A Prayer For Owen Meany Analysis

Not the least of my problems is that I can hardly even imagine what kind of an experience a genuine, self-authenticating religious experience would be. Without somehow destroying me in the process, how could God reveal himself in a way that would leave no room for doubt? If there were no room for doubt, there would be no room for me.-

John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany has a curious ending. The narrator, John Wheelwright, acts almost like a tour guide, taking the audience through a voyage of his life and his faith – “And if you look to the left, you’ll see my mom getting hit by a fatal baseball,” John almost seems to say – through the similarly curious Owen Meany, the reason that John is a Christian. For much of the text, A Prayer for Owen Meany seems nearly aimless, simply describing, often in detail of perplexing thoroughness, random childhood memories intercut with his current life with a slightly common yet undefined thread tying them all together. But the ending illuminates each of the seemingly meaningless plot threads, bringing order to the chaos of John’s cluttered memory. The conclusion of A Prayer for Owen Meany sheds lights on the nuances and intricacies of the novel, cementing some interpretations and opening doors to others, ensuring that it is a satisfying and, most importantly, a thought-provoking ending.

In this entry, I will be addressing the titular character Owen Meany. In my opinion, he elicits a positive response from the reader. The author, John Irving, creates Owen by describing him from the point of view of the fictional narrator, Johnny Wheelwright, who is retelling the story of his childhood. This allows him to describe Owen's physical, mental, and emotional aspects as seen by his best friend. In this chapter, Owen is characterized as an individual who can take charge and make his presence known. . Owen is also described as an honest person. His enormous honesty contrasts with his miniscule size which further develops him as a character who refuses to let his bodily disadvantage depict how he will interact with others. He is accredited

“Finding Daddy-Survival and Hope Through a 911 Tele-communicators Nightmare”, is truly and amazing story about love, faith and death. Sheila and Johnny started their relationship out as friends and later became lovers that faced parenthood at an early age. The Hanna’s faced several setbacks in their relationship in the beginning; however, the complexities in their relationship made them closer as a couple. This story brings awareness of living each minute of the day as if it was your last, because you never know when tragedy will hit home. Johnny loved his family and made sure he spent quality time with his children every day. Johnny was describes as a frugal man; however he worked very hard to provide for wife and children. Johnny made changes in his life in regards to his religious beliefs and became saved by accepting God as his savior. Reading the story how Johnny made the decision to go to the altar with his sons brought tears to my eyes.

Owen Meany- If you haven’t noticed by now, the title of the novel is “A Prayer for Owen Meany”, thus making him the most significant character in the novel. Even though John is the narrator the novel does not centralize him, instead it centralizes Owen. As a result of Owen being so diminutive and having a strange form of speech, he seems to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Throughout the novel, Owen is defined as one of the most intellectual and mature individuals in his age group. Besides being very intellectual and mature he is also very spiritual by having a strong faith in God, and believing that he is the instrument of God. Owen is the character in whom the motif of faith is most strongly embodied. He believes in the idea of there being a reason and explanation for

Put simply, the miraculousness of Owen Meany catalyzes Johnny’s faith. Yet, Johnny’s faith did not spring forth the moment he met Owen; instead, Owen’s life, sprouting with miracles, gradually inspired Johnny to accept and pursue a life of faith. Therefore, his true faith was born out of the miracle of Owen. After the Christmas pageant in which Johnny starred as Joseph and Owen as baby Jesus, Johnny mentions that “that Sunday…contributed to my belief in—and my dislike of—the miracle” (231). Here, Johnny’s reference to “the miracle” alludes to Owen Meany. Nonetheless, the miracle in this instance contradicts the heartwarming, wondrous thoughts that may first float through one’s mind at the mention of a “miracle.” This miracle, Owen’s role as baby Jesus, astounds Johnny because of Owen’s ability to take charge and the changes and revisions that Owen brings about to an established faith tradition. In reaction, some despised Owen’s rude outburst to his parents and slight alterations to the traditional Christmas story, but some appreciated the modifications. Similarly, when Jesus preached new teachings and introduced revisions to ancient traditions, many attacked him and proclaimed his teachings heresies. Therefore, both Owen and Jesus experience hindrances in their lifestyles that differ from the norm; although, both manage to persevere in leading others in their missions as God’s instruments on the Earth. Another miracle occurred much later in Johnny’s life, after Owen’s death, when Dan Needham shuts Johnny into an unlit cellar as a joke. Unfortunately, Johnny loses his balance at the edge of the stairs, and he begins to fall backwards. Just before he topples over, Johnny feels a small hand guide his own hand to the light switch while pulling his body forward to retain his balance; meanwhile, a voice,

In his novel A Prayer for Owen Meany, author John Irving uses a final chapter of over 100 pages to provide appropriate closure of his intricate novel. In the final chapter, Irving provides answers to large questions the rest of the novel raises. Irving answers the question “who is John Wheelwright’s father?” while also providing further information and closure, as well as the answer to “why the practicing of ‘the shot’ was so important for Owen and John.” Finally, Irving is most thorough in carrying out the closure of a main theme in the novel, Owen’s prophecy of his own exact death, how it happens, when it happens, and most importantly with whom it happens.

