Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Overview… a kindly orphanage director. Dr. Wilbur Larch vowed never to get too close to any of his residents. He breaks this promise to himself when he takes Homer Wells, an intelligent young orphan, under his wing as an apprentice obstetrician. Dr. Larch comes to love the boy like a son. But, as every father knows, a day will come when his son will want to discover the world for himself. Homer is getting antsy living in the orphanage, and Dr. Larch must come to terms with his impending absence.
Personality… dedicated and caring. Wilbur Larch ensures that every orphan has as pleasant a stay at St. Cloud’s as possible. He heals their bumps and bruises and puts them to bed with his customary send-off: “Good night, you princes of Maine, you kings of New England.”
Get to Know him in...
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Homer is an orphan who was never adopted, becoming the favorite of orphanage director Dr. Larch. Dr. Larch imparts his full medical knowledge on Homer, who becomes a skilled, albeit unlicensed, physician. But Homer yearns for a self-chosen life outside the orphanage. What will Homer learn about life and love in the cider house? What of the destiny that Dr. Larch has planned for him?
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First published in 1985, The Cider House Rules is John Irving's sixth novel. Set in rural Maine in the first half of this century, it tells the story of Dr. Wilbur Larch—saint and obstetrician, founder and director of the orphanage in the town of St. Cloud's, ether addict and abortionist. It is also the story of Dr. Larch's favorite orphan, Homer Wells, who is never adopted.
