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.-

Several themes are portrayed within the pages of A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving; nevertheless, symbolism is a more prominent theme that moves the story along. In the novel, Owen Meany infatuated himself with armless figures all his life from Tabby’s dressmaker, to the armadillo, and finally, Mary Magdalene. Readers cannot help but to try to correlate all these images into a bigger picture.

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.

There are numerous symbols that John Irving incorporated into A Prayer for Owen Meany. While some symbols only appear in the novel once, other symbols happen to recur throughout the novel. Such recurring symbols are the several manifestations of “armless” figures, which are Tabby’s dressmaker’s dummy, the armadillo, and the statue of Mary Magdalene. The most significant manifestation of the armless figures is Tabby’s dressmaker’s dummy since its symbolism of Tabby primarily contributes to the reader’s understanding of Owen’s belief that he was God’s instrument, as well as the overall theme of predestination.

Symbolism is often shown in John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany through recurring topics such as armlessness. From Owen amputating the armadillos claws, to Owen being obsessed with amputations in general, this topic foreshadows Owen’s death, and helps build the theme of destiny and fate. Irving uses armlessness to symbolize helplessness and loss of something very important to a person.

There are numerous themes and motifs present in the novel, but in the following section, only three primary themes will be stated this includes: Faith, Friendship, and Fate. One of the most recurring themes throughout the novel is Faith in God. From the opening lines of the novel “he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany” (Page 3), to the last sentence of the novel “O God-please give him back! I shall keep asking You.(Page 627)”. It is evident that faith has influenced this novel in every possible way. Owen is the character in whom this theme is clearly evident since he believes in the idea of there being a reason and explanation for everything. The second vital theme

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.

John Irving’s coming-of-age novel A Prayer for Owen Meany follows the tale of Owen Meany through the voice of his friend Johnny Wheelwright. Johnny’s narration drifts from astonishment to doubt as he witnesses the miracle of the life of Owen Meany, and constantly questions his faith and belief system as he attains various experiences. Johnny becomes enraptured with Owen’s miraculous life, and proclaims Owen the sole reason for his faith. Contrastingly, Dan Needham, Johnny’s stepdad, and Reverend Merrill experience a greater amount of doubt regarding their belief in miracles, and, for the most part, believe that faith does not stem from the witness of a miracle or two, but rather from one’s belief in God through personal and spiritual growth.

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.

There are few people in this world who are willing to sacrifice their life for someone else's. The sacrifice of life is the single largest sacrifice one can make and it takes more bravery and compassion than any other act. Even so, in John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany, Owen is more than willing to do just that. Although he makes many sacrifices, his biggest sacrifice is his own life. In the beginning of the novel, Owen comes across as slightly different with his minuscule size and high pitched voice, but as the novel progresses and Owen ages, his inhuman qualities become more and more prevalent. Eventually, Owen Meany’s supernatural qualities combine with his selflessness and people begin to view him as more than just a compelling

A Prayer for Owen Meany analyzes the relationship between various depths of spirituality in comparison to mundane life. The novel by John Irving uses characters such as Owen Meany and John Wheelwright, to juxtapose the contrasting nature of faith and doubt, and fate and free will.

Towards the end of the novel, Owen and John make plans for a rescue that they will have to make in the near future. Owen sees the event in a dream, and realises this will bring him to an end. Despite this, Owen uses Johnny as a major role in the rescue, and doesn’t show any concern for what will happen to John. According to Paul Eisenstein, Professor at Otterbein College, “both before and after its commission, its heroic dimension cannot ever be made fully transparent, cannot ever find safe haven in an intelligible, transcendent good.” Here Professor Eisenstein is talking of sacrifices and would be sacrifices in “A Prayer for Owen Meany.” He says this meaning that the risks either boy is taking cannot be justified or defended. They both put far too great of risk on one

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

A Prayer for Owen Meany analyzes the relationship between various depths of spirituality in comparison to mundane life. The novel by John Irving uses characters such as Owen Meany and John Wheelwright, to juxtapose the contrasting nature of faith and doubt, and fate and free will.