Owen Meany Essay, Research Paper
Will You See the Twentieth Century Christ?
[ Owen Meany ] is the ground I believe in God: I am a Christian because of Owen Meany. John Irving begins his cryptic novel, A Prayer For Owen Meany, by boding the full book within his first paragraph. John Irving uses many literary devices, such as prefiguration, to make a novel that is intricate in design, and complex in intending. Johnny Wheelwright, the storyteller of the novel, is composing a memoir ( the novel itself ) about his friend, teacher, wise man, and religious usher, Owen Meany. By utilizing watercourse of consciousness and flashbacks, John Irving allows Johnny Wheelwright to logically glide from one childhood event to another. In the novel, Owen Meany is a Christ figure that instills upon his best friend, Johnny Wheelwright, the gift of life, friendly relationship, and religion. Modern crtitics suggest A Prayer For Owen Meany is an autobiographical work. These critics say that John Irving s strong religion in God is the driving force behind Johnny s relationship with both Owen and God. The fresh s autobiographical nature is enhanced by the scene of the novel and the physical properties given to Johnny Wheelwright. In the book, Johnny grows up in a little New Hampshire community. Through his household s wealth and influence, he is able to go to a esteemed male childs preparative school. While at the Academy, Johnny has problem in his surveies because he is dyslexic. There, he learned a new manner to read and compose, and when he enrolled at the University of New Hampshire, he excelled in his surveies.
John Irving s early old ages were strikingly similar to this. John Irving grew up in a little New Hampshire town, where his household s wealth and influence allowed him to travel to a esteemed male childs preparative school, besides. While in the 11th class, he discovered that he was dyslexic ( though this had no name in the 1950 s ) . When he enrolled at the University of New Hampshire, John Irving surpassed all outlooks and shortly wrote his first successful novel, The World Harmonizing To Garp. His first novel set the case in point for his other Hagiographas, leting him to follow the traditions of Charles Dickens, a author accredited for his usage of symbolism and multi-sensory extracts. John Irving s composing culminated into a novel that proves there are Christ-like people in today s society.
Because Owen had been selected as a Christ figure, the reader is able to derive a fresh position of the Bible, and how Owen fulfills the representation of Jesus. From the beginning of his life, Own had been a miracle of God. Like the babe Jesus, Owen had been born of a virgin. His virgin birth, nevertheless, had non been accepted by the Catholic Church, and his household resented that. As Jesus grew up, he had to have certain values before he could utilize them. Jesus first gift was the ability to hold great compassion. Owen Meany s compassion for other life animals surpasses the mean individual s degree of compassion. When Sagamore, the Wheelwright s neighbour s Canis familiaris was killed by a diaper truck, Owen was the individual who had the thought to hold a funeral. The ground for this funeral was non merely his ain closing, but more significantly, so that Sagamore s proprietor, Mr. Fish, would hold an chance to mourn the loss of his comrade. The compassion he shows at Johnny s female parent s funeral is different, nevertheless. The dark of her funeral, Owen visits the grave and reads The Book of Common Prayer. The following forenoon, Owen arrives at Johnny s house and leaves his greatest hoarded wealth: his box of baseball cards. By making this, Owen portions with Johnny how much of his life he had lost. When Jesus had mastered his ability to demo great compassion to others, God gave him the ability to learn others. Owen had besides been able to learn others, even at a immature age. One of Owen s greatest achievements while at the Gravesend Academy was THE VOICE. This newspaper column non merely caught the attending of the pupils, but it besides taught the pupils, the module, and the alumnas about life. This column written by Owen Meany is the equivalent of one of Jesus fables in the Bible. Its bold print may even propose an effort to associate Owen s words with the words of Christ in Jesus -Words-In-Red Bibles that are prevailing in today s society. Not merely did Owen aid dealingss within the school scene, but he besides opened new doors with his relationship with Johnny. Owen Meany gave Johnny Wheelwright the ability to read. Because of Johnny s undiagnosed dyslexia, he had been unable to right understand his surveies. Once Owen gave Johnny the tools to larn, Johnny excelled at his surveies and graduated English major semen laude.
