John Irving’s novelThe World According to Garpgives the reader a view on the lives of its characters and, as a part of it, their attitudes towards lust and sexuality. The description of these aspects is very direct and may be offensive for some more conservative persons. Even for persons who tend to be liberal- minded, Irving’s way of writing about sex can be uncommon, although he uses lust and sexuality only to tell the story and not for sensational reasons. It is strange that after forty years of sexual liberation, or the so called ´sexual revolution´, so little seems to have changed and people still have these kinds of feelings when reading about sex being described so directly. Despite the fact that people expected more from the sexual liberation in the 1960s and 1970s, there was indeed a change in attitude towards certain aspects, such as premarital and extramarital sex. Studies in the United States in the 1970s revealed “a gradual decrease over time in the percentage of respondents who said that premarital sex is always wrong”. Another important change which derived from the liberation movement was the new female sexuality, especially concerning the sexual fulfilment of women before and during marriage. This is also proved by a decreasing support of the `double standard´, where men are more or less allowed to be sexual active, including premarital and even extramarital sex, but women are not. You also have to consider the women’s movement, when thinking about female sexual liberation. Both, sexual liberation and feminism, somehow worked together hand in hand to achieve improvement for women’s sexuality. In order to understand the gap between the new achievements and the nevertheless still exis ting resentments towards them, you need to know the situation prior to the 1960s, when the above- mentioned `double standard` and abstinence were in the focus of sexuality.
Table of Contents
1) INTRODUCTION
2) THE QUESTION OF S EXUALITY AND LUST
2.1) JENNY FIELDS
2.2) T.S. GARP
3) MARRIAGE AND PROBLEMS IN THE FAMILY
3.1) NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND INFLUENCES ON RELATIONSHIPS
3.2) MARITAL PROBLEMS BETWEEN HELEN AND GARP
3.2.1) Family Roles
3.2.2) Extramarital Sex
4) CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines how John Irving’s novel "The World According to Garp" reflects the societal shifts in attitudes toward lust, sexuality, and family structures in the wake of the sexual liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
- Analysis of characters' varying attitudes toward sexuality, specifically comparing Jenny Fields and T.S. Garp.
- Investigation into the intersection of personal freedom and the traditional value of the family unit.
- Evaluation of marital dynamics, including roles, extramarital affairs, and the impact of evolving social norms.
- Exploration of Irving's narrative approach to direct and explicit depictions of human behavior.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1) Jenny Fields
Even though it is not deliberately, Jenny Fields represents in some way the conservative view on sexuality despite her unusual attitude towards men and sex, which is why she generates mixed feelings among the people in her surrounding.
For her family Jenny’s refusal to marry a man and her insistence to live on her own is very suspicious and so her mother gives her a douche bag every time they meet each other, a device to prevent pregnancies after sexual intercourse. Not only her family is convinced of Jenny’s irresponsible sexual activity, even her landlady, after discovering the large number of unused douche bags in Jenny’s room, is very troubled and anxious too (p.13) and forces Jenny to move out of her room. On the other side, her colleagues in the hospital call her “Old Virgin Mary Jenny” (p.15), because of Jenny’s negative attitude towards men. Later, when they are confronted with her wish to use a man only to get pregnant, they make fun of her by making ridiculous proposals (p.16).
Both family and peer standards have influence on the sexual standard of an individual. While the family has a conservative effect, the peer standard has a liberalizing effect on a person’s sexuality. But Jenny does not bow to either one of the sides. She has her own rules concerning the life with men and sexuality and refuses to obey the rules others want to force on her.
Summary of Chapters
1) INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides the context of the sexual revolution and outlines how the paper will explore Irving's portrayal of changing sexual values through his characters.
2) THE QUESTION OF S EXUALITY AND LUST: This section contrasts the conservative yet unique sexual perspective of Jenny Fields with the more natural, active attitude displayed by T.S. Garp.
3) MARRIAGE AND PROBLEMS IN THE FAMILY: This chapter analyzes how shifting societal roles influence marital stability, focusing on the domestic and extramarital challenges faced by Garp and Helen.
4) CONCLUSION: This final section summarizes how Irving successfully bridges traditional family values with the newfound sexual autonomy of the post-liberation era.
Keywords
John Irving, The World According to Garp, sexual liberation, sexuality, lust, family values, gender roles, marital problems, feminism, premarital sex, extramarital sex, social norms, literary analysis, characters, Victorian era.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores how John Irving’s "The World According to Garp" mirrors the cultural shifts regarding sexuality and family dynamics during and after the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The core themes include the impact of sexual liberation on individual behavior, the evolution of marriage, changing family roles, and the tension between traditional morality and new sexual freedoms.
What is the main research question of this study?
The study aims to determine how effectively Irving portrays the new aspects of society's sexuality and whether he manages to reconcile these changes with the enduring importance of the family unit.
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, contextualizing the novel's narrative and character developments with sociological data and theories regarding sexual values and family structures from the 1970s.
What aspects of the novel are examined in the main body?
The main body investigates the characters' personal attitudes toward sex (Jenny Fields vs. Garp), marital challenges, such as the inversion of traditional breadwinner roles, and the motivations behind extramarital affairs.
Which keywords define this academic work?
Key terms include sexual liberation, sexuality, lust, family values, gender roles, marital stability, and social evolution in the context of John Irving's literature.
Why does the author focus specifically on the character of Jenny Fields?
Jenny Fields is analyzed because she represents a paradox: she possesses a very unusual attitude towards men and independence that challenges both traditional conservative norms and the perceived excesses of the sexual revolution.
How does the author interpret the marital issues between Helen and Garp?
The author views their marital problems, including their respective affairs, as a struggle to maintain individual identity and "feeble masculinity" within a marriage where traditional role expectations have been disrupted.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Daniel Heuermann (Autor:in), 2004, Sexual Suspects - Influences of the Sexual Liberation on Lust, Sexuality and Family in John Irving's 'The World According to Garp', München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/45335
