The Cider House Rules: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Cider House Rules: Analysis of Major Characters" explores a diverse cast of individuals navigating complex moral landscapes within a New England orphanage. Central to the narrative is Wilbur Larch, an obstetrician and abortionist who dedicates his life to supporting women facing difficult pregnancies and managing an orphanage. Larch embodies a compassionate healer, challenging societal norms to provide love and care to those in need, earning him the moniker "St. Larch." Homer Wells, Larch's surrogate son, grapples with his ethical beliefs regarding abortion while seeking meaningful connections in a world that often feels isolating. Other key characters include Candy Kendall Worthington, who undergoes personal growth amid unexpected challenges, and Melony, a troubled orphan whose unresolved pain resonates throughout the story. Wally Worthington, Candy’s husband, embodies resilience despite his wartime injuries, while Olive Worthington represents the moral compass of the family. Together, these characters reflect the intricate interplay of love, loss, and the quest for identity, set against the backdrop of societal expectations and personal convictions.
The Cider House Rules: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John Irving
First published: 1985
Genre: Novel
Locale: Maine
Plot: Social realism
Time: The 1880's to 1900; the 1920's to the 1950's
Wilbur Larch, an obstetrician and abortionist. As a young doctor, he decides to forge a medical career helping desperate, helpless, and usually poor young women terminate their pregnancies in supportive surroundings or, if they choose, deliver children whom he will try to place in proper foster homes. He has accepted as the burden and blessing of his life the administration of St. Cloud's orphanage, which he operates as a kind of home to an extended family of life's victims. He is completely and unselfishly committed to his chosen task as a healer in the largest sense, and he accepts his responsibilities as a sort of symbolic father to the inhabitants of the orphanage. In the tradition of the practical New Englander, he sees his life goal as “being of use” to humanity. His experiences have shown him that the laws and conventions of society often are diametrically opposed to the requirements of human need, so that he is willing to resist unjust rules in accordance with his own firm moral standards. In spite of his deep convictions, he is understanding and tolerant of others' opinions. His ultimate goal is to provide a “family” of some kind—a center of love and respect—for all those who have not had the good fortune to be born into satisfactory circumstances. Through his long and productive life, he epitomizes the qualities that a true practitioner of the healing arts must possess: a heartfelt concern for human suffering, a vital capacity to share the tribulations of his patients, a rage against the pain he cannot cure, and a warmth that radiates the spiritual decency his life represents. Known appropriately as “St. Larch” by his admiring colleagues, he is an organizer of a community of compassion that is both a family and a kind of temple to serve the needs of humanity.
Homer Wells, an orphan who can never satisfactorily leave the home at St. Cloud's. He is Larch's surrogate son and successor. Although he disagrees with Larch's position on abortion, arguing from an ethical stance that regards all forms of life as sacred, he loves Larch and recognizes that difficult decisions sometimes compel choices that are far from ideal but that best suit the needs of suffering humans in an imperfect world. He is aware of his isolation as an orphan and is motivated by a desire to establish a deep connection with people he loves, but his path is strewn with obstacles, and his relationships with the people he loves are complicated by situations he can only suffer through. He demonstrates his suitability as Larch's successor when he is able to combine his own needs with an awareness of the requirements of the people he cares for and the institution he wishes to sustain. By becoming “Dr. Fuzzy Stone,” he returns to St. Cloud's to fulfill the destiny he accepts as inevitable.
Candy Kendall Worthington, Homer's closest friend, then the one true love of his life and the mother of their son, Angel Wells. She is the daughter of a solid New England family who discovers her real capabilities as a person when her essentially sheltered, protected life is disrupted by an unplanned pregnancy and the inadvertent consequences of a genuine love for Wells and for her fiancé, Wally Worthington.
Melony, also called Melody, an unadoptable, perpetually angry young woman who meets Wells when they are both awaiting placement in foster homes. Her inability to feel comfortable in any home setting is the result of dark impulses born of loneliness and mistreatment. Wells is haunted by her in memory during the years that he is searching for an independent identity and gratefully accepts her donation of her body to the medical facilities at St. Cloud's after her death, as a gentle conclusion to a life of desperate wandering.
Wally Worthington, the son of a privileged, wealthy family. He is the polar opposite of Melony, perpetually hopeful and cheerful in spite of experiences in World War II that leave him in a condition of physical disability. He is Candy's husband and Homer's friend. His acceptance of the somewhat unusual family situation is an example of human adaptability and innate decency.
Olive Worthington, Wally's mother, an example of the best kind of old New England manners and morals. Her wealth has not made her a snob or bigot, and she is the closest person to an older, mothering presence in the course of the narrative.
Arthur Rose, the chief of a crew of African American orchard workers. His daughter Rose Rose becomes Angel Wells's wife.