The crisis of the modern American family is manifested as a literary theme by the novelists, John Updike and John Cheever. Their works deal with the various symptoms of family dissolution. This thesis analyzes the major works of Updike and Cheever in terms of the theme of human alienation and family disintegration, and examines it against a backdrop of Confucianist thought. In his works such as the "Rabbit" tetralogy, Of the Farm and The Centaur, Updike shows various ills affecting American family life-divorce, child or spouse abuse, the effect of women working, etc. In his major works such as the "Wapshot" series, Bullet Park, and Falconer, Cheever reveals many of the doubts and perplexities of American society, in which family love and dependency may be corrupt, perverse, and destructive. The crisis of the family which the protagonists of Updike and Cheever experience is basically caused by an individualistic attitude in which they search only for true-self or self-reliance. In other words, the crisis of human existence they encounter results mainly from neglecting the significance of being a family member and a social being. This view of life is in sharp contrast to the principles of Confucianism, in which man finds the significance of his being through his involvement with family and society. Although they portray changing family patterns and the various aspects of family disintegration, Updike and Cheever suggest that the family affords the hope of love and companionship, order and peace, and a place where people may learn to know themselves. In conclusion, with the current trend towards globalization in Korea, it needs to be explored how the positive values of American culture regarding individualism can be effectively accepted as well as how the fundamental values of Korean family-centered Confucianism can be realistically maintained