The World According to Garp
by John Irving
List Price: $14.00
Pages: 437
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0345418018
Publisher: Ballantine
This is the life and times of T. S. Garp, the bastard son of Jenny Fields--a
feminist leader ahead of her times. This is the life and death of a famous
mother and her almost-famous son; theirs is a world of sexual extremes--even
of sexual assassinations. It is a novel rich with ""lunacy and sorrow""
yet the dark, violent events of the story do not undermine a comedy both
ribald and robust. In more than thirty languages, in more than forty countries--with
more than ten million copies in print--this novel provides almost cheerful,
even hilarious evidence of its famous last line: ""In the world according
to Garp, we are all terminal cases.""
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1. In the preceding essay, John Irving writes about his frustration in trying to determine
what The World According to Garp is about. He finally accepts his young
son's conclusion: "The fear of death of the death of children--or of anyone
you love." In your opinion, is this the most overt theme of the novel?
2. Feminism comes in many flavors in the novel. The most obvious, perhaps, are Jenny Field's
straightforward brand of feminism, Ellen Jamesian's embittered, victimized
type, and Roberta Muldoon's nurturing, female-embracing style. But are
there other characters who portray less distinct, murkier shades of feminism?
What is feminism in the lives of Helen Holm, Charlotte the prostitute,
Mrs. Ralph, and other women in the novel? And what does feminism mean
to Garp?
3. How does The World According to Garp ultimately assess the prospects of understanding between
the sexes? Support your opinion with examples from the novel.
4. In the novel, we read about a variety of biographers' theories on why Garp stopped writing--and
what motivated him to write again--albeit for a very short-lived time.
Helen agreed that Garp's collision with his own mortality brought him
back to his craft. If you were the biographer of T. S. Garp, what would
your theory be?
5. Garp's vehemence against "political true believers" is a major force of the novel and he
maintains that they are the sworn enemy of the artist. The Ellen Jamesians
are a farcical portrayal of this notion. In your opinion, what is the
relationship between art and politics--and is it possible for them to
successfully coexist?
6. After the terrible accident in which Duncan is maimed, many pages pass before Walt's death
is acknowledged to the reader. And then, it is given a tragic-comedic
twist; Garp announces in an Alice Fletcher-like lisp that he "mish him."
What was the effect of this narrative device on you? Was the sorrow intensified
or assuaged?
7. The narrator's voice is ironically detached and almost flippant--even when delivering
the most emotionally charged, heartbreaking moments in the novel. In what
ways does the narrator contrast and play against the novel's dramatic
elements? How is it similar--and different--from the voice of Garp?
8. People who have read and loved The World According to Garp consistently comment on the
extraordinary ability of the novel to provoke laughter and tears simultaneously.
Was this your experience as well? If so, how do you think this effect
is achieved?
9. What is the significance of the meta-fiction--the stories within the story? How does Garp's "writing"
voice compare to our perception of him as a character?
10. Over the last fifteen years The World According to Garp has entered the canon of literature.
How do you think it is perceived now in comparison to when it was first
published in the late '70s? Is the American moral center much different
today than it was then? For example, despite Garp's and Helen's indiscretions,
their relationship is still portrayed as loving and supportive. Do you
think that today's social climate is as accepting of these kind of transgressions?
11. In his afterword, John Irving admits to having been "positively ashamed of how much lust
was in the book. Indeed, every character in the story who indulges his
or her lust is severely punished." How do you feel about that condemnation?
Is the world an arguably more precarious place because of lust?
12. What do the peripheral characters contribute to the novel? Is there a common thread they share
. . . Mrs. Ralph, the young hippie, Dean Bodger, Ernie Holm, "Old Tinch,"
the Fletchers?
13. The World According to Garp has been heralded as a literary masterpiece while at the same
time enjoying phenomenal commercial success--a rare feat for a novel.
What are the elements of high literary merit in the novel? Likewise, what
aspects of the book land it squarely into the mainstream consciousness?
In your opinion, how is this balance achieved?
14. Have you read any other John Irving novels? If so, did you find any similarities between
them in style or tone?
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"A wonderful novel, full of energy and art."
—The Washington Post
"Nothing in contemporary fiction matches it. . . . Irving's blend of gravity and play is unique,
audacious, almost blasphemous. . . . Brilliant, funny, and consistently
wise; a work of vast talent."
—The New Republic
