“Sex is a game, and like all games, it has rules. The game is to get as much as you can without giving too much away.”
— Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom reflecting on his past and present relationships, particularly with Jill.
Archivist's Choice
Rabbit Redux
John Updike (2010)
Genre
Literary Fiction / Romance
Reading Time
10-12 hours
Key Themes
See below
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In 1969, a middle-aged Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom, left by his family, searches for purpose and belief amid social unrest and personal ruin.
Synopsis
In 1969, ten years after "Rabbit, Run," Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is a thirty-six-year-old linotyper in Brewer, Pennsylvania. He feels lost as America deals with the moon landing and social change. His wife, Janice, bored, starts an affair with a coworker, Charlie Stavros. She leaves Rabbit and their son, Nelson, to live with Charlie. Alone, Rabbit takes in Jill, a nineteen-year-old runaway from a rich family, who becomes his lover. Their home becomes more complicated when Skeeter, a Black Vietnam War veteran and radical, arrives. Skeeter brings drugs, politics, and a wild energy into Rabbit's suburban house. Skeeter and Jill become close, and Skeeter's presence, often unsettling, makes Rabbit face his biases and the changing world. Nelson, uncomfortable with the new people, moves in with Janice and Charlie. The neighbors, at first curious, become hostile toward the racially mixed, drug-filled house. Their watchfulness leads to a violent attack on Rabbit's house and a fire, which kills Jill. Devastated and with his home gone, Rabbit finds Janice, who has returned from her affair. They get back together, move into her parents' house, and try to rebuild their lives. But Jill's death and Skeeter's disappearance leave Rabbit with a sense of loss and an uncertain future.
Reading time
10-12 hours
Difficulty
Medium
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Melancholy, Reflective, Unsettling, Socially critical
✓ Read this if...
You enjoy deep character studies of flawed individuals against a backdrop of significant social change, and appreciate exploration of post-1960s American malaise.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer fast-paced plots, clear moral resolutions, or find depictions of infidelity, drug use, and racial tension without explicit condemnation uncomfortable.
Plot Summary
The Moon Landing and Marital Drift
The novel begins in July 1969. Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom, now 36, works as a linotyper in Brewer, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Janice, watch the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV. This moment of national unity sharply contrasts with the growing distance in their own relationship. Janice feels bored and annoyed by Rabbit's passive, conservative views. Rabbit feels unappreciated and trapped. Their son, Nelson, is now a troubled teenager. The tension between Harry and Janice is clear, caused by unspoken complaints and a feeling of being stuck. This sets the stage for their marriage to fall apart.
Janice's Departure
The marriage breaks down when Janice, feeling stifled and wanting excitement, starts an affair with Charlie Stavros, a successful Greek-American car salesman. She tells Rabbit about her infidelity. He reacts with shock, anger, and a surprising lack of immediate action, perhaps because of his own inaction. Janice eventually leaves the family home and moves in with Charlie, leaving Rabbit and Nelson alone. This abandonment shatters Rabbit's already weak sense of stability, making him face his loneliness and the collapse of his traditional life.
Jill's Arrival
Soon after Janice leaves, a nineteen-year-old runaway named Jill shows up at Rabbit's door. She is a confused, drug-addicted girl from a wealthy background, escaping her strict parents and social expectations. Rabbit, despite his initial hesitation and moral concerns, lets her stay. He acts partly out of a misguided sense of chivalry and a wish for company. Jill's presence brings a chaotic, counter-cultural element into Rabbit's formerly quiet suburban life. She challenges his conservative beliefs and offers him a new, though unstable, connection.
Skeeter's Introduction
The unusual household grows with the arrival of Skeeter, a radical, charismatic, and often intimidating Black Vietnam War veteran and Black Power activist. Skeeter is a friend of Jill's, and he also seeks refuge and a place for his ideas. Rabbit, at first wary and uncomfortable with Skeeter's race and radical politics, still allows him to stay. Skeeter's presence brings intense political debates, drug use, and a constant tension into Rabbit's home. This further separates him from his neighbors and the conventional world he used to belong to.
A New, Unsettled Family
Rabbit's home becomes a center for counter-cultural activity. He, Jill, and Skeeter use drugs, especially marijuana, and a complex, often uncomfortable, sexual dynamic forms. Rabbit feels drawn to Jill, and they become physical. Skeeter also has a relationship with Jill. The three live in a strange, co-dependent group. This time is marked by ideological clashes between Rabbit's traditionalism and Skeeter's radicalism. Jill drifts between them, looking for stability and identity. Nelson, Rabbit's son, watches this chaos with confusion and resentment.
