"The World According to Garp is often billed as a coming-of-age novel, but in fact spans T.S. Garp's entire life, beginning with his unconventional conception by his feminist mother, Jenny Fields, and his father, a brain-damaged, dying World War II fighter plane gunner. Much of the novel does focus on his upbringing by his mother, a nurse who later becomes a controversial feminist writer & icon. Jenny's influence is evident in every aspect of the novel; she pushed him to join a wrestling team against his wishes, which leads him to meet his future wife, Helen. Jenny's wishes to pursue writing coincide with Garp's own similar desires, and Jenny even pays a hooker whom she interviews to sleep with her son. Her relationship and influence with her son have far-reaching implications in the novel. Much of the plot also hinges around Garp's marriage with Helen, and the impacts of the decisions each spouse makes."
Shelley Livaudais, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of The World According to Garp
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- upbeat
Time/era of story
- 1930's-1950's
Family, struggle with
Yes
Struggle with:
- Mother (or standin)
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- writer
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 7 (a good amount)
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Austrian
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
