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. Over the years The World According to Garp has entered the canon of literature.
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?ġ0. Was this your experience as well? If so, how do you think this effect is achieved?ĩ. 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. 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?Ĩ. The narrator's voice is ironically detached and almost flippant-even when delivering the most emotionally charged, heartbreaking moments in the novel. 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?ħ. After the terrible accident in which Duncan is maimed, many pages pass before Walt's death is acknowledged to the reader. In your opinion, what is the relationship between art and politics-and is it possible for them to successfully coexist?Ħ. The Ellen Jamesians are a farcical portrayal of this notion. 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. Helen agreed that Garp's collision with his own mortality brought him back to his craft. 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. How does The World According to Garp ultimately assess the prospects of understanding between the sexes? Support your opinion with examples from the novel.Ĥ. Ralph, and other women in the novel? And what does feminism mean to Garp?ģ. 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. 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. Feminism comes in many flavors in the novel. He finally accepts his young son's conclusion: "The fear of death or the death of children - or of anyone you love." In your opinion, is this the most overt theme of the novel?Ģ. In the preceding essay, John Irving writes about his frustration in trying to determine what The World According to Garp is about.
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