A Prayer For Owen Meany Essay

Faith is the driving force behind the role of fate in an individual's life. In A Prayer For Owen Meany, by John Irving, this concept is embodied through the visions and actions of Owen Meany, solidifying John Wheelwright’s belief in a higher power.

John Wheelwright is portrayed as a boy of wavering faith, moving from church to church throughout the years; his faith is blinded by doubt. On the other hand, his best friend, Owen Meany displays a strong belief in Christianity. Meany believes that he is the “INSTRUMENT OF GOD”, strongly believing that those who believe in coincidences are foolish. Owen strengthens John’s belief in the power and significance of fate through superhuman visions and knowledge of the future. One example of this occurs at the annual Christmas play, where Owen lifts up Scrooge’s grave marker and realizes that it has his name and precise date of death. The purpose of Meany’s death comes to him later in a dream, however Wheelwright does not take Meany seriously until reflecting many years later. Owen believes that he is fated to die saving Vietnamese children, his premonition proving to be true. Owen knows his purpose in life and embodies the second coming of Christ, claiming to be a virgin birth, and uses his visions to fortify John’s religious beliefs and sacrifices his life for others. Although John does not initially grasp the significance of Meany’s actions, he does in retrospect, realizing that everything happens for a reason.

The power of fate is fortified with the death of Owen Meany. Owen and John tirelessly practice a maneuver known as “the shot” for no apparent reason than to give Meany and edge in basketball. However, “the shot” proves to be much more useful later on when Meany uses it to save the Vietnamese children for a grenade thrown by a serviceman. Owen’s belief of the power of fate is strengthened when he believes that the angel of death was upon John’s mother, Tabitha. That night, Owen believes that he stopped the angel of death from killing Tabitha, and as a result, is fated to carry out the task that the angel couldn’t. Although John believes that Owen saw his mother’s dress dummy, Owen’s premonition proves to be true when Meany hits a baseball that kills Tabitha. A specter of death follows Meany. Finally, despite Meany’s diminutive structure, kicks a ball into the street, a feat he would normally not be able to do. This prompts Wheelwright’s neighbor’s dog, Sagamore to chase after it, resulting in Sagamore’s death, an occurrence that Meany believes to be more than coincidence.

The idea of faith affecting faith is prevalent throughout A Prayer For Owen Meany. Meany’s actions and visions are the catalyst to John’s realization of the significance fate has. Meany’s actions turn the small town of Gravesend upside down an revitalizes the religious beliefs of many around him.