A Prayer For Owen Meany Analysis

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Religion has been around since the first civilizations of humankind came into existence. Followers of Christianity believe both in free-will and God’s ability to carry out each individual’s fate. In theology, the concept that all events have been willed by God is known as predestination. This doctrine states that God foresees all events occurring in time that are influenced by man’s free will. Those who have been chosen to fulfill his purpose are similar to his son, Jesus Christ.
An analysis of A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving reveals that protagonist Owen Meany is a prophetic character who shows John Wheelwright lessons of faith in Christianity.
Owen Meany, of A Prayer for Owen Meany, is presumed to represent an allusion to Christ who is preordained to salvation. Being uncanny, Owen is first introduced into the novel by his strangely piercing voice and tiny body. Irving’s opening states, “I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice---not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew...but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a …show more content…
After Owen gets the part as the Christ baby in the church performance of “Away in a Manger”, Irving says, “As Owen finished knocking the snow off his boots--as the little Lord Jesus stepped inside our house---” (Irving 204). Not only does he acquire a role as Jesus, Owen also sees a gravestone with his name and death date on it. Literary critic Bryan Aubrey states in his article “Critical Essay on A Prayer for Owen Meany”, “In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples that he will be killed” (“Critical Essay on A Prayer for Owen Meany”). Both Owen and Jesus foresee their deaths and sacrifice themselves to save others. The similarities between the two are multitudinous in nature, but do not ultimately provide enough proof that Owen is an allusion to Jesus
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