The Slump (Style)

Style

Monologue

This story is constructed as one continuous monologue given by the ballplayer experiencing the slump to an unidentified audience. Unlike most stories, it is not constructed in individual scenes, and it does not contain dialogue between individual characters. Instead, all of the action occurs in the head of the speaker. It is not shown to readers but is rather told to them.

Narrative

Because the action is set so deeply within this one person's consciousness, the narrative flow of the story shifts freely, more like a person's rambling thoughts than like a structured story. In some cases, this can confuse readers, making them feel that they have stepped into the middle of a situation that has not been adequately explained. For instance, the first paragraph begins, "They say reflexes," without providing any background about who "they" are or why they say this. The second paragraph starts off with "the flutters," as if readers should know what those are. This gives the impression of a narrator who is allowing his mind to wander freely, taking up issues with which he himself is familiar without bothering to explain them to an audience.

Symbol

Though a baseball player's slump is in many ways unique to his particular situation, Updike talks about it in such a general way that readers can draw connections to many different aspects of life. Anyone in any field can know the feeling of being unable to produce, of knowing all the right steps to take but still not achieving the desired results, and of wanting to let instinct, or reflex, guide his or her actions, only to be disappointed with the results. That the narrator of this story is not given a name and is vague about his circumstances leads readers to understand that the narrator is not meant to be thought of as a real human being — that he exists as a symbol for all people facing the sort of existential dilemma that he faces.

In particular, it is easy to see how baseball is used in this story to symbolize Updike's own profession, writing. Not only do the anxieties associated with a batting slump apply to the emotions that a writer with writer's block faces, but the career of the ballplayer in the story parallels Updike's own career. When this story was written, Updike had been famous for almost ten years and was trying to write in new styles. The ballplayer, intimidated by public scrutiny, wishes for "a change of pace" as something that might possibly help him get over his intense self-consciousness, the way that a writer might tackle new subject matter or a new style to get over the sense that he has nothing more to say.

Tone

The rambling, stream-of-consciousness structure of this story leans it in the direction of confusion, as readers are not certain at any time where the narrator is going. He picks up new subjects as they come to him and drops hints about what is on his mind, without feeling any responsibility to explain what he means. The lack of clarity takes some getting used to, forcing readers to adjust their expectations of what a story should do, to accommodate Updike's style.

Readers who are uncomfortable with the confusing aspects of the story are nonetheless compelled by the tone of the work to trust that it does have something to offer. Updike gives this baseball story a very elevated, specific vocabulary. He uses complex sentence structures that indicate intelligence and care. In its tone, this story shows readers that the story is being told by someone who understands what he is talking about, even though the situation that he describes is one of emotional instability. Combined, they render an accurate portrait of a talented individual who finds himself unable to exercise his talent.