An Analysis of the Liberation of Eros in Updike’s Works

Abstract

Updike’s novels often involve the survival dilemma of modern people, such as the lack of love, interpersonal tension, personal life depression, monotonous work and other contemporary problems. These problems have a variety of forms of expression, have deep social and historical roots, and involve the complex relationship between people, people and themselves. In the past, the academic circle has explored these issues, but there have been few discussions from the perspective of Eros liberation, resulting in a lack of research in this area. Based on Herbert Marcuse’s theory of the liberation of Eros, this paper explores the solutions contained in Updike’s works by discussing Rabbit’s development of individual potential, the sublimation of Eros, Rabbit’s mutual love and Caldwell’s fraternity, and analyzes these solutions from different aspects. Through these analyses, it is hoped that a new perspective can be provided to solve these problems and a new dimension can be added to the study of Updike’s works.