59 pages • 1 hour read
John IrvingA Prayer for Owen Meany
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1989A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Symbolism abounds throughout A Prayer for Owen Meany. Choose one or two symbols aside from those listed in the study guide, and examine what they reveal about either Owen or John. Consider analyzing the dressmaker’s dummy, the Mary Magdalene statue, the armadillo, The New York Times, John’s finger, or Owen’s dream.
The chapter “The Voice” explains the author’s use of capitalization for Owen’s dialogue. How is this capitalization symbolic, both in the novel and in Owen’s use of it for his column? How does it shape the reader’s impression of Owen before and after this chapter unfolds?
Portions of the narrative are set in 1987 Toronto when John is an adult. What role do these sections play in the larger novel? What is the relationship between the past, the present, and the future?
The novel is fraught with secrets: Consider the baseball in Rev. Merrill’s drawer, Tabby’s secret nightclub performances, Owen’s “virgin birth,” and the identity of John’s father. How do secrets function in the narrative? Are characters helped or hindered by what they do not know?
The novel contains frequent allusions to other literature, including A Christmas Carol, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Julius Caesar, and The Great Gatsby. Select one and examine how one or more of its themes parallels a theme in A Prayer for Owen Meany.
During high school, Owen performs several actions that most people would refer to as pranks. When John asks about them, Owen’s reply is always that these actions are the product of “faith and prayer” (409). What does Owen mean by this, and what insights does this assertion provide about Owen’s belief system?
What is the role of adult John’s political rantings in the larger themes of the novel? What is John’s definition of a good citizen? What criticisms against the United States does he harbor and why?
How do John and Owen’s religious beliefs differ? Does John’s belief system change as he ages? If so, how?
Readers’ first image of Owen is of him being passed overhead by his fellow students in a Sunday School class. Of that time, adult John muses “How could I have known that Owen was a hero?” (8). In what instances throughout his life does Owen demonstrate heroism? Are there instances when Owen’s actions can be considered cowardly, rather than heroic? How do John and Owen define heroism? Is their definition the same?
The novel’s central conflict is that of Owen’s ensuing death. Despite knowing his death date and the circumstances surrounding it, Owen does not attempt to rewrite the future. Instead, Owen actively takes steps to ensure his death does occur as he has foreseen in his dream. Why does Owen do this? Why is it important to him that he die in the way he is “destined” to?
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By John Irving
