful as a basketball player in high school, but his adult life has never been as successful, even though he expected it to be, and so, he cannot reconcile his pleasant past with his not so pleasant present."
Abstract A paper that compares and contrasts the self-absorption of the main characters from two books "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath and "Rabbit Run" by John Updike.
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the book, "Watership Down" by Richard Adams. Specifically, it analyzes and reviews the book, the characters, and Adams' writing style. "Watership Down" is a timeless tale of several courageous rabbits who strike out on their own, make amazing discoveries, and survive to create their own society. More than a children's story, it is a story of humankind and the good and evil that inhabit all societies.
From the Paper "To many, Richard Adams' first book, "Watership Down," was simply a cute little novel about a group, or warren, of rabbits. However, "Watership Down," written in 1972 and at first a cult novel, is much more than just a cute story about rabbits on a journey. In fact, "Watership Down" is the complex story of a society much like our own, which includes religion, economics, education, government, and family issues just like any other modern society, except this society is made up entirely of rabbits. The book won the 1973 Carnegie Medal, and was initially seen as a children's book in England, where it was first published. However, the book has become much more than a classic children's story, in spite of how many children read the book each year. Adams himself was surprised by the book's acceptance as a children's novel. He said, "I have been pleasantly staggered to receive letters of obviously sincere appreciation from eight-year-olds; I wouldn't have thought anyone under ten could tackle 'Watership Down.' It only goes to show. Apparently straight writing carries some kind of readability of its own" ("Some Ingredients"). A film has been made of the book, and it has been used extensively as a literature resource in schools around the world."
