The World According to Garp discussion

I just finished this book and am watching the movie and there's one gigantic plothole that's driving me crazy. I'd be happy to hear anyone give a decent character-based explanation.

SPOILERS!

The car accident is caused by Garp doing his little driveway trick and coasting in with the lights off. BUT - he's rushing home from the movie to catch Helen with Michael Milton when she doesn't answer the home phone! So he suspects at least the possibility that there would be another car in the driveway - Michael's. Why would he coast in then?! And with his kids in the car?!

Can anyone justify this for me? THANK YOU!

I think the thing here is, Garp thinks that Helen & Michael are either in bed together at the house, or are not there. It doesn't enter his head that they will be in the car, or that a car would even be there. We see this sort of confirmed in the embedded chapter of "The world according to Bensenhaver - the husband sees the purple pick up with his wife in, but it doesn't register.

I feel like Garp trusts Helen so much, that he can't imagine Michael being in his house. He insist's she should call him instead of visiting him and Helen promises him. His trust in Helen, makes him blind for the possibility of a truck being parked in the driveway.

Just my take on it though.

Helen is not supposed to leave the house. That's the deal. When she doesn't answer his call he thinks something is up, but he wouldn't necessarily expect Michael Milton's car to be in the driveway. Also, he has his boys with him, so it's not like can just stop the car and run to the bedroom to catch her in the act, and with no lights or engine running he's less likely to alert Helen that he's come home early. So, this seems reasonable to me.

But there are plenty of absurdities in Garp. Jenny getting her schoolboy son to translate her discussion with the prostitute about male lust. What mother would do this? How about Roberta - the former NFL tight end turned female - blocking for Garp as he tries to escape the mob of feminists at Jenny's memorial ceremony. Not exactly literary realism.

Great question well answered. Just want to butt in here and recommend the audiobook version read by Adam Sims. It is so spot-on. Irving does his own reading somewhere but I can’t vouch for that!

Charles wrote: "Helen is not supposed to leave the house. That's the deal. When she doesn't answer his call he thinks something is up, but he wouldn't necessarily expect Michael Milton's car to be in the driveway...."

Why wouldn't Roberta do that for Garp ? She's his best friend