The nazarene could merely affect people with his cognition and expertness of the Bible, had he non been able to give religion to the weak. Owen, in the same mode, would merely be a four foo
t mastermind with a eldritch voice, had it non been for his strong religion in God. The religion that Owen carried in his bosom was a light that shone throughout many dark times. Owen non merely had faith in God, but he besides had faith that God would assist him. Through Owen s instruction of religion to Johnny, Johnny is able to transport on Owen s message even after he is dead. Jesus, in the same manner, besides had people to transport on His message even after He died.
Many times throughout the Bible, Jesus saved people from deceasing, or brought them back to life. Owen Meany, working as GOD S INSTRUMENT, besides saves people. When Johnny is drafted in Vietnam, Owen gives him the ability to remain out of the war. By cutting off Johnny s index finger, Owen saves his best friend s life. Through Owen s dreams, he realizes that for his fate to happen, Johnny must be alive to assist him. If Johnny dies in the war, Owen s destiny may non happen as it is supposed to. Johnny s assurance in Owen is tested to the extreme, but Owen reminds him that he loves him really much, and would ne’er allow anything go on to him that Johnny did non desire to go on.
At the Last Supper, Jesus was stating the 12 disciples that person would bewray Him. Not believing Him, they asked whom it would be. Jesus told them that it is whoever had their manus in the breadbasket. The work forces looked at each other recognizing that they all had their custodies in the basket. They were all guilty for allowing Christ dice. Owen Meany s remark to his friends is evocative to this celebrated narrative. While swimming, Owen takes off his safety belt and fells from the other male childs. When they noticed that he was no longer at that place, they were shocked and did non travel looking for him. When he saw that they did non assist him, he screamed at them YOU Let ME DROWN YOU DIDN T DO ANYTHING! YOU JUST WATCHED ME DROWN! I M ALREADY DEAD REMEMBER THAT: YOU Let ME DIE. By Owen doing the relation between Christ and himself, Owen must hold realized how much of a Christ figure he was.
On the 3rd twenty-four hours after the crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead. He ascended into Eden, and sits at the right manus of the Father. After the grenade exploded in Owen s weaponries, he knew that he had small clip to populate. He was carried by a nun and placed on the land where he died. As he was deceasing, Owen noticed that he was lifting up to the celestial spheres. YOU RE GETTING SMALLER, BUT I CAN STILL SEE YOU! Though this was Owen s last secular act, he continues to see Johnny, merely as Jesus has done for the past two thousand old ages.
Even though Owen Meany is a great Christ figure, he has certain defects that create a mode environing him, therefore doing him look less Christ-like. These unattractive properties allow the reader to associate with Owen. Had John Irving non given Owen a non-Christian side, the reader would non hold been able to associate with him, and his character would be level and adynamic. John Irving heightens the inquiry of Owen as GOD S INSTRUMENT when he allows Owen to make negative things like destructing the Mary Magdalene statue. His negative actions besides allow the reader to hold a laugh before Irving begins his deep subject once more.
Owen s devil figure is merely perceived as negative. Everything that Owen does has a intent that is revealed. The profanation of the Mary Magdalene statue allows for the pupil organic structure and disposal to see the failing of Mr. White. The armlessness of the figure represents how small control Mr. White had over his pupils. The headless Mary Magdalene besides signifies that Mr. White has no voice over the pupil organic structure. The caput and weaponries of the statue was besides a important portion of Johnny s pursuit to happen his existent male parent. By seting the caput and weaponries on the modiste s silent person, Mr. Merrill thought he really saw Tabitha Wheelwright s shade.
Owen Meany s negative side besides extends to his eldritch ability to stop life. He is the direct instrument of the deceases of two liquors. Johnny s female parent was killed by the ball Owen hit. Because decease is perceived as a negative effect to life, Owen is seen as a negative individual. The demand for decease, nevertheless, allows other people to be reborn. Owen s relationship with the households he had disturbed really grows after the deceases. Owen created a infinite in Johnny s life, which was filled with Owen s true love for him. Through what appears to be a negative character defect, Owen creates the ability to bond with households and make truth in the universe.
In the terminal, Owen Meany becomes Jesus: he gives up his life for the interest of others, and he teaches Johnny the significance of life and the construct of God. Owen s religion in all supreme things gives hope to the universe and gives visible radiation to the dark times. Owen Meany was particular. He was selected by God to transport the fire that Jesus had given to the universe two thousand old ages ago. I AM NOT JESUS. I AM A CHRIST FIGURE.
