A Critical Examination of Death within The World According to Garp, by John Irving

"Death is the only inescapable, unavoidable, sure thing. We are sentenced to die the day we're born." (Gary Mark Gilmore) Truer words have never been spoken. While many may not wish to except this idea, the fact that this statement is true is unavoidable. From the first day of someone's birth it is unknow if they will become a famous actor or a parent, or even a criminal. What is known is that one day they will die. That day is unknown like everything else but they still know that day will come. This idea, that death is inevitable, is a driving theme behind The World According to Ga…