The existence of fate is an ongoing controversy. John Irving, when writing A
Prayer for Owen Meany, gives the audience many encounters with fate to try to
sway their opinions. However, he does not force it on the audience, merely
educates them in the miracles that could happen and lets them decide for
themselves. Owen not only believed his life was fated, but that he is an
instrument of God who is there to carry out God's will. His own experiences were
obviously believed by him to be fated and the tragedy of John's mother was
supposed to occur. He was an indirect, but integral part of the fates of others
as well, including John, Hester and Dan.
Despite Owen's belief that life is fated, he believes he must actively pursue
that future. Everything he or anyone else does has a reason for happening and
that God intends it. Owen's visions of his future were seen as not only
assurance, but also guidelines to living his life. Throughout his life, people
who were only partially religious, or at least felt they had to be, surrounded
him. This negativity toward God never dampened Owen's faith and it became
stronger all the time. His belief in fate led him to Phoenix, initially thought
to be Vietnam, where his dream became a reality. "IT'S NOT THAT I WANT TO GO TO
VIETNAM -- IT'S WHERE I HAVE TO GO. IT'S WHERE I'M A HERO. I'VE GOT TO BE
THERE... THE WAY YOU KNOW SOME THINGS--YOUR OBLIGATIONS, YOUR DESTINY OR YOUR
FATE. THE WAY YOU KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO." (Irving, 1989, 471) Some would
question if in fact this was his true fate or if he created it himself. Irving
likely put this question in the novel to let his audience know that fate is
questionable and mysterious. Even with its mysteries, it has its believers and
they have all the proof they need. Aside from his fate, Owen believed he is an
instrument of God. He believes this because of Tabby's fate, but also because he
is fated to save a ...