Nelson's Discomfort and Rejection
Nelson, living with his father, is deeply upset by the changes in their home. He is uncomfortable with Jill, intimidated by Skeeter, and confused by his father's apparent acceptance of this unconventional life. He feels neglected and abandoned by both parents and struggles to understand the adult world falling apart around him. Nelson's resentment grows, leading to fights with Rabbit and a further retreat into himself. This shows how Rabbit's choices harm his son.
The Neighbor's Vigilance and Growing Hostility
The strange events at Rabbit's house do not go unnoticed by his conservative neighbors. The presence of a young white girl and a Black man living with Rabbit, along with visible drug use and late-night activities, fuels their suspicion and prejudice. The neighborhood becomes watchful and hostile. This leads to increasing harassment and vandalism. Rabbit, despite trying to ignore it, feels the pressure of their disapproval, further isolating him from the community he once belonged to.
The Fire and Jill's Death
The rising tensions in the neighborhood lead to tragedy. One night, while Rabbit and Skeeter are out, the house is set on fire, likely by vengeful neighbors. Jill is inside and dies in the blaze. Rabbit returns to find his home destroyed and Jill dead. This devastating event shatters his temporary, fragile world. It marks a violent end to his experimental lifestyle and forces him to face the results of his choices and the dangers of societal intolerance.
Reunion with Janice
After the fire and Jill's death, Rabbit is homeless and emotionally devastated. With nowhere else to go, he turns to Janice and Charlie Stavros, who have been living together. Surprisingly, Janice takes him in, showing a renewed sense of responsibility and perhaps lingering affection. Charlie, despite his initial jealousy, also shows some compassion. This unexpected reunion offers Rabbit a chance for reconciliation and a return to a semblance of normalcy, though one forever changed by the traumatic events he has endured.
Aftermath and Lingering Questions
After the fire, Rabbit struggles to process Jill's loss and his home's destruction. He moves back in with Janice and Charlie, observing their established life and his son Nelson's adjustment to it. The novel ends with Rabbit in limbo. He has experienced a radical departure from his old life and then a partial return. He is older, wiser in some ways, but still searching for meaning and belonging in a changing world. His spiritual journey remains unfinished, leaving him to think about his choices and the future.
Principal Figures
Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom
The Protagonist
Rabbit evolves from a complacent, abandoned husband into an accidental host for counter-culture figures, experiencing loss and a forced reckoning with societal changes, eventually returning to a more stable but altered existence.
Janice Angstrom
The Supporting
Janice transforms from a dissatisfied wife seeking escape to a more self-assured woman who, while having found new love, also shows a mature capacity for compassion and responsibility towards her former husband.
Jill Pendleton
The Supporting
Jill, a lost soul searching for identity and belonging, finds temporary refuge and love, only to meet a tragic end, symbolizing the fragility of the counter-cultural dream.
Skeeter
The Supporting
Skeeter enters as a disruptive, ideological force, challenging Rabbit's worldview and embodying the era's radicalism, before disappearing after the house fire, leaving his impact on Rabbit's consciousness.
Nelson Angstrom
The Supporting
Nelson's arc is one of increasing alienation and resentment towards his father's choices, culminating in his seeking stability with his mother and Charlie.
Charlie Stavros
The Supporting
Charlie evolves from the 'other man' who takes Janice from Rabbit to a surprisingly magnanimous figure who offers Rabbit refuge, demonstrating a complex moral character.
Webb Murkett
The Mentioned
N/A - a static figure representing Rabbit's past.
Ruth Leonard
The Mentioned
N/A - a static figure representing Rabbit's past.
Themes & Insights
The Search for Meaning and Belonging
Rabbit Angstrom, a man lost in a changing world, constantly seeks purpose and connection. His search for meaning shows in his initial conservative adherence to tradition, then in his embrace of counter-culture, and finally in his wish for a stable family life. He tries to find belonging in his marriage, then with Jill and Skeeter, and finally back with Janice. This illustrates a universal human need to find one's place, even if that place keeps changing. This is clear in his thoughts during the moon landing, where he feels a brief unity, quickly contrasted by his personal isolation.
“He wants to believe in something, anything, a future, a past, but it's all just 'moving on.'”
Societal Upheaval and Generational Divide
The novel is set in 1969, a year of great social and political change in America. The moon landing, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the rise of counter-culture all create a sense of national unrest. Rabbit, representing the older generation, struggles to understand and adapt to these changes. The generation gap is clear in his interactions with Jill and Skeeter, who embody new ideas that challenge his conservative views. The tragic ending, with Rabbit's house burning, symbolizes the destructive clash between old and new values.
“The country was coming apart, and he was too, piece by piece.”
