Sexual promiscuity and detachment from cultural traditions in the works of John Irving

Sexual promiscuity is a recurring theme in the works of John Irving. With each novel it becomes more prevalent and is explored more thoroughly. By identifying the influence of T. S. Eliot's Waste Land on John Irving and then applying it to his works we can understand to what ends the theme is used. All of his books were important in the development of the topic but The World According to Garp, Cider House Rules, and most importantly A Widow for One Year provided the bulk of the material used in the thesis. Ultimately, the use of sexual promiscuity is shown to stem from Eliot's theme of sexual indiscretion resulting from and leading to a further detachment from societal and cultural traditions. Irving takes this influence and develops it to show how this detachment leads to punishment, which must be endured and learned from before cultural continuity can be achieved.