The Author and His Double in John Updike’s Bech Stories

Abstract

In the foreword of Bech: A Book, John Updike’s character Henry Bech gives his creator John Updike his blessing for fiction refuting a curse. In this ‘little jeu of a book’ and in the rest of Bech stories, fear (of alienation, oblivion, castration, the writer’s block, and finally of death) is tamed through play. This paper studies the narrative games and play between character and author in their joint attempt to fight fear. Bech, the Schauspieler par excellence and homo ludens, Updike’s most postmodern character, alter ego and mischievous double, although an amalgam of American writers and fitting in the American literary tradition of play, also calls forth the European play culture.