John Updike’s “Oliver’s Evolution” is one of those short stories that spans a lifetime, and does it magically. Perhaps best known for writing The Witches of Eastwick, Updike was a poet, novelist, short story writer, and a literary and art critic.
But somehow, the one story that seems to have an allure of its own is this one. It’s short, at only 2 pages. At first glance, it seems like nothing more than a simple point A to point B story, too short to provide any depth.
But the opposite is true.
Filled with symbolism, “Oliver’s Evolution” aims to grip your attention, hold it fast, and let you go, suddenly with a newfound clarity you didn’t have before.
Synopsis of “Oliver’s Evolution”
Oliver is presented as a little boy, growing up to be a troubled man. His parents had him during a time when they were falling out of love and had already spent a great part of their lives raising his older siblings, which means Oliver wasn’t very much a priority.
Little Oliver grew into a young adult, went to college, and had many misadventures. He was accident prone. He crashed cars. And one day, he married…
His wife was also accident prone and had numerous unwanted pregnancies. Late nights, abandoned jobs, and missed or failed opportunities prevailed.
But rather than succumb to all this, Oliver suddenly changed. As Updike described, “what we expect of others, they endeavor to provide.” Alicia, his wife, looked up to him. The only person who had seen him as strong. And soon, Oliver found himself holding a job, providing for their two kids and becoming a protector of the weak.
Symbolism Found in “Oliver’s Evolution”
- Oliver is described as “a big fetus, cramped in his mother’s womb, he was born with inturned feet.” He gets casts removed, and cries, having thought they were a normal part of his body. This shows Oliver is weak, upon birth, featuring a condition that sets him apart from people like his parents and siblings. Throughout his life, he’s constantly feeling like he’s different, set apart.
- Over the span of several accidents, he’s described as being blue and green, getting progressively worse and worse, as if to reflect his inner troubles and feelings.
- Things only get worse for Oliver when his parents separate and began seeing other people. His siblings handle it well, due to their age, but Oliver was impressionable and young. Much like in real life situations, Oliver felt like it reflected on him, making him feel unwanted, again.
- When he married, he began exhibiting more troublesome behavior, as if to reflect on what he’d seen growing up. Unwanted pregnancies, much like he’d been unwanted all of his life.
- It wasn’t until Alice, his wife, looked up to him, and really showed him some respect, love, and admiration, that Oliver changed, showcasing how all he’d wanted in the first place, was someone to actually value him.
If you haven’t read the story, it might be worth the five minutes you’ll spend reading two pages. It’s a deep story, and a reminder to always make our loved ones feel like what they are: loved.
