A Brief Style Analysis

While reading The World According To Garp, I’ve seen and learned a lot of things that I’ve never found in other literature. For this post I’d like to focus on a particular technique that is used several times throughout the book.

“Cushie Percy, whose young life would terminate in childbirth while she tried to deliver what would have been only her first child, saw Garp bleeding on the Steering family heirloom; the remarkable rug.” Pg.61

“Stewart, Jr., who was called Stewie Two, graduated from Steering before Garp was even of age to enter the school; Jenny treated Stewie two twice for a sprained ankle and once for gonorrhea. He later went through
Harvard Business School, a staph infection, and a divorce." Pg.65

These are just two small examples I’ve picked out, but the method used to write these passages is used on multiple occasions throughout my reading so far.

Notice the first excerpt, which takes place when Garp and Cushie are both children and the dog Bonkers has bitten Garp. Why would the author include the information about Cushie’s death in such a strange place? It’s far too blatant to be foreshadowing of any kind, and yet the fact is placed in the sentence with a purpose that puzzles me. Perhaps as I progress through the book I’ll discover the reasoning behind some of the sentences like this.

The second excerpt uses a similar technique, but it seems slightly more logical in this case. All of the Percy children are being described, but upon reaching Stewart, the description extends beyond his childhood and reaches into the future and informs the reader of events that are yet to happen. I believe that this is done for two reasons. The first appears to be to use the signature dark sense of humor that is so often presented in the book. By listing the things he went through as a child, and continuing through some of his negative adulthood experiences, the author pokes fun at Stewart Jr. The second reason seems to be to enhance the pessimistic tone that both Jenny and the author seem to possess, and further demonstrate the general dislike of the Percy family.

During my recent reading I’ve also noticed many quotes about writing as Garp becomes more interested and begins to pursue his career as a writer; I hope to soon incorporate them and dissect them in one of my blog posts in the near future.