Owen Meany Fate

Fate and predestination. Both topics are unnerving to most, but they are central to the theme of A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. In Irving's novel, the narrator, Johnny Wheelwright, is stuck in his search for fate and identity. Thankfully, Johnny's friend Owen Meany helps him find both. When Owen accidently kills Johnny’s mother, it leaves Johnny with no one who knows the identity of his father. The story follows Owen and Johnny throughout their childhood as they try to find Johnny's father and as they contemplate religion and fate. John Irving makes many references to Thomas Hardy in a Prayer for Owen Meany because of Thomas Hardy’s belief in predestination and fate. Thomas Hardy says that "Nothing bears out in practice what it promises

incipiently". This means that nothing actually happens as promised which is commonly seen in Hardy's literary works. Even if everything seems to be good, fate can change everything and life will not go as promised. Thomas Hardy's quote applies to Johnny's search for his father, Johnny's search for faith, and America's gruesome history in A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Hardy's quote directly supports Johnny's search for his father and his identity.

At 80th Front Street, Johnny’s home, he is listening to Dan, Harriet and Tabitha discuss the identity of Johnny's father. Dan does not see anything wrong with Tabitha seeing the singing teacher but Harriet and Johnny think that "the most likely position of my father, and my other's mystery lover, was that 'famous' singing teacher" (111). Nothing happens as promised. Johnny's father is not the 'famous' singing teacher he expected nor is it anyone famous at all. Instead, his father is a faithless reverend, Mr. Merrill. This is not the only thing that does not happen as promised. Owen and Johnny are retracing Tabitha's steps when they find the store that Tabitha claimed had burned down. Confused, Johnny thinks back to what Aunt Martha said: "my mother was a little simple; no one had ever said she was a liar" (350). No one thought that Johnny's mother was hiding the truth, but nothing happens as promised. When Johnny searches for his identity he does not get what he is promised which is supported by Hardy's quote.

Similarly, in Johnny's search for faith, nothing happens as promised. In order for Johnny to believe in god, his best friend predicts his own death. Owen Meany predicts his own death and as a direct result gets Johnny to believe in god. He says, "[Owen Meany] is the reason I believe in god; I am Christian because of Owen Meany" (3). Later in the novel, Owen Meany predicts the date of his death and ends up dying on the day he predicts. Sadly, Johnny's best friend has to die in his search for faith because nothing happens as promised. During Johnny’s search for faith he switches churches multiple

times
Likewise, Hardy's quote applies to American history during the time period of A Prayer for Owen Meany. Nothing happens as promised, especially when Johnny gets his finger cut off to dodge the draft and avoid going to the Vietnam war. Before cutting Johnny's finger off, Owen says, "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, OR THE ABSENCE OF THE FIRST TWO JOINTS ON EITHER THE INDEX, MIDDLE, OR RING FINGER" (542). All of the options leave John without an important finger which will change his life forever. Furthermore, as an extra precaution, Johnny moves to Canada. When Jimmy Carter pardons the draft dodgers, Johnny says, "What did I care? I was already a Canadian citizen" (218). Had Johnny not gone to Canada he may have gone to the Vietnam war. Either way, American history changes Johnny's life completely and Johnny's life did not continue as promised. Nothing happens as promised. When war breaks out it changes lives no matter how promising their lives look especially the Vietnam war.
Some people argue that "Nothing bears out of practice what it promises incipiently" is a hyperbole and that many things do happen as promised. Although this is true, Hardy’s quote still supports Johnny’s search for identity, Johnny’s search for faith and American history during the Vietnam war. In all three cases, their lives do not go as promised. Hardy’s quote, being prominent in these three areas, can also be found in the real world. It is important to realize that life does not always move on as promised. Johnny suffers many abrupt twists and turns in his life the same way we can experience them in ours.