Mortality Quotes in The World According to Garp

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

T.S. Garp always suspected he would die young. "Like my father," Garp wrote, "I believe I have a knack for brevity. I'm a one-shot man." (2.1)

Garp is always the cynic. Although he jokes about death, it's clear to us that Garp is hiding from his own fear, which will grow to be an important aspect of his life.

Quote #2

Charlotte had a private room because, she said, there was no reason to save her money now. (6.22)

Charlotte has done things the right way; she's kept distance between her personal and professional lives, she's always used protection, and she's been smart with her money. But death doesn't give two figs about this; it comes anyway.

Quote #3

"The prostitute is dead," the old nurse said. Perhaps Garp only imagined that he heard a little triumph in her voice. (6.38)

Charlotte's death is a formative event for Garp's writing and personality. This feeling—of the unfairness of death and the cruelty of the living—doesn't go away any time soon.