Marching Through Boston by John Updike

"I have a dream..."

It seems fitting to review "Marching Through Boston" by John Updike on Martin Luther King Day (January 16) although this story is far from a celebration of the historic moment in American history when the great reverend Dr. King delivered his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Instead, Updike presents an unsympathetic and cold indifference towards the civil rights movement that is embarrassingly distasteful.

As to be expected, Updike's writing style is excellent but this feat is not enough to overlook his blatant racism. Joan Maple is a civil rights activist much to the chagrin of her racist husband who couldn't care less about the black liberation movement. Robert is upset with her for spending time at all these protests, shirking her obligated wifely duties of maintaining the household and looking after the children. You see, with Updike, misogyny and upholding the patriarchal order is of the utmost importance. He is afraid that she is becoming one of "them" and barely recognizes her anymore. He also thinks that she is destined to end up just like Viola Liuzzo, a white woman murdered by KKK members for joining the cause. Eventually, he is dragged to the protests by his wife, complaining the whole time and becomes far more interested in hitting on an underage girl like a creep than participating in the march. The ending is laughably racist as Robert comes home exhausted and resorts to speaking in the "Negro" vernacular to express his frustration with his wife over the whole ordeal.

There is no space for black representation in John Updike's white middle-class America. Although I can appreciate his talents as a short-story writer, the overt racism is cringe-worthy and I am beginning to understand why he no longer holds the same prestige as one of the great 20th century American writers.