Angie Bell
Lit Crit I
In the literary criticism of A Prayer for Owen Meany, literature critic Bryan Aubrey
discusses author John Irving’s use of Owen as a Christ figure. One of the things that
struck me most about Aubrey’s interpretation of the novel was his assessment of Irving’s
feelings about gender roles in American society. Bryan said that Owen’s androgynous
nature pointed to symbolic framework in which “American society is shown as being out
of balance due to a preponderance of an aggressive, destructive male energy that rides
roughshod over the feminine aspects of life.” To be honest, if John Irving intended to
make a statement about male and female energy, I never picked up on it. I tend to assume
that anyone who suggests males are overly “aggressive and destructive” is a female, and
for this reason it never crossed my mind that Irving would put this in his novel. However,
now that this has been pointed out to me, it answers a few important questions that I had
before reading this article. For one thing, there is the concern of lust in the novel; though
Owen experiences lust, he advises Johnny that it is “truthful premonition that damnation
is for real”. At first, I was perplexed by this statement, because I was certain that Owen
experienced lust as much as any other adolescent boy. However, if Irving intended to
communicate the “link between aggressive male sexuality and the destructive instincts
that give rise to war” as Aubrey said, Owen’s denouncement of lust takes on new
meaning. Owen is a male who overcomes his sexually aggressive nature and embodies
the opposite of the culture Irving is trying to condemn. It just so happens that in doing so
Owen is yet again paralleled to Christ. Another question I had was about John’s
“neutered” state by the end of the novel. I don’t have anything against virginity, but I
Angie Bell
assumed that Irving’s inclusion of this detail was a negative comment on John’s life. For
a man of John’s age, I thought virginity was a sad symptom of a life unlived, an indicator
of a man who had never loved or been loved. However, I now realize that perhaps in
Irving’s eyes the avoidance of sex was a triumph for John; like Owen, he managed to
overcome that “destructive and aggressive” nature inherent to male energy. Throughout
the novel, John repeatedly compares himself to Joseph. I guess I need to brush up on my
bible knowledge, but from the context of the comparisons I always assumed that it was
intended negatively. Now I realize that John and Joseph had virginity in common;
perhaps they also shared the kind of character that Irving most admires in males. With
Aubrey’s ideas in mind, I would say that maybe Irving is not only making a statement
about the kind of men we have in our country, but also the kind of men we should have in
our country: More Johns and Josephs.
After reading this criticism, I realize that perhaps I perceived John’s character
differently than he was intended. It’s a little ironic that I assumed that because John
Irving is a man, he could claim ownership to the same aggressive sexuality that he
apparently had been denouncing throughout the novel, and therefore would include
John’s virginity to imply something negative. However, with Aubrey’s help, I understand
now that Irving values more stereotypically feminine qualities, such as innocence and
moderation. Though I wouldn’t say that moderation is a quality I typically admire above
other qualities, I can at least appreciate where Irving is coming from now, and have a
better appreciation and acceptance for John’s character.
Angie Bell
Lit Crit II
In a literary criticism of A Prayer for Owen Meany, author Debra Shostak explores
Irving’s use of repetition to explore the theme of predestination. One thing that stuck out
to me was Shostak’s mention of the armlessness motif seen in the novel. This motif
struck me as very important when I read the novel, and clearly it did to Shostak as well
because she remarks on the importance of armlessness, describing how it refers to
Owen’s fate and the feeling of being trapped by one’s own destiny. However, what was
especially interesting to me was Shostak’s separate reference to symbolism of Owen and
his granite. During my reading, the only remarkable thing about Owen’s history in the
granite business was the unlikely juxtaposition of his size and delicacy with the giant
slabs of rock. “Owen develops great skill in working in this dense medium, carving and
engraving gravestones. This hints at a parallel with the actions of the Christian God, who
reaches down into the human world of death and has the will and the power to refashion
even the most opaque, recalcitrant aspects of the material world,” comments Shostak,
revealing a whole new level of parallels between Christ and Owen. Throughout the novel,
I always related the armlessness motif to Owen’s feelings about his fate. However, this
observation about the granite made me see things differently. If the granite had arms, I
guarantee you that Irving would have removed them! I realize now that it was not just
Owen who was the “instrument”; Owen was also the “creator”, not just in the granite
business but also in the way he interacted with John and the rest of Gravesend. His role as
The Voice and his part in the Christmas plays reminds one that while on the surface
succumbing to the will of God, Owen was very much in charge.
Angie Bell
I was also very alarmed by Shostak’s comment about John Irving lacking faith. I
have no way of knowing the extent of Irving’s faith (or lack thereof) but I think it would
be severely disappointing to find out that he was a nonbeliever. For me, it changes the
tone of the novel; I believed Irving to be hopeful and optimistic about God, and without
that voice, A Prayer For Owen Meany could easily become a mockery of religion.
However, after rereading what Shostak wrote, I had to reconsider; perhaps Owen Meany
is the answer for Irving’s personal struggle with doubt. However, I disagree with
Shostak’s idea that the novel is a plea for an easy answer to the mysteries of God.
Whether Irving is a man of faith or not, I felt that Owen Meany was nothing so meek as a
plea; to me, it felt like a bold statement in favor of belief. And even if Irving does not
believe in God, it is still a leap of faith to write a novel that is so faithful. Although my
initial reaction was angry, I think I am glad to know that Irving is actually a doubtful man.
It just goes to show that though he may not fully believe in God, he must have believed
very much in Owen Meany, and it is that kind of care that makes a novel worth reading.
Angie Bell
Works Cited
Aubrey, Bryan. “A Prayer for Owen Meany: Criticism, Bryan Aubrey.” Novels for Students. Ed.
Jennifer Smith. Vol. 14. 2002. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. 204-207. Rpt. in Novels for
Students. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. New York: Ballantine, 1989. Print.
Shostak, Debra. “A Prayer for Owen Meany: Criticism, Debra Shostak.” Novels for Students. Ed.
Jennifer Smith. Vol. 14. 2002. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. 207-212. Rpt. in Novels for
Students. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.