Owen Meany

A Prayer for Owen Meany
2007. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole
A prayer for Owen Meany is a story about hope, redemption, youth, and change. John wheelwright’s friendship with Owen is a friendship that is genuine. Owen is his best friend as well as his guardian angel. In Owens eyes as well as Johns, Owen is an instrument from god. To others Owen is a freak and he looked down on. Owens contribution to John’s mothers’ death changed john forever. John forgave Owen; after all it was just an accident. All of these events changed and affected him both positively and negatively.
John’s view of religion was not really a care in johns mind. To him Sunday school was a joke when he was little. But because of Owen his view became more serious. “He was the instrument of my mothers’ death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am Christian because of Owen Meany”. (pg. 1) The impact Owen had on johns’ religious views is incredible. John is pointing out the fact that even though his mothers’ death was in the hands of Owen Meany he still can’t stop being his friend. Even though his mother died Owen was always there to tell him that it’s all in gods’ hands. Most people think losing a loved one means losing their faith in god. In Johns case that was not true. “What faith I have I owe to Owen Meany, a boy I grew up with. It is Owen who made me a believer.
A mother’s death can be the most painful thing in the world. Knowing that your best friend was the cause is even worse. It was during one of Owen and John’s baseball games were it happened. “Your memory is a monster: you forget-it doesn’t. It simply files things away. Later I would remember everything. In revisiting the scene of my mothers’ death, I can remember everyone who was in the stands that day”. (pg.34) In Johns mind the day of his mothers’ death will replay in his mind like a tape over and over again. Owen meany did not mean for such an event to happen but it did. It is surprising that John wheelwright forgave Owen Meany. But in a way he knew that everything happens for a reason.
They’re many things that happened to John in his life. For example during the sixties the Vietnam War was in effect. Many Americans were losing there life. Call John a coward but he did not want to go to war. He did not want to lose his life over something stupid. So his decision was to have Owen cut off his finger. “The army regulation in question states that a person would not be physically qualified to serve in the case of the absence of the first joint of either thumb”. So they cut his finger off. In a way it was good cause he didn’t have to go to war but in the other hand he will be missing a finger.
In life there will be many situations, events, and choices that will affect a person. All those events will eventually shape who that person becomes. For example Owens death is the reason John moved to Canada. John felt like there was nothing left in America for him. He became a better person because of Owen Meany.