'On being Updike forever': Narcissism as national epic in John Updike's short fiction

Over the course of a career that includes more than fifty volumes of novels, short stories, poetry, and criticism, John Updike has established himself as one of this nation's most prolific contemporary writers. Among his contemporaries, perhaps only Philip Roth has come close to providing the comprehensive account of postwar experience that can be found by following Updike's constantly expanding oeuvre. Evaluating the social chronicle that emerges from his fiction, however, can be problematic. With the exception of Rabbit Redux (1971), Updike has avoided focusing on explicit political problems and has instead concentrated on the mundane experiences of domestic life, frequently leading his detractors to classify him as a stylist with little to say. Contrary to this criticism, Updike's careful observations of his world crystallize the texture of present-tense life, allowing future readers a glimpse into how it felt to be alive at a particular historical moment. In fact, Updike's fiction does not so much provide a sweeping social chronicle of the postwar nation as much as it offers a constantly unfolding account of how it felt to be John Updike living in America. While most of the criticism on Updike has focused on his Rabbit tetralogy, this dissertation argues that Updike's largely autobiographical short fiction ultimately stands as his most historical work. By meticulously preserving the materials of his lifetime, these stories enrich the portrait of postwar America that emerges in the tetralogy. This is not to claim that his stories present a broadly representative reflection of American life. However, the honesty and the care with which Updike has transformed his life into art---a transformation most clearly evident in his short fiction---allow readers to see the relevant truth that emerges from his personal experience. Even though many critics have acknowledged his short stories, only two volumes of criticism---Donald Greiner's The Other John Updike (1981) and Robert Luscher's John Updike: A Study of the Short Fiction (1993)---have solely focused on them. This dissertation hopes to fill a void in the critical commentary, demonstrating how Updike's short fiction remains his most sustained and significant artistic achievement.