Owen Meany1
"Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean-make sure they know what they mean!" (572). In the novel written by John Irving, A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY, the protagonist, Owen Meany, developed an unusual religious significance. Owen experienced visions of future events, he had a unique type of faith in God that most do not attain, and Owen spoke endlessly to inform people about God. Throughout Owen's life he demonstrated the same characteristics as a prophet through his actions and his words. Thus one could conclude that Owen Meany is a prophet. Similar to a prophet, Owen was given precognitive powers that allowed him to see into the future. Owen's first prophecy came to him on New Years Eve 1953 during the community production of 'A Christmas Carol'. The most obvious inference concerning the play was that Owen played the part of the ghost of Christmas yet to come. In reaction to Owen's portrayal of this character, the audience's faces which were "so amused, so curious, so various-were rendered shockingly similar; each face became the model of each other's fear" (42). Owen had dehumanized this character to the point that children were leaving the theater crying and some were
Many of Owens morals and values that he voiced became strong teachings about life. The second prophecy came to Owen in his dreams when he envisioned the reason and the way his life would end. AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE AFRAID FOR ME. Owen marked his place within the hearts of those who surrounded him with his teachings, strong words of advice and encouragement. Owen believed he had seen his name on a gravestone along with the date of his death. Owen believed the task of John's mother's death had been passed to him for he had interrupted the angel of death at her holy work. Although everyone in the world did not know him, many believed he was special for his wisdom at such a young age. Owen stated in his diary, "THE WAY THEY LOOK AT ME, I KNOW TWO THINGS. It was a wonder to John that "the changing of the year had so little effect on Owen Meany - when [John] considered that he thought he knew. Not only did Owen enlighten the surrounding community with his words of wisdom, but he also lead those around him to question the role of the church within their lives. Owen explains that faith is believing in something without actually seeing it.
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Acceptance Essays
