The world through the eyes of Garp

The book contains themes that appear in almost all John Irving novels: bears, New England , Vienna, wrestling, asexuality , a plot reminiscent of Dickens , covering the whole life of the hero, betrayal. In “The World Through the Eyes of Garp,” one can find short stories, reviews, reviews of imaginary novels, dreams, jokes, journal entries, fragments of political letters. The novel contains the stories “Pension Grilparzer”, “Vigilance” and the first chapter of the novel “Peace through the Eyes of Benzenhavera”, authored by Garp.

The book describes the life of the American writer T. S. Garp. His mother, Jenny Fields, was from a wealthy family, she was distinguished by asexuality and a negative attitude towards marriage, so she resisted her parental plans and went to study as a nurse. While working in the hospital, she decided that she wanted a baby and became pregnant from a wounded soldier Garp, who died within a few days. Jenny names the child T. S. Garp, where T. S. was the title of father of the boy - "technician sergeant" ^[1] .

Jenny Fields gets a job as a nurse in Stearing School, which gives Garp the right to go to school. As a child, he plays with local children, several times accidents occur. In one of them, a dog bites off a part of his ear ^[2] . At school, Garp begins to engage in wrestling and meets with the daughter of the coach - Helen Holm, who reads a lot. He decides to become a writer and shows his samples to Helen. In the last year of school, he begins a sex life with Kushi Percy ^[3] .

At age 18, Garp and his mother moved to Vienna , where both Jenny and Garp were trying to write. Jenny describes her own biography and outlook on life in a book that she calls “Sexual Suspect”. Garp writes the story “Pension Grilparzer”. After 15 months, Jenny and her son are returning back to America. Jenny’s novel is quickly published, it is perceived as a “ feminist manifesto,” and it becomes almost a symbol of the women's movement ^[4] .

Garp and Helen get married, and they have a boy - Duncan. Garp takes care of the child and writes his first novel, and Helen is educated. Garp meets Jamesians, women who cut off their tongues to support the raped girl Ellen James. After 5 years, Garp publishes the historical novel “Endless procrastination,” which receives good reviews. A second boy is born to the couple - Walt. Helen and Garp get to know Alice and Harry Fletcher and are briefly in the "love quadrangle." Based on this experience, Garp writes a second novel, The Second Cuckold Breath, which is perceived coldly. Jenny introduces Helen and Garp to shemale Roberta Muldoon and they become friends ^[5] .

Helen begins an extramarital affair with a student. During their breakup, an accident occurs during which Walt dies and the rest of the family are seriously injured. Under the strong impression of what happened, Garp writes the third novel, “The World through the Eyes of Benzenhavera.” During recovery, they live with Jenny Fields, and women who are assisted by Jenny also live in the house. Harps decide to have another baby. A girl is born who is called Jenny in honor of her grandmother. To avoid increased attention due to a provocative romance, the publisher recommends that the family go abroad for several months. They are going to Vienna. “The world through the eyes of Benzenhavera” is of great interest and Garp becomes famous ^[6] .

During a performance at Jenny Fields, they shoot and she dies. Harps return to the United States for a funeral. After them, the writer becomes acquainted with the real Ellen James, who then remains to live with his family. Garp takes a job as a wrestling coach in Stiring School and tries to write. Garp corresponded with Jamesians, aggressively criticizing them, based on the opinion of Ellen James herself ^[7] . During one of the trainings, a woman enters the gym (Kushi Percy's sister, Jamesian), shoots Garp twice, and he dies. ^[8] .

1920 - the year of birth of J. Fields

1943 - the year of birth of T. S. Garp

1961 - moving to Vienna

1962 - return to America and the marriage of Garp with Helen

1963 - Birth of Duncan

1967 - The publication of 1 novel by Garp "Endless procrastination"

1968 - The Birth of Walt

~ 1972 - publication of 2 novels by Garp “Second Cuckold Breath”

1974 - accident (Walt's death)

1975 - publication of 3 novels “The World through the Eyes of Benzenhavera” and the Birth of Jenny

~ 1976 - the death of J. Fields

1977 - death of T. S. Garp

Irving's previous novels were rather coldly received by the general public, but were praised by literary critics. However, the fourth novel, “The World Through the Eyes of Garp,” was a success with a wide range of readers. Representatives of literary institutions recognized the novel, having awarded it the prestigious National Book Prize (1980), there appeared translations of the book into many languages. Thanks to this novel, Irving became an American cultural icon - a phenomenon that R. 3. Sheppard called Harpoomania in Time magazine in the early 1980s. Academic criticism often blamed the writer, arguing about the decline in the artistic level of the book, concessions to the mass taste. In response to the comments, the writer contrasted the sophisticated texts of some modern writers with “clear”, accessible, exciting works of such authors as C. Dickens , and insisted that the book should be readable not only for reviewers, critics and scholars ^[9] .

Terrence Des Press, a correspondent for the New Republic newspaper, wrote: “In the novel World Through the Eyes of Garp, the cruel side of modern life is clearly represented. The cruelty of modern life is revealed by the author in all its manifestations. The novel is replete with scenes of violence, murder, suicide, but the line of tragic and comic is blurred ” ^[10] .

Irving himself described his novel as a family saga, with elements of a thorough study of the writer’s attitude to work, the nature of art and imagination. The novel also talks about the dangers and hatred in modern society, about death and how art helps to cope with it ^[11] . In his book, B. Belgaid relates the work to the postmodern novel of the sixties.

The World According to Garp / ( Eng. The World According to Garp ) (USA, dir. George Roy Hill, 1982). Starring Robin Williams (T.S. Garp), Mary Beth Hurt (Helen Hill), Glenn Close (Jenny Fields), John Lithgow (Roberta Muldoon). John Lithgow and Glenn Close were nominated for an Oscar (1983) for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

• Bouchra Belgaid. John Irving and Cultural Mourning. - Lexington Books, 2010 .-- 202. p.