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“Dear God, please make Owen Meany live forever. That’s all I ask.” – John Wheelwright (A Prayer For Owen Meany)
Owen Meany is the ultimate underdog. He’s born with a wonky thumb, a stutter, and an uncanny ability to predict the future. But what makes him truly remarkable is that he’s also born with the belief that he is destined for something great—something that will change the world forever. And so begins A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving’s first novel and one of his most beloved works.
In this novel, John Wheelwright is Owen Meany’s best friend and confidante—and his most fervent believer in miracles. It’s through John we learn about Owen’s life: from his childhood days in Gravesend, New Hampshire (where he was homeschooled by his mother) to his time as a soldier in Vietnam; from his friendship with John Wheelwright himself to his unexpected role in saving the world from nuclear catastrophe; and finally, from the tragic death of their mutual friend Jim Hobart at their hands—which haunts them both until they meet again years later under very different circumstances.
A Prayer For Owen Meany Quotes
A Prayer for Owen Meany is a coming-of-age novel by American writer John Irving.
A Prayer for Owen Meany is a coming-of-age novel by American writer John Irving.
The story focuses on two boys who are best friends and their journey through life, as they face countless obstacles along the way. One of these boys is Johnny Wheelwright, who narrates the story in first person and serves as an unreliable narrator throughout. The other boy is Owen Meany, who starts out as a small person but grows to be very tall. He has a squeaky voice that makes him sound like a mouse or chipmunk; however, despite this strange characteristic he has many positive attributes such as kindness toward others, being intelligent and brave when faced with challenges (e.g., during World War II), etc..
John Wheelwright and Owen Meany become friends in 1954, when both are 11 years old.
The friendship between Johnny Wheelwright and Owen Meany is the central focus of this book. The two boys become friends in 1954, when both are 11 years old. They first meet at a Little League baseball game where John has been chosen to play catcher for his team. Owen is put on the other team as pitcher, and throws so hard that he goes over everyone’s heads, even hitting one player in the head with a fast ball. After this incident, Owen ends up sitting next to John on the bus ride home from their first game together; they become instant friends and spend much of their time together during summer vacation from school.
In the summer of 1953, Johnny meets Owen for the first time on a Little League baseball field.
In the summer of 1953, Johnny meets Owen for the first time on a Little League baseball field. The boys are seven years old, and neither has any idea that this is the beginning of their lifelong friendship.
In his mind’s eye, Johnny sees a child who appears to be “bald-headed.” He thinks Owen looks like someone who might have just spent some time in the sun—and he probably has: it’s summertime in New Hampshire (where they live), and both boys play outside all day long.
Owen introduces himself as “Owen Meany,” which surprises Johnny because he doesn’t know anyone with such an unusual name. To make matters more confusing, Owen goes on to explain that his family name is actually “Meehan,” but they say it differently because they’re Irish Catholics; his father was born with an accent from Ireland when he came over here many years ago.
An accident causes the accidental death of Johnny’s mother, Tabitha.
When Johnny’s mother, Tabitha Wheelwright, is struck by a foul ball during a game of baseball—a game in which Owen Meany accidentally hits the ball with his bat—Owen believes that he was predestined to hit the ball and thus cause Tabitha’s death. He recounts how he saw “the true path” of the ball as it sailed through the air; this means that he somehow knew that it would land on Tabitha’s head because she was meant to die at that moment. He also tells Johnny about his belief in fate: “They say we’re all accidents…but most accidents are caused by other people.”
The following Sunday, the church burns to the ground.
The following Sunday, the church burns to the ground.
This is the third death in this novel, and it’s certainly not accidental. This is a direct impact on many characters’ lives and has significance for the story as a whole. It also marks an important shift in tone—it’s not war or car crashes that killed Reverend Larch, but arson; this is not an accident caused by human error or mechanical malfunction.
At Grantham High School, Johnny and Owen are both stars on the basketball team.
