A Prayer for Owen Meany and Simon Birch

             The movie Simon Birch was based on the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany written by John Irving. Although the theme and plot are basically the same, the movie contains many differences in respect to the novel. These differences are seen in names, sequence of events, and other details.
             One major difference in the stories is that the names of the characters are different. In the movie, Owen Meany is named Simon Birch. Other examples of this are that Johnny changes to Joe and Gravesend changes to Gravestown. Another difference is that some of the events in the book never occurred in the movie or some of the events that occurred in the movie, never happened in the book. For instance, in the novel, Owen dies a lieutenant just as he had dreamed, and in the movie, he dies as a boy. Also, in the movie, Simon speaks out loud during Mass and gets punished, and in the novel, that never happened.
             Another thing that was different in the movie was the fact that the theme of "Armlessness" did not appear. Also, in the novel, it says that Owen was born small but not with a heart problem as it says in the movie. However, the story still centered on the friendship of Simon and Joe. With the help of Simon, Joe figures out who his real father is, just like in the novel. Also, Simon leads him to believe in God.
             A similarity that was seen in the movie and the novel is that Simon and Owen practiced what they needed to become a hero. In the novel, Owen and Johnny practice "the shot" and when they save the Vietnamese kids, they use it to throw the grenade out the window. In the movie, Simon and Joe do not practice "the shot," rather they practice holding their breath under water. Then, when Simon and Joe save the little kids in the water, they had to hold their breath. Also, in both cases, Owen's voice is what gets the kid's attention and what makes them listen to him in order for him to save them.
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A Prayer for Owen Meany and Simon Birch. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:22, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/12485.html