Literary Critique - Separating
September/07/2016 05:40 PM Filed: Literary Critiques
Photo Credit: Dennis Kan
(Wikimedia Commons)
Defining Marriage in Modern Society
John Updike’s “Separating” is the story of a stereotypical family torn apart by a couple’s decision to part company after many years of marriage. Published in 1975, Updike approaches divorce with the nonchalance of the decade, but beneath his laid-back delivery is subtle condemnation.
It’s not clear which party is at fault even though Richard, the protagonist, is seeing another woman. Joan, his wife, is concerned about the children, but no longer particularly worried about her spouse moving out. They appear to want an open marriage more than they want to disrupt the family.
The narrative is told from Richard’s viewpoint: “His wife slept as if slain beside him.”
He may blame Joan’s waning passion for their breakup, but his disturbed, neurotic behavior manifests itself in any situation with his children when he is expected to announce his desire to leave. Though his wife’s viewpoint is nonexistent, her “sleeping” presence in the background can be felt as the catalyst, implying that Joan chose to end her marriage long before Richard decided to have sex elsewhere. Other than fatigue, the reason is not disclosed.
Updike is poking fun at holy matrimony as well as the concept of religious sacrament. Embedded in his plot is an important reminder to uphold the contemporary legal definition. Marriage is a domestic partnership, not an archaic ritual.