Violence In John Irving's The World According To Garp

Why do people resort to violence? Why does violence exist at all? Violence occurs everywhere in today’s society whether it be bullying in school or murder in the streets. In the novel, The World According to Garp, by John Irving, the author, through various amounts of characters, displays acts of violence in their everyday lives. Jenny Fields, who becomes known for her autobiography, A Sexual Suspect, thinks and lives ahead of her time. Jenny as a believer of carving oneself's own path has sex with a , “Goner.” The brain injured ball turret gunner named Technical Sergeant Garp. Technical Sergeant Garp (who lives up to his label) and Jenny continues to have an always wanted child without sharing her life. She names her son after her father, but she only knew of his rank and last name. Jenny and Garp progress

Jenny Fields feels the shame of being labeled as a sexual suspect, and replaces her shame with the pride of conceiving Garp by unconventional means. Garp reasserts his pride, and replaces his shame from Bonkers biting him, and covering his ear by biting Bonkers back. The two men who cover up their shame from sexually assaulting Ellen James resort to violence and cut off her tongue to reassert their pride. Kenny Truckenmiller Gains his pride back by murdering Jenny Fields who led the women’s movement, and who he blamed for his wife’s self education to hide his shame of his realization of his abuse to his family. Ellen James and Garp shame the Ellen Jamesians who Pooh Percy as an Ellen Jamesian reconnects with her pride by murdering Garp. Consistently connecting these events is a cycle caused by emotional and physical violence. Violence breeds violence, and shame is why people resort to violence, and why violence will always