Recluse in Affluence: Alienation in Rabbit Is Rich

Name of Author : Sherin F. S

Abstract: John Updike’s Rabbit Is Rich (1981), the third novel in the Rabbit tetralogy, presents a compelling exploration of alienation within the framework of material prosperity and suburban American life. This paper examines how Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, despite attaining financial success and social recognition, suffers from deep psychological isolation and existential dissatisfaction. The study investigates themes such as marital estrangement, generational conflict, spiritual emptiness, and identity crisis. By situating the novel within postwar American culture..., the paper argues that affluence intensifies rather than resolves alienation but instead intensifies it by masking inner dissatisfaction. Through close textual analysis and engagement with critical scholarship, this journal highlights Updike’s critique of the American Dream and the paradox of wealth-induced isolation. The novel ultimately portrays the paradox of modern existence, where external success coexists with internal void.

Keywords : Alienation, affluence, American dream, Suburban life

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