Essay On A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving

Throughout literature and philosophy, idea that man is powerless to divine will continuously reemerge. Authors such as Homer and Sophocles, propose that one must submit oneself and accept the inevitably of fate, meeting it with solely faith. 

In A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving, this theme of accepting fate and submitting oneself to God’s will is displayed through the faith of Owen Meany and the resolute tone in which he addresses this belief. 

Throughout the course of A Prayer For Owen Meany, the idea of everything holding a higher purpose is held by Owen, viewing even personal flaws as a gift of God. Owen’s voice is continuously criticized, and it is this voice that brings Owen conflict. Irving chooses to use strictly capital letters when Owen speaks as to shock the reader and draw attention to the severe pecuiliarity of Owen’s squeak. The unpleasant cacophony of the voice is displayed throught he shock and terror displayed by the characters upon hearing Owen speak. Germaine, Lydia’s maid, even goes as far to state her belief that Owen’s voice is “from the Devil.” Therefore, it is surprising that Owen views the voice which brings him harassment and angst as from God, which he expresses when he declares that “IF GOD GAVE ME THIS VOICE, HE HAD A REASON.” Through Owen’s willingness to believe this, with unwavering faith, the theme of submitting oneself to God’s will, though the conditions may be unsavory, is further supported.

Death has the ability to shake one’s faith and test one’s beliefs. In A Prayer For Owen Meany, several characters undergo this trial at the death of John’s mother. However, while his peers question God, he reacts with acceptance. It is inarguable that Owen truly loves John’s mother, and that she acts as one of the single most important people in his life. Yet, when God takes her from the world, and by Owen’s own hands, no less, he does not crumble in his spirituality.

Instead, Owen believes unwaveringly in God’s will. The idea that Owen is merely an instrument of God, and that he must completely surrender himself, body and soul, is supported by John Irving’s use of biblical allusion. Romans 12:1 states “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Owen seems to echo this sentiment as he expresses through the exchanging of a declawed armadillo that “GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD’S INSTRUMENT.”  

“The first miracle that I believe in is my own faith itself.” Pastor Merrill makes this assertion as he discusses the importance of faith with Owen. It is made clear as the novel progresses that Owen is definitely a being of faith and religion, often exemplified through his pontifications. When Owen speaks, especially of his faith, it is often a tone of resoluteness and unwavering belief. This tone, which reemerges throughout the course of the novel, serves to supplement Owen’s conviction that he lives to serve as a tool of God. Owen is faced with extreme adversity, from killing his best friend’s mother, to facing his own death, and yet, he remains steadfast, surrendering his life to fate and God. It was this monumental faith, disproportionate to his small stature, that changed almost everyone Owen came into contact with, which shaped John’s spirituality forever, and which continues to contest with the skepticism of society.

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