In the Beauty of the Lilies by John Updike

Where his father was dissatisfied in taking care of others, Theo welcomes his conflict-free life. Nonetheless, Theo shines in the eyes of physically deformed Emily, and despite the objections of both of their families, the two fall into what is to be a decades long union. Theo settles for a job at the local pharmacy, and a life with three older women and no friends or immediate prospects. No longer able to hold fort in Patterson, Theo relocates with his mother and older sister to small-town, Delaware. Theodore is the youngest of Clarence’s children, a lukewarm adolescent at the time of his father’s passing. Clarence dies a quiet death, despite the bang of his earlier rebellion. Clarence’s determination leaves him to sell second-rate encyclopedias door-to-door, not at all the free intellectual life he had hoped for. Dignified, studied Clarence, father of three and steadfast husband, finds refuge on the golden screen.

In a community quickly falling to the wreckage of riot and unemployment, Clarence finds himself physically unable to lie to his family, and most importantly, himself.

Clarence has come to the disenchanting realization that he has lost his faith. Despite it all, the Wilmot family, and the larger American lifestyle they represent, continue to pull through.įirstly introduced is Clarence Wilmot, a Christian priest in turn of the century Patterson, New Jersey. Despite their individual successes and failures, their resolve or passivity, no one is able to break through the confines of their past and overcome their present. This idea of predetermination is central to each of Updike’s protagonists. Don’t let Updike’s outdated references and heavy-handed American witticisms get in the way of what is an enriching view on humanity’s ability to whip forward while remaining in the exact same place. There’s something to be said for an American history based book that has the potential to appeal to audiences internationally. Updike’s ability to craft a narrative without an expiration date is in part what makes this text so commendable. While an accurate historical timeline of events is interspersed throughout the text, the dramas and conflicts of the chronicled Wilmot family is an almost greater source of information. Through the format of a multi-generational saga, Updike tells the story of a changing America. John Updike’s In the Beauty of the Lilies (1996) may not be new, but this has in no way infringed on its ability to ring true.

In the Beauty of the Lilies by John Updike