A Prayer for Owen Meany: What Faith Can Do

Someone once said, “Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.” Owen

Meany is a beacon of faith in a world blackened by doubt in John Irving’s novel, A Prayer for

Owen Meany. With his faith, Owen opens the eyes of Johnny Wheelwright, the protagonist and

narrator of the novel. Owen is but a human with human imperfection; nonetheless, he redeems

himself, and through himself, the people around him. Owen’s redemption through faith as a

theme is emphasized in the scene with the surrogate statue of Mary Magdalene because of

Irving’s precise choice of words, biblical allusions, and structure.

Throughout the novel, Irving focuses heavily on the characterization of Owen Meany,

usually parallel to Johnny’s life. Things simply seem to happen around Owen, in which Johnny

always gets caught up with him, such as the spiritual mini-revival that Owen initiates at their

academy. During Johnny’s commencement ceremony, as described at the beginning of the

passage, Owen is absent because of his expulsion, yet all of Johnny’s classmates stand up in

“riotous support” of Owen, on account of his absence. A recurring motif in the passage is

Irving’s emphasis on Owen’s magnitude and influence, but in a generally reverential manner.

Using broader terms, Irving subtly conveys this message once more in a different hue, when he

states that the school sits “in a hush” as they gaze upon Owen’s statue of Mary Magdalene.

These specific phrases juxtapose regality and revolt, expressing the depth of the veneration that

Owen commands. Irving builds off this idea as he writes, “And he was not at morning meeting

on that February day, just before spring vacation; but the surrogate he had left onstage was

grotesquely capable of holding our attention” (408). Irving layers this passage, situating it behind

a theme of reconciliation and healing. For example, the month in which the passage is set,

February, is denotatively known as the “feast of purification.” Owen sends Mary Magdalene to
convey to his classmates his earnestness and to plead for forgiveness. Although he is not present

to deliver the message himself, the surrogate he sends acts as a symbol of his Faith. Though it is

never stated outright, the consistency of Irving’s word choice leads the reader to understand that

Owen, represented by his surrogate, does not merely participate in this renewal; he leads it with

all his grace and authority.

The Bible is a cornerstone of human literature, holding more literary and historic value

than any other book and having defined many symbols which are commonplace in modern

society and literature. John Irving makes numerous allusions to the Bible, connecting the story of

Owen Meany to the story of Jesus Christ implicitly and explicitly. In this passage, Irving

highlights Owen Meany’s omniscient understanding of the world against a crowd of

commonplace, ordinary students. In general, the Biblical passages which Irving allude to are part

of Owen’s characterization; they add to his depth, further layering Owen’s character and

outlining his foresight and acumen which approach the aptitude of God alone. Owen

substantiates his faith through his statue of Mary Magdalene, the Biblical icon of redemption,

with great precision and deliberation. The following quote emphasizes Owen’s helplessness and

his ever-growing reliance on his Faith in God. Johnny describes Mary as “armless, but reaching

out to us; headless, but eloquent—with the clean-cut stump of her neck, which was slashed at her

Adam’s apple. . .” (409). Here, Irving expresses Owen’s desire for repentance by Mary’s lack of

arms, a product of Owen’s spiritual identity. By the nature of his relationship with God, he is

armless and helpless to save himself, just as Mary Magdalene was a helpless sinner to the Christ,

and thus he relies on God’s forgiveness alone for salvation. Additionally, the reference to

Adam’s apple pushes the theme of redemption, as the slashed Apple of Sin conveys a sense of

the victory over sin that Owen’s life professes. Irving draws on the authority of the Bible to help
stress Owen’s spiritual helplessness as his Faith leads him to redemption.

Johnny Wheelwright, as the narrator of the novel, is inclined to keep the focus off

himself. Yet, as the novel progresses, the reader sees how the oscillation between the present

Johnny and the past Johnny and his irregular sequence of memories leave traces of his bitterness

at Owen’s death. This style allows Irving to place greater emphasis on certain aspects of the plot

and deeper figures hidden within the text. In the passage, Irving initially embellishes upon the

incident during the commencement ceremony first, portraying Mr. White in his camelhair coat as

utterly powerless and defeated. The importance of White’s camelhair coat has roots in John the

Baptists’ famous baptism ceremonies and savage standard of living. Irving paints this memory

with a crude and uncivil hue as it leads up to Johnny’s depiction of Owen’s Mary Magdalene.

The sense of wild discord, prevalent in the commencement ceremony, contrasts with the dignity

of the Mary Magdalene’s features, most notably the slashed Adam’s apple. The slashed Adam’s

apple provides a coarse description of a symbol with profound meaning. Irving orders the

paragraphs in this passage in such a way that Mary Magdalene’s features would be absolutely

appropriate and conspicuous as the focus of the passage. In addition, by leading the reader from

the dissonant memory of Mr. White’s darkest hour to the consecrated moment of the observation

of Mary, Irving creates a tone gradient that complements the theme of Owen’s redemption by

faith.

John Irving embeds a piece of Owen Meany into every word, allusion, and structure

developed in Mary Magdalene’s surrogate scene. He demonstrates redemption as a product of

faith in this passage as it reflects the novel’s theme of the recovery of a sinner’s faith. The words

he chooses capture the very essence of the miracle of Owen Meany, as the allusions he makes

deepen the impact of Owen’s legacy. Irving structures and positions the passage so that it would
supplement its own meaning and the macrocosm of its context. Irving uses this passage, among

others, to show how Pastor Merrill’s prayer for Owen Meany completely bridges the gap

between faith and forgiveness.

Work Cited

Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. USA: The Random House Publishing Group, 1989.
Print.