Prayer For Owen Meany Essay, Research Paper

The theme of death and dying in A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is

constant throughout the novel. Many events that prepare the characters for death

occur through the death of Tabitha Wheelwright, through Owen?s faith and

religion, also through Owen?s own death. In relation to the book and reality,

there are events in life that people encounter that prepare themselves for

death. In the novel, the event of Tabitha Wheelwright?s death is the first and

also one of the most important events. John and Owen experience death of a loved

one at an early age when Owen accidentally kills Tabitha with a baseball. After

this event John and Owen encounter many feelings that are associated with death.

John felt anger towards his mother for leaving him so soon. John wanting to know

many things about his mother could not be answered. This is evident in pages

34-35 where John wanted to know who his father was, but his mother had already

left before she could even tell him. Owen felt the emotion of guilt. Though the

death of John?s mother was an accident, Owen blames himself. ?GOD HAS TAKEN

YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD?S

INSTRUMENT.? – P. 87 In this quote, the only way for Owen to deal with the

accident is by associating it with his faith. John?s and Owen?s feelings are

natural when people lose a close one, but it helps them embrace death later down

the road, and also their own. Owen?s unconditional faith helped John go on

after his mother?s death. Owen?s constant bible references made John feel

comfortable about death than to fear it. ?I am the resurrection and the life,

saith the Lord. He believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and

whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.? ? P. 181 In this

quote, Owen is reciting out from the bible to John to convince him of life after

death. When you die, it is not the end, but the beginning of a new life with

God. ?Into paradise may the angels lead you.? ? P. 616 Owen telling John

to reassure him that the angels will guide him into Heaven after death. Owen?s

complete faith in God helped John understand death as not a tragedy but a

transitional journey. In the second half of the novel, Owen realizes that he

will die and that he is God?s instrument. Owen was placed on earth for a

purpose, which he completes at the end. Owen?s death helped him deal with his

own death, preparing him for the worst. ?LAST NITE I HAD A DREAM. NOW I KNOW

FOUR THINGS. I KNOW THAT MY VOICE DOESN?T CHANGE ? BUT I STILL DON?T KNOW

WHY. I KNOW THAT I AM GOD?S INSTRUMENT. I KNOW WHEN I?M GOING TO DIE ? AND

NOW A DREAM HAS SHOWN ME HOW I?M GOING TO DIE. I?M GOING TO BE A HERO! I

TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I?M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY

HARD.? ? P. 416 This is where Owen has his dream, which tells him that he

will be a hero by saving the orphan children from the grenade, which leads to

his death. Also another event where Owen interrupted the Angel of Death made him

believe he was going to be used to kill Tabitha Wheelwright. ?In Owen?s

opinion, he had INTERUPTED AN ANGEL, he had DISTURBED AN ANGEL AT WORK, he had

UPSET THE SCHEME OF THINGS.? ? P. 102 This quote helps Owen explain and also

convince himself that he was used to kill Tabitha because God had made him his

instrument. Tabitha died for a reason, and God made sure that it was by Owen?s

hands because it brought John and Owen together. Owen Meany?s death and him

being an instrument of God, it helped John believe in God and that afterlife is

true. Owen and John experienced death and dying through many deaths from the

beginning to the end of the novel. Many events happened to John to lead him to

believe in God, which ultimately helped him embrace death, events such as his

mother?s death, Owen?s faith and Owen?s claim that he is God?s

instrument and also his death.