Fear Quotes in The World According to Garp

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Though the worst of the real world has been visited upon Hope, it is her husband who fears the world most. (16.29)

Isn't this the case with Garp and Helen? Although Garp's paranoia makes his life more difficult, it's Helen that receives the brunt of the damage.

Quote #8

"The World According to Bensenhaver," the book jacket flap said, "is about a man who is so fearful of bad things happening to his loved ones that he creates an atmosphere of such tension that bad things are almost certain to occur." (16.128)

It could certainly be argued that Garp creates an "atmosphere of tension" that causes Helen to have an affair—plus, we all know how that one ends up.

Quote #9

Between Helen and Garp, the Under Toad became their code phrase for anxiety [...] Garp and Helen evoked the beast as a way of referring to their own sense of danger. (16.332)

The undertow (a.k.a. the Under Toad) is an apt metaphor for anxiety. It always stays beneath the surface and can't be fully escaped—the trick is learning how to avoid it. For more on this, though, check out the "Symbols" section.