Background and information
on A Prayer for Owen Meany
The following information was taken from a website called Eric's Tribute to A Prayer for Owen Meany
General background on the novel Here is some general background for the novel, and hopefully, a helpful tool for those about to tackle to book for the first time or those who are reading it and are having trouble.
A Prayer For Owen Meany is a novel by American/Canadian author John Irving. Originally from New Hampshire, Irving now makes his home mainly in Canada. Some have suggested that the very general events in the novel parallel Irving's own path through life, ie the move to Canada, the narrator's name and birthdate. The town of Gravesend, New Hampshire, which is the main setting for the story, is said to be based on Irving's own hometown of Exeter in New Hampshire.
While reading the novel, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, the story is not linear; there are flashbacks, flashforwards and reminiscing throughout the story. Also, the fact that all of Owen's dialogue is in capitals is important, and suggests something about the character and the overall story. Even with that in mind, it is my opinion that Johnny, not Owen is the main focus of the story. They both go hand in hand, but the story is being told from Johnny's persepective, not Owen's, therefore, there are some things that are said that must be viewed as biased.
Many people want to know, what is the real point of the story? That is a question that I believe will have a different answer for everyone. For what it is worth, here is what the story means to me. It is a story about renewal, about finding some things about ourselves that makes us more whole people, people who are more in touch with the person that is us. It is a story about one man's experiences through life in which he is forced to realize some important things about himself, his life and the lives of those people around him. Through his life, he encounters happiness, heartache, pain, pride, disappointment and understanding. His life's experiences instill a sense of faith and awe in him and an undeniable, healthy fear of God and His world. This is what I feel the story means and is about. I hope that will allow people to formulate what they think the book is about.
Symbols and symbolism in the novel
The Red Dress
It seems to be symbolic because of the association people have with the color red. Red expresses something hidden, something sultry or somewhat passionate, red being the color for love, especially in roses. Of course, the red in Owen Meany symbolizes Tabitha's departure from what her life normally is, a quiet, peaceful, predictable existence in a small town. But with the red, Tabitha is outgoing, sexy and daring, hence her singing and affair with her hometown pastor, Pastor Merril.
Armlessness
This is the symbol which Irving beats to death in the story. There is so much forshadowing
that the ending may not be much of a surprise anymore to the careful reader. Still, the lack of arms shows up in lots of places, Watahantowet's armless totem, the dressmaker dummy, the armadillo which Owen mutilates and of course, the statue of Mary Magdalene. There may be more, but those are the most obvious.
The Armadillo
The armadillo is one of the symbols which is used to represent the motif of armlessness. But I think that it means a little more than that. It is the only one of the presents that any of Tabitha's "beaus" gave to Johnny that he kept. Obviously this is because he really likes Dan and has accepted him into the family. I think the armadillo represents Dan's inherent tendency to understand Johnny and be more of a father to him than his real father ever was or ever could be.
The Wedding Present
The gift Owen made for Tabitha and Dan for their wedding day is as symbolic as it is forshadowing. It forshadows the death of Tabitha as Johnny says later and it also symbolizes how connected Owen's life is with granite, gravestones and death in general. Owen's association with granite appears later, in the pedestal for the remade statue of Mary Magdalene and in his own tombstone.
The Granite Saw
The granite saw that the Meany Granite Quarry uses too make monuments to sell. It
represents how Johnny feels detached from the world, from his peers and from his
generation. The cutting off of his finger causes him to lose sight of what his generation
during Vietnam was fighting over and why Owen wanted to be a part of it. Johnny's
loss of his finger via the "diamond wheel" isolates him and keeps him from ever
thinking of his life in the same way again.
Main characters in the novel
Owen Meany
The hero of our story, albeit tragic. The namesake of the novel, the instrument of God. Could he truly know the date and cause of his death? Was his sole purpose in life only to save the Vietnamese children? The mind wants to say "No" because the alternative is too fantastic to comprehend. Still, it is Owen who helps Johnny through school, give him the gift of reading, saves his life, and keeps him out of Vietnam.
John Wheelwright
An alternative to Owen would be to make Johnny the hero of the story. It is his life that is profoundly altered by what happened to Owen. He is the illegitimate child of his mother, the son of a cursed pastor. He is a troubled soul, his love of Owen is only matched by his hatred of Owen's control, the control that he never has in his life. He is the narrator of the story, the only one who witnessed the miracle that was Owen from beginning to end.
Hester Eastman
Johnny's bizzare cousin. She is an "aging rock queen". Her loudness is matched only by her tendency to be somewhat promiscuous, but only Owen is able to win her heart. She has a strange relationship with her only cousin, Johnny. His love for her goes beyond family affection, yet neither of them are able to understand it fully. She is the angry soul in a world of people conceding defeat.
Harriet Wheelwright
Johnny's grandmother, the venerable queen of Gravesend. She is the arrogant, fussy, picky, critical, old fashioned ruler of 80 Front Street. All that aside, she is still one of the most enjoyable characters in the novel. She married Mr. Wheelwright (whose name is never revealed) not only for love, but for the name as well. She is Mrs. Wheelwright and nothing less. It is through her influence and money that Owen is able to get the clothes he needs to attend the Academy. She lives to be 99 years old, dying 2 weeks prior to her 100th birthday.
Tabitha Wheelwright
Johnny's mother and arguably the most scandalous person ever to live in Gravesend. Johnny's birth, his father and her refusal to discuss both of them landed her in at the bottom of the social ranks in the small town. Her affair with Pastor Merrill didn't hurt her and gave her what she wanted which was one child. Johnny always thought she was the perfect mother and there was never any words to the contrary. She loved Johnny and she loved Owen too, almost as if he were her son as well. Her death at the hands of Owen's foul ball was the defining moment of Johnny's childhood. Just for fun, here are the lyrics to Tabitha's favorite Frank Sinatra song: Too Romantic
Daniel Needham
Tabitha's unfortunate husband, unfortunate in the sense that he loves Tabitha immensely and yet is she is taken from him after only one year of marriage. His love for her is evident as he remains a widower for the rest of his life. He is Johnny's adoptive father, something that allows Johnny to attend the academy. Dan served quite effectively as Johnny's father, giving him everything his true father did not.
Reverend Lewis Merrill
Johnny's biological father and the pastor of the town's Congregationalist Church. His weakness and his failed attempts to be strong disappoint Johnny immensely. However, it is Pastor Merrill's conversion to the utmost faith in God that redeems him a little in Johnny's eyes.
Martha Eastman
Johnny's aunt, Tabitha's sister. Martha is jealous of her sister for being prettier, but still loves her. She calls Tabitha "a little simple" out of misunderstanding. Her inability to comprehend what happens to her sister is a sign of her familial affection.