Understanding A Prayer For Owen Meany

Understanding A Prayer for Owen Meany from varied perspectives allows readers to garner a greater comprehension of the text. A Prayer for Owen Meany borrows quite heavily from the Bible. Biblical influences are quite complex, as many sects of Christianity are discussed. Overall, the story of Jesus is the most prominent, with Owen serving as our Christ (Foster). Several other religious anecdotes are also used. Most of these stories are related to the initial Christ story prevailing throughout the novel. Moreover, with repeating weather patterns during certain times of the year and before certain events, the weather is often omniscient and indicates something, either a rebirth or a death, change, or generally something not too favorable (It's

More than Just Rain or Snow Foster). Whether its New Years Eve, the pouring rain during Tabby and Dan's wedding, or usually before Owen is about to carry out one of his predetermined plans, a slight shower or storm comes beforehand. Religious influences and foreshadowing of events through changes in weather are essential writing techniques. Moreover, Irving's writing is depicted as too idealistic for it to have any relevance to real life:
I do not know the answers. What I do know is that John Irving favors ''characters,'' not character, and has an obvious taste for featuring oddballs, zanies, freaks, ''originals.'' In this novel they remind me not of the lives of saints but of George Price's wonderfully distorted cartoon families, their members forever eyeing one another suspiciously in their own homes. John Wheelwright and Owen Meany love each other almost as much as John Irving loves them, the ''good'' characters, to the death. Clearly, Mr. Irving has come to such a point in his revulsion from our disorder that he has decided (this is hardly novel in ''religious'' fiction) that the true saints and even ''Christ figures'' are the oddballs, and that only such can do anything about this gashed, violent, yet morally torpid society. And unlike us conformist sheep, who are all too comprehensible and classifiable, they test and provoke us not just beyond endurance but beyond our comprehension. Traditional enough! But it is what we do comprehend here that makes for a problem (Kazin).
The reader is forced to accept that everything to do with Owen Meany is the result of a miracle. Yet, there is little evidence to support this aside from Johnny's recollection of events. For some critics and readers alike, Owen’s premonitions, intellectual prowess, and messiah complex paints too much of a perfect picture. This critique states that Irving is able to tell a narrative, right up until the climax. Yet right when the novel should have impact, Irving’s work seems somewhat anticlimactic. Moreover, the shock factor Irving intended to have with his use of irony seemed to be lacking completely. There's really nothing too unexpected occurring. Next, the conclusion is described as lackluster, with Johnny Wheelwright seeming to be living a hallow existence. Johnny, an English teacher, asks his students to search for symbols in their assignments that at times, Irving can't seem to lucidly explain within his own novel. Also, Irving's comment on religion is a bit all over the place. Irving’s political commentary, infused with flashbacks, is an instrument to convey his discontent with certain aspects of life. Whether the Vietnam war, Iran-Contra, or the human condition. With so much religious and political influences, it brings into question the expertise Irving has on the subjects. Can his word be taken as credible or simply taken as more opinionated banter?
Irving’s writing becomes more sophisticated as he incorporates various literary perspectives.

In A Prayer for Owen Meany, and all his other novels, John Irving names the protagonists Johnny. In this case, it's Johnny Wheelwright. Irving's upbringing is essentially revamped in this novel, as it takes place in childhood home and follows his life almost exactly, with the exception of an Owen Meany. Even towards the end of the novel, where Johnny’s life continues to parallel Irving's biological life experiences (DiYanni). Next, understanding Irving's psychological influences is key. In the novel, he portrays his life in an alternate scenario. His mother is killed by his best friend, which could represent some unconscious resentment for his mother. Moreover, he chooses celibacy and dedicates himself to his English career as a teacher. Was he possibly exploring how his life might have turned out if he repressed his innate sexual urges or chose a different career path (DiYanni)? Lastly, the mythological perspective of literature is frequently utilized. Numerous Christian sects play major roles within Irving’s novel. Even the protagonist switches faith three times, initially being a Congregationalist, then an Episcopalian, and eventually an Anglican. Additionally, Owen Meany was initially a Catholic, but converted to an Episcopalian. The constant representations of Christian doctrines such as nativity, Mary Magdalene, and Owen's Christ-like figure continue to illustrate the influence of religion on this novel

(DiYanni).
Literary criticisms are crucial to understand the impact on the literary community and the reception of the work:
A Prayer for Owen Meany similarly overwhelms readers with a plethora of signs, and calls particular attention to readers' presuppositions about interpreting them. Indirectly, the text foregrounds this issue by the multitude of interpretative acts undertaken by the characters. More directly, Irving's text draws attention to the act of interpretation through its mode of narration. As John retells his life, he unavoidably interprets past events, and this situation forces the reader to consider not only the events but also the way they may be re-constructed through the process of narration. To accentuate this pattern, John habitually addresses the reader, most noticeably in his refrains of "Remember that?" and "as you shall see," which in their shrill insistence force the reader to participate and interpret. (Page)
Critics mention how well Irving prompts reader to interpret his work. This enables readers to accept his interpretations of past events as well as form their own on the whole. Moreover, readers can either expect an explanation or formulate their own understanding.
“ preposterous that John Wheelwright not only bears no grudge against the (accidental) killer of his mother but learns to reverence him because Owen is so sure that the death was foreseen, in God's hands. Does she have to die in order to make the point that there is a mystery to this our life that we have to accept if we are to believe in a providence?” (Kazin) Irving's novel contains numerous biblical interpretations, literary techniques, and witty writing. “the characters, most prominently Johnny and Owen, are confronted with a rich array of signs--objects, events, texts, other characters--which they have difficulty interpreting. From the perspective of semiotics, such difficulty is not surprising” (Page). Irving is praised integration of several elements ranging from comedy to religion, death, and authority.
John Irving’s bildungsroman, A Prayer for Owen Meany clearly demonstrates thematic depth, comments on the human condition, and had a profound impact on society. By infusing this novel with numerous literary devices, techniques, and overarching ideas, Irving was able to fully convey his message. By heavily implementing religious symbolism and diction, Irving concisely preserves the motif of Christ through Owen Meany. Irving’s writing was influenced by his opinions of the government actions stemming from Cold War tensions, uncertainty, and a society without moral compass. Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany aims to inspire readers and reinvigorate religious zeal, in a time where society needed a pillar to bolster its core.