THEMES - THEME ANALYSIS

Major Theme

The major theme of The Cider House Rules is that individuals define their own rules. Society through class, culture, and legislation dictates rules but ultimately each individual defines the rules by which to act and live. In The Cider House Rules, rules permeate the novel. These rules can be simply stated, like those posted in the cider house, but the implementation of those rules is much more complicated. The complexity that results from living by the rules the characters set for themselves symbolize the difficult issue of abortion. Irving creates a dialog about abortion to show its complexities and ambiguities through the rules the characters set for themselves. Additionally, each reader also comes to the novel with his or her own rules about abortion. Irving shows that these rules can be negotiated, and the greater the dialog the harder to create absolute rules.

Larch rules that the Devil's work is equal to the Lord's work. In effect, he rules that the wishes of the mother outweigh the life of the unborn child. It is important to note that Larch has ruled that, what Homer sees as a human being, is in reality just the products of conception, only tissue. He tries to impose these rules on Homer. Larch realizes that he cannot force Homer to embrace his beliefs until Homer has experienced society outside of St. Cloud's.

Homer respects Dr. Larch's right to give abortions, but he personally rules not to do so until the last chapter of the novel. One rule that Homer does live by consistently is that he most be of use. For many years, this rule does not encompass performing abortions. But, when confronted with Rose Rose's situation (that is, when the dialog about abortion is expanded), Homer is forced to negotiate this rule. Mr. Rose, who has his own rules about what the pickers can and cannot do and how those rules should be enforced, also has his own rules about his daughter. His rules allow him to control her body. As a result of Mr. Rose's rules, Homer's rules are changed; now to be of use also means performing abortions.

The events in this novel center around the rules people create for themselves in regards to abortion. These rules are negotiable, and they do change depending upon circumstance. Candy has one abortion, but the circumstances of her second pregnancy, perhaps even further from ideal than those surrounding her first pregnancy, allow her to have the child. Her rules have been negotiated. Homer, faced with a situation of incest, negotiates his rules on abortion. Not only does Homer perform an abortion for Rose Rose, he realizes that this cannot be the only one he performs. Perhaps as the last chapter's title, Breaking the Rules, suggests, rules are made to be broken.

Minor Theme

Irving talks about choices or lack of choices throughout the novel. Homer has very few choices at St. Cloud's. His choice for friendship is limited to Melony. His choice of occupation is limited to being a doctor. His choice of medicine is limited to obstetrics. On the other hand, Candy and Wally have always had choices open to them. They chose not to have a child when Candy becomes pregnant. Candy chooses to marry Wally though she loves Homer. She also chooses to keep secret that she is Angel's mother. Wally chooses to fight in the war, and he also chooses to live with the knowledge of Candy and Homer's relationship. Rose Rose has to choose whether to remain under her father's control and abuse or leave. She also makes the choice not simply to leave but to kill her father before doing so. Throughout the novel, Irving shows how characters have and do not have choices upon which to act.

Irving also presents the reader with varies types of nontraditional families, showing that people themselves can define their own families and that the rules of family are also negotiable. Larch and the nurses are a family for each other and for Homer. Candy and Homer determine that they with Wally and Angel can live as a family. And lastly, Melony and Lorna define their own family. None of these families are traditional for the times and society in which they take place.

POINT OF VIEW

The Cider House Rules is told from the point of view of an omniscient narrator. Irving's narrator not only reports the activities of the characters but is able to let the reader into the thoughts of the characters. Through this omniscient narrator, we learn what drives Dr. Larch's actions. There is very little dialog between Larch and the other characters. The omniscient narrator fills in these blanks particularly through Larch's A Brief History of St. Cloud's. We are also exposed to the feelings of Homer and Melony through the quotes from David Copperfield and Jane Eyre. The omniscient narrator exposes their internal reactions to what they read in addition to their external ones, allowing the reader to grasp the deep effect these words have on Homer and Melony and how they relate these words to their own lives.