If his earlier reluctance to speak represented his doubts and unease about God’s design, then his later determination to raise his voice represents his faith and commitment to God’s path for him. The period when his voice did not change with puberty seems to have confirmed to him the special role God intended for him and his voice to play.

Rather than avoid drawing attention to his peculiar speech, he makes it central to his adolescent identity, becoming The Voice of Gravesend Academy in the school newspaper. Ironically, as Owen gets older and his peers’ voices all begin to deepen with puberty, Owen seems to grow into his unchanging, squeaky voice. After Owen’s death, when divine forces save John from falling down the stairs and also reveal his long-sought-after birth father to him, it is Owen’s unmistakable voice speaking to him from the beyond that proves to John beyond a doubt that God is at work.Īs a child, Owen sometimes abstains from using his voice, self-conscious of how unusually high and childlike it sounds. The narrator of A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Wheelwright, was born in 1942, and he’s narrating the book in 1987 at the age of 45. He believes that his voice was made permanently high and childlike by God, suggesting lasting innocence and moral purity and allowing him to communicate his good intentions to the frightened children when he carries out his climactic self-sacrifice. Owen’s voice is thus unmistakably divine, as he himself claims throughout the book. John Irving’s special treatment of Owen’s speech in the book has been compared to the red-lettering editions of the Bible, in which the words spoken by Jesus are printed in striking red ink, while the rest of the words are printed in black.

Though it's dense and challenging at times, A Prayer for Owen Meany is also a deeply affecting story with unforgettable characters and thought-provoking themes.Owen’s exceptional voice, made unforgettable by the ALL-CAPS formatting of his speech, symbolizes that he is chosen by God. There's drinking and smoking, sometimes to excess, destruction of property, causalities of war, and class issues. There are lots of mature themes in this darkly comedic read, particularly about politics, war, and religion, and there is some candid sex talk. Parents need to know that A Prayer for Owen Meany, American novelist John Irving's seventh novel, is about two childhood friends whose lives intersect with class, war, family, and faith. Hester becomes known for her bawdy drunk behavior and gets drunk enough to throw up (in the grandmother's rose garden) every New Year's Eve.ĭid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide. Many of the adult characters drink and smoke. Owen and John smoke cigarettes and drink to get drunk on several occasions.

Owen meany a prayer for owen meany