In A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving uses literary devices including allusions, characterization, and motifs to establish his theme that stress the importance of faith and the acceptance of fate.

Another huge mystery that is presented in the story is who Johnny’s father could possibly be. Throughout the story there tended to be a lot of foreshadowing of who Johnny’s father could be. In addition, Johnny’s mother promised that she would tell him when he was old enough. However, all that changed after that, “FATED BASEBALL” (Irving 105). When Johnny’s mother was struck with the baseball he thought that the person in the stands she was waving to was his father. During every big event after that Johnny and Owen tried to envision the stands to figure out who his father may be. However, he always missed remembering the person in the stands who was actually his father. Furthermore, the foreshadowing of Johnny trying to recreate the stands showed how his father would be revealed in an extraordinary way. Johnny learns who his father is after Owen’s death when he was talking to Rev. Lewis Merrill. Johnny explained that conversation as , “When the Rev. Lewis Merrill spoke he spoke not with his own voice - he spoke in the exact falsetto, the “permanent scream,” of Owen

In the book A Prayer For Owen Meany, the author’s purpose may have been about finding one’s personal faith. Both boys represent an aspect of faith, Owen with his strong belief in God, and John, who questions both God and himself. While the years go by, the boys have adventures and face obstacles as they grow up. When John grows up and copes with the incidents of the past, he realizes that he has become a more religious man, thanks to Owen Meany. “I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice- not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother’s death, but because he is the reason I believe in God... ”. Along with the coming of age theme, the novel asks a philosophical and deep question that revolves around religion. It enables the reader to think about their own religious belief. A Prayer For Owen Meany would appeal mostly to the adolescents and adults who like to delve more into sophisticated thinking. The passage may also appeal to those interested in suspense, sorrow, and humor of growing up and trying to find your purpose.

     In the beginning of the novel, immediately there is a clear difference between Owen and Johnny. There is the field of academics; Owen is the head of his class while he helps John not to fail in his studies. There is Owen, very sure of his belief system and Johnny, very doubtful and unsure about his beliefs or feelings towards’ god.

In literature of significant standing, no act of violence is perpetrated without reason. For a story to be legitimate in the area of fine literature violence cannot be used in a wanton manner. In John Irving’s modern classic, A Prayer for Owen Meany the audience is faced with multiple scenes of strong violence but violence is never used without reason. All of the violent acts depicted in the novel are totally necessary for the characters and the plot to develop. This plot-required violence can be seen in the novel’s first chapter when Owen accidentally kills John’s mother and in the novel’s last chapter when John relates Owen’s grotesque, while heroic, death to the audience. The violence

Owen Meany was predestined to be a savior for the Vietnamese children and he had been preparing for this sacrifice his entire life. From the time he was born, Owen was always special. His parents admitted that he was unnatural when Mr. Meany exclaimed, “‘She just conceived a child—like the Christ Child.’” (Irving 545). This shows that Owen’s parents did not purposefully conceive him, but he was born for a greater purpose. Later on in Owen’s life, he has a vision of his grave and how he will die, which leads him to prepare for his death. He saw his death so vividly, he knew Johnny would be present, therefore he involves Johnny in his practice. Johnny explains, “We practiced the shot for three or four days in a row; of course, my part in this exercise was extremely limited, but I

John Wheelwright’s and Owen Meany’s differing attributes highlight the use of contrast within A Prayer for Owen Meany. While Owen Meany tends to be a leader, John is a follower where his primary experiences tend to be due to Owen. Furthermore, their different appearances further illustrate their differences- while John is a typical male, Owen appears childlike in stature with a “rodent” quality to his appearance. Consequently, these comparisons between the two characters highlight the underlying theme of spirituality within the novel. Owen Meany has a continuing belief in God, even taking it as far as saying that God has a specific plan for him. “GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD’S INSTRUMENT (page 90)” This quote illustrates the absolute belief that Owen has in God; despite the fact that Owen has taken the life from Tabitha Wheelwright, mother of Johnny, he chalks it up to fate and God’s will. However, John Wheelwright doubts the ideologies of Christianity as he changes his denomination within the Christian community regularly. This contrast is displayed when the two boys are young

Johnny connects Owen to God, thinking that “there is no doubt that, in the dazzling configurations of the sun that poured through the attic in skylights, he look looked like a descending angel-a tiny but