A Prayer For Owen Meany

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.-

That anything is the armadillo that Owen and Johnny love to play with. The armadillo symbolizes the trust and the friendship between Johnny and Owen even though Owen accidently killed Tabitha. This shows the bond that the two have that carries through the entire novel till the end. The armadillo was sent to Owen as a symbol for trust and friendship, but it was returned to show us that Owen is a God’s instrument. The armadillo was returned to Johnny armless. Owen felt really depraved for giving it back armless but his true intention of making the armadillo armless was shown when they are nineteen. The armadillo was returned to Johnny armless because Owen believes that “GOD HAS TAKENED MY HANDS. I AM GOD’S INSTRUMENT. This shows that Owen believe that it was destined that Tabitha was going to die by Owen’s hands. Taking the armadillo claws and giving it back to Johnny armless shows that Owen believes that God took Owen’s arm and God is controlling him like an instrument. In the end all symbols represent that Owen will be armless since the statue, Tabitha’s mannequin, and the armadillo are all

According to John, the dressmaker’s dummy was an exact replica of Tabby’s body, therefore it can be assumed that it symbolizes Tabby herself. Tabby is significant to the novel because she contributes to the reader’s understanding of Owen’s belief that he was God’s instrument. The novel circulates around Owen’s belief that he was God’s instrument and the accident involving Tabby’s death emphasized this belief, thus enabling readers to really grasp what Owen meant by being God’s instrument. Since disturbing the angel, Owen felt it was his destiny to aid in Tabby’s death, thus aiding in an act that God destined to happen. Owen saw the accident as God acting through him to make the task happen, which is exactly what Owen means by being God’s instrument. Tabby’s character also contributes to the overall theme of predestination because her death is what Owen believed was supposed to happen, that’s why he didn’t feel guilty about the baseball striking her left temple. Furthermore, the armlessness of the dressmaker’s dummy foreshadows to Owen’s predestined death when he loses his arms by the grenade.Without Tabby’s presence in the novel, Owen’s poof for being God’s instrument and his belief in predestination would not be visible to the others living in Gravesend, including John. Owen’s beliefs impacted many individuals, especially John and the

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

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.

Following John’s mother’s death, the boys exchange their beloved belongings. After Owen returned the armadillo, John became outraged that the animal no longer had its “front claws--the most useful and impressive parts of its curious body” (88). This vulnerable animal represents the helpless state of John and Owen’s lives as a result of her death. The Headmaster of Gravesend Academy, Randy White, expels Owen after he catches Owen selling fake draft cards. Owen removes “Mary Magdalene’s arms, above the elbow, so that her gesture of beseeching the assembled audience would seem all the more an act of supplication--and all the more helpless”(409). Owen decides to cut off the arms of the statue to illustrate his powerlessness to alter his expulsion. After the grenade explodes, Owen sustains fatal injuries. John describes Owen’s arms as “severed just below his elbows, perhaps three quarters of the way up his forearms” (625). Owen’s final destiny ends in his heroic death. In Owen’s last moments, he realizes the fulfillment of God’s path for

John and Owen are considered best friends in the Novel, “A Prayer for Owen Meany,” but may actually be less than that after all. Johnny Wheelwright and Owen Meany are the main character in “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Irving. The novel is about Owen, a midget, and his journeys with Johnny. They take of many challenges such as the mistreatment of Owen, finding Johnny’s father, and demonstrating heroics to save multiple people. While only looking at the surface of the plot, the two seem to work well together, however, if you look a little deeper, you may notice how each of the boys use each other in their own ways. I believe that Owen uses John for his physical features, and John uses Owen for his physical features, but his ability to

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, -----, 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 sitting in church: “When I complained about church, I complained about

Owen Meany’s supernatural qualities along with his desire to sacrifice himself for others contribute to him being viewed as a religious figure. In the novel, Owen is depicted as a supernatural, superior being, but his selfless facet is the quality which actually makes people associate him with religion. The way in which Owen uses his power to sacrifice for others is the characteristic which separates him from others with similar power. Since Owen is considered supernatural, he makes sacrifices to provide assurance of his faith. Owen confirms this notion when he exclaims,“‘WHOSOEVER LIVETH AND BELIEVETH IN ME SHALL NEVER DIE,’” while he himself is dying (Irving 626). This shows that Owen knows in this moment that he is using his supernatural abilities to sacrifice himself

In the novel “A Prayer For Owen Meany,” John Irving creates the character of Owen as a foil to John, the protagonist. Owen Meany embodies the qualities of a true leader while John grows more like his father: doubtful and lost.

In the novel’s final chapter, John reveals the climax of the story, Owen’s death. Owen’s death is intricate to the story and by the time this scene is read the audience is already aware of Owen’s untimely death. What makes this scene so important is the manner in which Owen died; being killed by a lunatic’s grenade while saving a group of Vietnamese children. The details of this event fulfill Owen’s Christ-like prophecy of his own death. Owen had previously predicted that he would die on July 8, 1968 saving Vietnamese children from their own certain death, and he did. This sequence of events leaves an unquenched doubt in the audience’s mind as to Owen’s true relationship to a higher power when the

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

The novel has religious themes embedded throughout. The theme of miracles was prominent in A Prayer for Owen Meany. For example, it is believed that Owen Meany himself is a miracle of God. Like Virgin Mary, Mrs. Meany “just conceived a child” without having sex with her husband (545.) This is believed to be a miracle among characters like Johnny and the Many family but the town and church do not agree. Another theme was the Power of God. Owen was very religious and had a deep belief in God and voiced it openly saying things like “FAITH AND PRAYER. FAITH AND PRAYER - THEY WORK, THEY REALLY DO” and that God will show Johnny who his real father is in time

I choose this Quote because it is a huge turning point in the Novel, If Owen hadn’t interrupted that angel Owen wouldn’t have killed Tabby and the chain of events that lead to Owen Dying would never have occurred. This is when I truly started to believe that Owen doesn’t have free will at all and that God is going to Steer his fate. This passage is a great example of the theme of Free will Versus fait. I think that the whole novel is a chain of events that no matter what the characters do will end up in Owen and Tabby Dying. For instance on her wedding day When the chunk of Hail hits Tabby in the Head its foreshadowing that something no matter what will kill her.

After Owen kills his best friend’s mother he is only able to move on with his life by coming to believe that God had chosen to kill Tabitha Wheelwright and had used Owen as his instrument. It is from this point on that Owen chooses to put his life in God’s hands. Owen recalls the event to John saying, “"GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT." (Irving 198). Whilst playing the ghost of Christmas future in a Gravesend town production, Owen witnesses his own name on a tombstone accompanied by the exact date of his death. In addition to this haunting image, Owen is also subject to a reoccurring dream in which he is the savior to a group of young Vietnamese children. He tells his friends and family about the vision and his dream and deems that the prophetic events cannot be a coincidence. He then dedicates his life to assuring that he will be prepared for when God calls on him. He turns down scholarships to Ivy League schools and chooses to go to the state university instead because it will help him to train for his death. After choosing to go to the state university, Owen fails to continue his path of academic excellence and only does well in classes related to the military. He even lies his way into the army with the hopes of getting deployed to Vietnam which he believes to be the site of his dream. By having Owen die