The Character Changed In Oliver's Evolution By John Updike

1064 Words5 Pages
“He is a tree, a sheltering boulder. He is a protector of the weak.”(58-59) This quotation is used in John Updike’s “Oliver’s Evolution” to describe a man who is neglected and is not nurtured by those he cares about. As a child, Oliver is a neglected, problematic young boy, who encounters two near death experiences and is “born with in turned feet.”(5) Oliver is never able to get a break in life and turns into a rambunctious, undisciplined teenager who is never held accountable for his mistakes. Oliver never has much responsibility until “he married, which seemed like yet another mishap.”(48) At this moment in life, Oliver turned into the “protector of the weak”(59) due to that fact he finally has someone who looks to him for the guidance and care he has never been fortunate enough to receive. Oliver evolves from a neglected child into a reckless teenager, then the evolution takes a turn for the better and he becomes a man that can be depended upon. “Cramped into his…show more content…
During his early childhood, Oliver is shown as a love deprived child that is in constant search of his parent’s care and attention. Oliver’s parents are shown to no longer have the capacity to shown love or care and Oliver is the one who is affected by it. In his earliest stage, Oliver is neglected and it leads up to his adolescent years where he is a free running, rambunctious teenager that is not held responsible for his actions and he receives none of the consequences. After Oliver gets past his teenage years he marries Alicia who as “accident-prone”(50) as he is. While is seems to be another mistake, it leads Oliver down the correct path and results in a happy life for both of them. During “Oliver’s Evolution”, Oliver evolves into the person that he did not have in his life. Oliver will give his children the childhood that he was not fortunate enough to
Open Document