Greek gods as a personified reproduction of the American type of consciousness in J. Updike's novel “The Centaur” - John Updike

Essays on literary works - 2023

Greek gods as a personified reproduction of the American type of consciousness in J. Updike's novel “The Centaur”
John Updike

The action in the novel covers only a few days in January 1947, the events take place in the town of Olinger, in the state of Pennsylvania; This story is written on behalf of Peter Caldwell, the artist. Who remembers his father, George Caldwell, a biology teacher, a kind, vulnerable person, a loser in life. The complex, original composition of the novel makes it possible to make excursions both into the past and into the future. The peculiarity of the book is that the real-life plan bizarrely coexists with the mythological one. Continuing the traditions of J. Joyce, as well as the tendency to mythologize in modern literature, Updike based the work on the ancient myth of the noble centaur Chiron, who, being wounded by a poisonous arrow, suffering from an incurable wound, sacrificed the immortality given to him in favor of Prometheus. At the same time, the heroes and situations of the myth are transparently related to the characters, set in the deliberately grounded, real-life circumstances of postwar America. Teachers, students, residents of Olinger appear as if in both everyday and legendary-mythological dimensions. Thus, the town of Olinger evokes associations with Olympus, the teacher himself is likened to Chiron, the power-loving careerist school director Zimmerman is like Zeus, his lover Mrs. Herzog is Gary, the owner of the auto repair shop is Hephaestus, his wife is a physical education teacher, Caldwell's crush is Aphrodite, the master's henchmen are cyclopam, doctor Appleton — to Apollo. Such double-edgedness of the novel, its unexpected form caused lively discussions; the opinion was expressed that the structure of the novel is not organic enough, artificial. The mythological plan performs a double function in the novel. First, satirical and parodic. The trivial and worthless life of the American commoners, associated with a myth, does not look more attractive and meager. Secondly, turning to the myth, the author seems to contrast the harmony and beauty of the ancient story with the joyless atmosphere of real life, reminding that it existed or can exist even now. It is obvious that with this method the writer wanted to emphasize the "primitiveness" of the moral and ethical problems raised in the novel, the immutability of the properties of human nature, the struggle between rational and sensual principles, good and evil, "heaven" and "hell". The theme of the myth passes both through lyrical digressions and through the personification of characters. The action takes place over three days, but its time limits are developed, as Peter remembers the events fifteen years later. that it existed or can exist now. It is obvious that with this method the writer wanted to emphasize the "primitiveness" of the moral and ethical problems raised in the novel, the immutability of the properties of human nature, the struggle between rational and sensual principles, good and evil, "heaven" and "hell". The theme of the myth passes both through lyrical digressions and through the personification of characters. The action takes place over three days, but its time limits are developed, as Peter remembers the events fifteen years later. that it existed or can exist now. It is obvious that with this method the writer wanted to emphasize the "primitiveness" of the moral and ethical problems raised in the novel, the immutability of the properties of human nature, the struggle between rational and sensual principles, good and evil, "heaven" and "hell". The theme of the myth passes both through lyrical digressions and through the personification of characters. The action takes place over three days, but its time limits are developed, as Peter remembers the events fifteen years later.

What exactly happened in these three days? If we divert attention from the mythological plan and present the events sequentially, they take on the following appearance: a school biology teacher and his son go to work at the school in Olinger. After school, the father goes to the doctor, he is afraid that he has cancer. The car they were traveling in broke down, and they both had to spend the night in a hotel. The next day, a storm and a blizzard began, because of this they could not return home again. They get home only on the third day. Peter got sick, but everything ended well for George: he doesn't have cancer. However, the elder Caldwell is doomed, these are the last days of his life. He, like the mythical centaur, feels the end approaching. Caldwell sees his task not in accumulating money, but in imparting his knowledge to children, giving them a clear picture of the world. But the class does not listen to him. In Caldwell's mind at this moment, terrible pictures arise: he thinks that he is a giant bird, that his brain is a piece of meat that is hunted by predatory teeth. Unable to withstand the moral pressure, Caldwell runs out of the classroom. He is afraid to return there, and for good reason. The principal of the Zimmerman school entered here, making remarks to the teacher right in front of the students. The class plays along with the angry principal. Caldwell is humiliated and morally destroyed. He is in a lot of pain, but he finds strength and forces himself to continue the lesson. Talentedly and enthusiastically, he talks about the origin of the world and man. Still, his attempts are futile: in the classroom there is a depressing picture of violence, a paper airplane is flying, wild screams and laughter are heard. And in this parallel mythological world, the centaur Chiron is having a conversation with his students in the gardens of Arcadia. This picture contrasts with what is seen in the modern school classroom. At first, the transfer of the real George Caldwell to the plane of the mythical centaur Chiron seems unjustified. But later it becomes clear that their destinies have a lot in common. If Chiron's death looks majestic and meaningful at once, then you can't say the same about Caldwell. The latter leaves life humiliated and questions even the value of his own existence, not suspecting that that his life was tragically beautiful and heroic. It is this invisible school teacher who is afraid of the principal, lost in front of the students, lives in humiliating poverty and is in constant fear for the fate of his son, who turns out to be the most heroic figure in a thoroughly soulless Americanized society. If the centaur Chiron is split physically, then the centaur Caldwell is split spiritually. The author constantly emphasizes this dichotomy, hence the appearance of the mythological double. It seems to Caldwell that one half of him is reaching for the stars, and the other half is stuck in the swamp. An interesting question is to whom exactly Caldwell transfers his priceless treasures of knowledge. After all, his students are obviously not capable of the role of Prometheus. Caldwell mentions one of his students who was genuinely interested in astronomy and even tried to build a telescope. However, his aspirations did not find support in society and now he is a plumber's apprentice and a drunkard. Peter Caldwell acts as Prometheus in the work. He appears before us as a fifteen-year-old young man who dreams of becoming an artist, and worries that his father cannot fight off the scoundrels. Only years later will he appreciate the role of his father in his life. However, it must be admitted that Peter rather plays the role of Prometheus, which did not happen.