At Grantham High School, Johnny and Owen are both stars on the basketball team. Though they are friends and teammates, Johnny is jealous of Owen’s skills because he knows that everyone loves him for them and not for himself. Despite being captain of the team, Johnny can’t help but feel isolated from others because he doesn’t have a way to compete with his best friend—except by becoming popular through other means: playing music at parties with his band or selling drugs to his classmates.
In one scene in which these two characters meet after school hours at Johnny’s house, we see them play a game of basketball together. Though it’s clear that Johnny wants nothing more than to win this match so he can prove something (perhaps even himself?), there’s an undeniable tension between them as each tries desperately not to lose their temper over defeat.
Owen makes a scene at school when he discovers that his history teacher is preaching a theory of evolution that conflicts with his own ideas about being predestined by God.
Owen’s religious views are based on predestination. He believes that God has predetermined the fate of every person and that man cannot escape this fate.
Owen’s confrontation with his history teacher is a perfect example of standing up for what he believes in, despite the consequences or consequences he may face from doing so. This is an important lesson for students to learn, especially in today’s society where it seems like everyone is trying to shut down political speech or pass laws against things like freedom of religion and speech.
On Christmas Eve during their senior year in high school, Owen sings out loud in church an anti-war song (“I Heard It Through the Grapevine”) while in front of the Nativity manger.
In addition to being a scholar and a gifted athlete, Owen is also an aspiring poet. He writes poems about everything from the suffering of people around him (including a poem he writes for Johnny’s mother, Tabitha) to his own love life (which hasn’t yet bloomed).
On Christmas Eve during their senior year in high school, Owen sings out loud in church an anti-war song (“I Heard It Through the Grapevine”) while in front of the Nativity manger. Johnny is embarrassed by this; his mother weeps at the thought that Owen might have been Jesus reborn. Other members of their congregation find Owen’s performance hilarious and applaud heartily when he finishes singing.
Johnny and his father return to Gravesend to grieve over Tabitha’s body one last time before it is disinterred and returned to them for burial.
Johnny and his father return to Gravesend to grieve over Tabitha’s body one last time before it is disinterred and returned to them for burial.
It is a cold day in late November, but the sunlight catches on the snowcapped hills around them and looks like a photograph of a brighter place. As they walk through the cemetery, Johnny notices that some graves are marked with flowers already wilted by frost; others have been freshly covered with snow. Johnny picks up one of the dead flowers, holds it between his fingers until they turn pale blue from its coldness, then lets it drop back into earth as though he had only been playing with firecrackers rather than something more precious than gold or rubies or pearls or even diamonds—and he feels terrible when he thinks about how much he has lost here today: all those things I never had before now gone forever (p.348-349).
Owen enlists in the army and heads to Vietnam after graduation from high school at age 17 in 1965.
Owen enlists in the army and heads to Vietnam after graduation from high school at age 17 in 1965.
To understand Owen’s decision to head off to war, it is important to know a bit about the Vietnam War. In particular, it’s helpful to know that by this point in history, many people saw America’s involvement as morally wrong and unjustified. However, despite opposition from his family (especially his mother), friends and teachers alike—and even while knowing full well the dangers he faced—Owen still chose to enlist. His reasons for doing so were largely ideological; he felt strongly about defending liberty against communism by fighting alongside American troops who were stationed overseas during this time period. Owen was not motivated by financial gain or glory seeking but rather by his conviction as an Evangelical Christian: “I couldn’t think of anything worse than being a chaplain or medic,” he says later on in life when asked why he didn’t want these jobs instead.
When Owen arrives back in Gravesend from Vietnam as Johnny’s guest for Thanksgiving dinner, he takes exception to a remark made by Reverend Lewis Merrill about foreign aid.
When Owen arrives back in Gravesend from Vietnam as Johnny’s guest for Thanksgiving dinner, he takes exception to a remark made by Reverend Lewis Merrill about foreign aid.
The reverend is talking about how our country has been helping people all over the world. He says that we should be proud of ourselves and then says that some people think we’re doing too much for other countries and not enough for ourselves. He thinks we should cut back on our foreign aid spending because there’s no reason to give money away when Americans are hungry and homeless themselves.
