Abstract
The Centaur is one of John Updike's most gospel-imbued novels. However, the explicit symbolism, drawn mainly from Greek mythology, often poses a barrier. This article shows how the symbolism works in The Centaur, how Updike constantly charges his realistic stories with mythical overtones, and how no myth looms larger for the author than the Christian story of the God who literally became human in order to suffer with us and for us. George Caldwell, the hero of The Centaur, turns out to be not only an embodiment of the Greek god Chiron, but a modern-day image of the Christ who shelters the world with God's own self-sacrificing love.
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