John's American Abhorrence in A Prayer for Owen Meany
John's deep-seated resentment towards the United States and its citizens is strongly reflected in this passage; his character and point of view are powerfully illustrated by his tone and choice of words. Moreover, the reader is able to probe deeper into John's character and learn a little more about him through his words.John is deeply split on his feelings for his native country; he treats America with contempt, stating its "arrogance" and ignorance repeatedly, but also is unwillingly drawn to it. His tone is critical, and vehement, showing the reader that John must care somewhat about what he so violently opposes. His word choice of "ridiculous" also helps to further exemplify John's strong feelings on America.Through this discrepancy of John's feelings and actions, we are able to see that John is both extremely unhappy and extremely confused. He voices his dissatisfaction with United States, stating, "Americans should be forced to see how ridiculous they appear to the rest of the world!" Yet, ironically, it is to The New York Times that John runs when he feels nostalgia for the United States - except
John desperately wants to be Canadian, and to be viewed as Canadian by other Canadians however, as Canon Mackie astutely states, "But don't you see how your. This weakness becomes especially apparent in John's constant struggle to please his own instinctual demands to hold true to his country, and to his best friend. Owen represents both the pull and the aversion to America; John loves America because of Owen and the memories he has there, yet also hates it because it is what indirectly caused Owen's death. He is unwilling to admit his fallacies, and also unwilling to face the issues that incessantly plague him. With Owen gone, he manifests his hatred for America even more passionately, and also hates himself because he knows that he is holding neither the memory of Owen nor his allegiance to the United States true. John is pulled in two separate directions, and it is this very discrepancy that causes the novel to radiate with sadness and dissatisfaction whenever John is in Canada. 319-320) portrays John's obsession with what he consciously despises, but subconsciously still loves. The author's tone noticeably changes when John switches from his Gravesend home to his Canadian one; whereas, the young John is almost happy, despite his rather tumultuous upbringing, the older John is reserved and fastidious, somehow lacking the exuberance and tentative happiness that he possessed when he was younger. Despite what John would like to believe, America is an integral part of him, and has shaped his character permanently. Although he knows the cause of these issues (Owen), he is unable to further hurt himself by addressing them because John, essentially, is weak.
Common topics in this essay:
,
Owen Owen,
John Canada,
Canon Mackie's,
America Owen,
Globe Mail,
Owen America,
Times John,
John Americans,
It's Canadian,
else's version,
john believe,
version unwilling,
loves america,
apparent john,
loves owen,
owen owen,
hates loves,
|
Acceptance Essays
