A Prayer for Owen Meany

A Prayer for
Owen Meany
Themes & motifs
Religious faith •  relationship between faith and doubt •  Wiggins = faith •  Merrill ‐ doubt •  John struggles w/ faith vs. skepticism Narrator/Structure •  John – restrained narrator •  Ambiguous meanings (feelings) •  Structure – moves from past to present repeatedly •  Foreshadowing! •  Owen = embodies relationship between natural & supernatural Armlessness / amputation •  Helplessness of people against injustice of fate •  Pain caused by that injustice •  Loss of loved relationships or possessions •  Surrender of the individual to God Relationships •  John & his mother/family •  John & Owen •  Fate – predestination – God decides what will happen to people (Owen especially believes!!) •  Baseball, armadillo, Angel of Death, church selection Symbols •  Armadillo Owen •  Baseball cards Red Dress •  Dress maker’s dummy •  Baseball •  Hail stone •  Wedding present Watahantowet