T. S Garp
The protagonist of the novel, the child of Jenny Fields, who calls her child T.S. after his father's rank (Technical Sergeant). Born with a mother like Jenny Fields, and no father, T.S Garp begins his life at a disadvantage. Despite this, however, Garp becomes a handsome, unique, creative, and intelligent young man. He grows up to be self-disciplined and determined, and relies on his instincts to assist him in the successful completion of just about any task he begins. Furthermore, he is a dedicated family man who loves his family and those in his tight-knit community. However, while he may seem perfect, Garp has a major flaw: he lacks compassion. He has a hard time connecting to the women that come to his mother for help, his friends, or even his own wife, Helen. In fact, it is not until terrible tragedy strikes his family that Garp is forced to wake-up to the reality that the struggles of others are real and important.
Jenny Fields
The mother of T. S. Garp. Jenny is a down to earth woman who wants to be independant, respected, and make good choice in life. She wants to something worthwhile with her life; therefore, despite her family’s wealth and protestations she decided to take up a career in nursing. Jenny does not want to get married, but she does want to have a child. Therefore, she finds a dying man in the hospital ward, and has sex with him in the hospital until she becomes pregnant. After her nursing career is over and Garp is a grown man, Jenny decides to write the story of her life. Her book immediately becomes a manifesto for women and feminists. Despite her fame, Jenny does not want to get recognition from the public, her book is so compelling that it informs an entire feminist movement. Regardless of what she does, however, her foundation in nursing causes her to care and support all of the people who come to her.
Helen Holm Garp
Garp’s wife. While the book may be titled The World According to Garp, it is indisputable that Helen plays a very important role in in Garp’s life. When Garp first meets Helen she is quietly reading in the gym, waiting for her father, Ernie Holm, to finish coaching the wrestling team. Garp is immediately interested in Helen, who tells him that while she may not grow up to be a writer, she would like to marry one. This is all it takes to inspire Garp to become a writer. Helen is also Garp’s first, and perhaps most honest, editor. When he gives her his first efforts at writing, she is quick to tell him that, while he has solid writing skills, he lacks a finesse that makes the stories impactful. Her feedback is what makes Garp’s really put effort and focus into his craft, so he can successfully publish his first story. WIth her love of reading and excellent editorial skills, it is almost inevitable that Helen becomes an English Professor. Helen is a strong, intelligent, and independent woman who supports Garp’s through the ups and downs and gives him attention whenever he needs. While Garp loves Helen, he does not really appreciate and value her until her affair with Michael Milton, and the great tragedy that happens afterwards.
Duncan Garp
The first born child of Garp and Helen. After Duncan is born, Helen has to go back t work at the university, leaving Garp at home to be the house husband. As a father, Garp tends to be very anxious and very protective, which leaves Duncan to be an extremely anxious and tense child. Furthermore, since his father hovers so much, Duncan does not have to make a lot of choices for himself, and so he remains quite immature. It is not until he loses his eye, and his brother, in the car accident that Duncan begins to take control of his own life. Duncan and Garp share characteristics, and their life has some similarities . Both father and son are artists, they both have a dark and irreverent humor, and they both marry people who inspire them and push their creativity. However, Duncan did not seem to get any of his father's fierce determination, which ultimately leads to him being happier than his Garp.
Walt Garp
Second child of Garp and Helen. Walt is born just as Garp begins his second novel and Helen gets a job at the state university. Walt is a good child, who enjoys having fun with his father and playing jokes on Helen. While Garp is an overprotective parent, who dreams of losing his children, Walt does not seem to develop tense anxiety that Duncan exudes. After Garp realizes that Helen is having an affair with Michael Milton, he forces her to break it off by phone. He takes Duncan and Walt, who is sick and wheezing, to the movies to give her time to do this; however, Walt’s wheezing is so bad that they leave the movie early. This is unfortunate because, unknown to Garp, Helen is sitting in the driveway with Michael Minton, performing one last act of oral sex before they end the relationship. Garp, not realizing the car is there, pulls into the driveway and collides with Michael’s car. In the accident, Duncan loses an eye, Helen broke two teeth and strained her neck, Garp breaks his jaw, and little Walt is killed. Through their months of healing at Dog’s Head Harbor, Garp begins to learn empathy and he and Helen agree that, for the sake of their relationship, they cannot blame each other. In addition, Duncan realizes that, without his eye, he has gained a new perspective and decides to become an artist. Ultimately Walt’s death teaches the Garps about the value of life, and serves to bring the whole family closer together.
Ellen James
Adopted daughter of Garp and Helen. When she is only eleven-years-old, Ellen is brutally raped in the park. In order to keep her from calling for help, the rapists cut out her tongue. This act inspires the formation of the Ellen Jamesians, a group of woman who cut out in their own tongue in solidarity to the young child. Garps despises the Ellen Jamesians, and when Garp is first handed a note by a young woman on the plane after his mother’s funeral, he immediately thinks that she is a member of this society. In reality, she is the Ellen James, now grown-up, who attended the funeral of Jenny Fields. Ellen James also hates the society that is named for her, because she would give anything to have a voice, and cannot understand why these women choose to lose theirs. This is why Ellen wants to become a writer: so she can finally have a voice to say what is important to her.She also explains, through notes, that she had read Garp’s novel The World According to Bensenhaver eight times and that she appreciated that he had portrayed the rape scene in the novel with the awful ugly brutality that it deserved. When Garp realizes that Ellen has no place to go, he brings her to his home and effectively adopts her into the family. Through her time with the Garp family, Ellen James learns that the true enemy is not those that are voiceless, even by choice, but those who exert their power over other in order to do evil. This is an important revelation to Ellen, because this new maturity allows her to redirect her anger and becomes a great asset for her writing.
Roberta Muldoon
Gender is an important theme in The World According to Garp, and no one personifies this better than Roberta Muldoon. Before we meet her in the book, Roberta is is actually Robert Muldoon, a highly proficient tight-end who played in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. In a very real way, Robert Muldoon represents the male ideal. After realizing that her true identity is female, Roberta has sex reassignment surgery, transforming her into Roberta. Coming out as a transexual in 1978 must have been incredibly difficult, especially for someone who was famous for being athletic and masculine. She goes to Jenny for help finding her feminine identity after the surgery. Since she still has her size and maintains her athletic prowess, Roberta makes the perfect bodyguard for Jenny. T.S. Garp and Roberta Muldoon become best friends, and through this relationship, Garp achieves new understanding about gender roles. Over the course of the book, Roberta comes to peace with her feminine identity and gives up being concerned about society’s expectations f her, and learns to be happy with herself.