Race, Class, and Prejudice
Race is a central theme, mainly through Skeeter's character. His presence in Rabbit's white, middle-class neighborhood forces a confrontation with racial tensions, prejudice, and the Black Power movement. The novel explores the discomfort and hostility of white neighbors toward an interracial household, ending in the violent act of arson. Class differences are also shown through Jill's wealthy background compared to Rabbit's working-class roots, and Skeeter's fight against systemic inequality. These elements highlight the deep divisions in American society.
“He knows he's being watched, the white faces in the windows, the whispers, the fear.”
The Nature of Love and Marriage
The novel explores the complexities of love and marriage, especially through Rabbit and Janice's relationship. Their marriage is shown as stagnant and resentful, leading to Janice's affair and departure. Rabbit's later relationships with Jill and Skeeter explore unconventional forms of intimacy and living together, challenging traditional ideas of family. Ultimately, the novel suggests that love and commitment are flexible, as Janice and Rabbit find a way to reconcile, though their experiences have changed them forever. It questions what truly makes a 'family' in a modern context.
“Love isn't one thing, it's a hundred things, changing all the time.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
The Moon Landing
A historical event that serves as a backdrop and symbolic counterpoint.
The Apollo 11 moon landing opens the novel, serving as a powerful symbol of national unity, progress, and aspiration. This grand, collective achievement starkly contrasts with Rabbit's personal disintegration and the internal chaos of his life. It highlights Rabbit's sense of being left behind by history and the vast chasm between public spectacle and private despair. The moon landing also underscores the era's rapid technological and social changes, which Rabbit struggles to comprehend and adapt to, making him feel increasingly irrelevant.
The House as a Microcosm
Rabbit's home reflects the broader societal turmoil.
Rabbit's house functions as a powerful symbol and a microcosm of the larger societal upheaval of 1969. Initially a symbol of traditional suburban life, it transforms into a hub of counter-culture, drug use, and racial tension with the arrival of Jill and Skeeter. The ideological clashes, sexual experimentation, and eventual destruction of the house by fire reflect the broader conflicts and violence simmering in American society. Its burning symbolizes the end of an era and the destruction of Rabbit's attempt to create an alternative reality.
Foreshadowing through Neighborly Hostility
Subtle and overt acts of disapproval hint at future violence.
Throughout the novel, the growing animosity of Rabbit's neighbors towards his unconventional household serves as a constant source of foreshadowing. Their stares, whispers, and minor acts of vandalism (like broken windows) create an escalating sense of dread and tension. This escalating hostility subtly but relentlessly points towards the inevitable violent climax – the burning of Rabbit's house. It highlights the dangers of intolerance and prejudice in a community, making the tragic ending feel both shocking and tragically inevitable.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“The past is never dead. It's not even past.”
— Rabbit considering his history and how it continues to shape his life, a common theme in the series.
“You can't just keep running away from things. Sooner or later, you have to turn around and face them.”
— A character, possibly Mim or Janice, confronting Rabbit about his avoidance of responsibility.
“Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.”
— Rabbit musing on his situation after Janice leaves him, feeling both liberated and abandoned.
“People get what they deserve, sooner or later.”
— Rabbit's cynical observation about life and justice, often applied to himself and others.
“The truth is always simpler than you think.”
— Rabbit trying to untangle the complexities of his emotional life and the motivations of others.
“Love is just a chemical reaction. Nothing more, nothing less.”
— Rabbit's attempt to rationalize his feelings or lack thereof, especially in his more detached moments.
“There's no such thing as a clean break. Everything leaves a mark.”
— Rabbit reflecting on the lingering effects of his relationships and decisions.
“You can't change people. You can only change yourself.”
— A recurring realization for Rabbit as he struggles with the behavior of those around him.
“The world keeps turning, whether you're on it or not.”
— Rabbit's feeling of insignificance and the indifferent nature of the universe.
“Marriage is a kind of death, and a kind of life.”
— Rabbit's ambivalent feelings about his marriage to Janice, and the institution itself.
“Sometimes you just have to burn it all down to build something new.”
— Rabbit contemplating radical changes in his life, particularly after the fire.
“The only thing worse than being alone is being with someone who makes you feel alone.”
— Rabbit's internal thought process about his loneliness even when surrounded by people.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
At the outset, Rabbit is abandoned by his wife, Janice, who leaves him for Charlie Stavros, a Greek-American car salesman. This precipitates a crisis of domesticity and self-worth for Rabbit, forcing him to confront his loneliness and the unraveling of his established, albeit mediocre, life in Brewer.
About the author
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once, Updike published more than twenty novels, more than a dozen short-story collections, as well as poetry, art and literary criticism and children's books during his career.
