This study guide provides a comprehensive exploration of John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany, encouraging deeper understanding and critical analysis of its complex themes and characters. It delves into pivotal plot points, examines symbolic elements, and prompts insightful discussions about the novel’s overarching message.
1. Owen’s Relationship with Death and Divine Purpose
Owen Meany, though presented as a potential instrument of God, is linked to several deaths, most notably that of John Wheelwright’s mother. Beyond this tragic accident, consider Owen’s indirect involvement in other fatalities throughout the narrative. Does this close association with death strengthen or weaken the argument for his miraculous purpose? Explore the paradoxical nature of a divinely chosen individual seemingly surrounded by mortality.
2. The Significance of Owen’s Voice
Owen’s distinctive voice, rendered in capital letters, is a powerful symbol within the novel. At Gravesend Academy, he’s known simply as “The Voice.” Why is his voice so crucial to his character and the story’s themes? Recall specific instances where Owen’s voice played a particularly significant role, shaping events or influencing other characters. Consider the possibility that the physical disability of his voice enhances the power and directness of his communication.
Alt: A Prayer for Owen Meany book cover, showcasing a young boy in a baseball uniform, hinting at themes of faith and destiny.
3. Reverend Merrill’s Faith and Doubt
Reverend Merrill consistently discusses faith in conjunction with doubt. Do you believe these two concepts are mutually exclusive, or do they strengthen one another? Did the revelation of his relationship with John Wheelwright influence your perception of Merrill’s views on faith and doubt? Analyze Merrill’s character as a representation of the complexities and uncertainties within religious belief.
4. Genuine vs. “Bogus” Miracles
Merrill experiences a supposed miracle and renewed faith when John sets up the dressmaker’s dummy outside the church. Later, John’s own faith is sparked by Owen’s heroic rescue of Vietnamese children: “I am a Christian because of Owen Meany.” Do you consider the apparent genuineness of Owen’s “miracle” to make John’s faith more valid than the faith arising from Merrill’s fabricated one? Discuss the implications of different pathways to faith and the role of authenticity in religious experience.
5. Owen’s Conflicted Feelings Towards Family and Christlike Qualities
The Meanys claim that Owen, like Jesus, was born of a virgin. While Owen rejects the Catholic Church for their treatment of his parents, he instigates the Meanys’ departure from the Christmas Pageant. Identify other instances where Owen’s feelings toward his family appear conflicted. Do you think Owen ever consciously considers himself Christ-like, or does he act on a higher, perhaps unconscious, calling?
6. John’s Role as “Just a Joseph”
John, often an observer rather than an active participant, plays Joseph to Owen’s baby Jesus in the Christmas Pageant. He refers to himself as “just a Joseph” on other occasions. Do you perceive John’s role as consistently Joseph-like throughout the narrative? Are there other biblical characters with whom you can identify John, considering his role as a witness and supporter of Owen’s destiny?
Alt: John and Owen in the Christmas Pageant, John as Joseph and Owen as baby Jesus, illustrating the beginning of their lifelong journey together.
7. Foreshadowing of Owen’s Sacrifice
Did Irving’s references to the armless Indian and the pawless armadillo foreshadow Owen’s eventual sacrifice? What other subtle clues did Irving provide regarding Owen’s final heroic act? Consider how these instances of foreshadowing contribute to the novel’s overall sense of inevitability and predetermined fate.
8. Irving’s Use of Foreshadowing and Reader Engagement
Throughout the novel, John provides hints about forthcoming events, often adding, “As you shall see.” Did you find this technique an effective way to maintain reader engagement and curiosity? Did it create a sense of suspense and anticipation? Analyze the effectiveness of Irving’s narrative structure in shaping the reading experience.
9. Irving’s Recipe for a Good Book
Owen Meany teaches John that “Any good book is always in motion – from the general to the specific, from the particular to the whole and back again.” Do you believe Irving follows his own advice in A Prayer for Owen Meany? Provide specific examples from the text to support your argument. Consider how Irving weaves together seemingly disparate elements to create a cohesive and meaningful narrative.
10. John’s Contradictory Actions as an Adult
Given John’s dislike for Gravesend Academy, which expelled Owen, is it noteworthy that he later teaches at an academy in Toronto? In what other ways does John, as an adult, embrace issues or events he was indifferent or hostile to during his adolescence? Explore the themes of growth, change, and the complexities of human nature.
Alt: A Prayer for Owen Meany book cover depicting John as an adult, looking back on his childhood, emphasizing memory and reflection.
11. John’s Supporting Role and Retained Virginity
John assists Owen in rescuing the children, consistently playing a supporting role in Owen’s adventures. Based on the scenes in Toronto in the 1980s, do you think John ever transcends this supporting role? How does John’s retained virginity reflect his sense of self and his relationship with Owen? Analyze the symbolic significance of John’s virginity in the context of the novel’s themes of faith, destiny, and sacrifice.
12. Perspectives on the Vietnam War
Did your feelings about the U.S. involvement in Vietnam change after reading Irving’s portrayal of the peace movement, draft dodgers, and Owen’s involvement in the army? Were you surprised by Owen’s desire to go to Vietnam? Discuss how Irving uses the Vietnam War as a backdrop to explore themes of morality, patriotism, and the complexities of political ideology.
13. John’s Obsession with American Politics
John’s reactions to and preoccupation with the Iran-Contra affair in the 1980s reflect his position as neither a true Canadian nor a true American. Do you believe that non-Americans have a clearer understanding of the intricacies and deceptions within American politics? What does John’s focus on American politics reveal about his character as an adult?
14. Irving’s Use of Foreshadowing of Tragedy
Irving frequently foreshadows tragedy; for instance, hailstones striking John’s mother on her wedding day foreshadow her later death by a baseball. Identify other events that Irving foreshadows throughout the novel. Analyze how these instances of foreshadowing contribute to the novel’s overall themes of fate and inevitability.
15. Literary Influences: Dickens and Beyond
Several reviews describe A Prayer for Owen Meany as “Dickensian,” and Irving himself incorporates scenes from Dickens into the narrative. In what ways does Irving’s writing remind you of Dickens’s? What other writers would you compare Irving to in terms of style, themes, and narrative techniques?
This study guide offers a framework for engaging with the rich and multifaceted world of A Prayer for Owen Meany. By exploring these questions and considering the novel’s complex themes, readers can gain a deeper appreciation for Irving’s literary achievement.
