22. I'd be the last person to describe Updike as racially enlightened.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
23. As
@jonathanshainin usefully reminded me, in both "R. Redux" & "Coup" Updike refers to black man's penis as "whip-like."3 replies 1 retweet 0 likes -
Replying to @HeerJeet
24. Still, in Updike we see something interesting: a very white man trying to come to grips with the non-white world.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
25. Won't explicate all of Updike's work but race theme is strong in "Roger's Version," "Brazil" and "Terrorist."
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Replying to @HeerJeet
26. The narrator of "Roger's Version" is pretty racist and very uncomfortable by his mixed-race relative: deliberate on Updike's part.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
27. Fredrick Crews thought "Roger's Version" proof of U's racism; I think it's a more serious probing of racism, not uncritical expression
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Replying to @HeerJeet
28. I didn't event talk about the racial subtheme in Couples (very small part of novel, but it's there).
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Replying to @HeerJeet
29. In Couples, U clearly makes protagonist Piet Hanema a mild racist (he muses on "curse of Ham" briefly).
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Replying to @HeerJeet
30. Hanema's racism parallels other characters indifferent to Kennedy assassination: they're screwing around while big history happening
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Replying to @HeerJeet
31. In sum, race is a pretty big theme in Updike's life and work but Begley only deals with it in sketchy manner. A problem with his bio!
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32. One last thing: in trying to relate to his dark-skinned grandkids, Updike brought up his own skin condition: both creepy & endearing.
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Replying to @HeerJeet
7 years late, but I love Updike and just got around to Roger’s Version. Am I too enthusiastic or is it the most underrated novel of the 80s? Definitely U’s most underrated. Consistently great without ever feeling like showing off. (Maybe one tone deaf racial moment at the end)
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