Marked for Greatness...

Was Owen Meany marked for greatness? According to How to Read Literature Like a Professor, characters known to be marked for greatness often have significant physical marks or imperfections. By writing about characters marked with greatness the author may try to make a specific point, or just prove that all characters are imperfect, which instead of making the individual look unsatisfactory, makes them appear more unique. The author of how to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster stated, "How many stories do you know in which the hero is different from everyone else in some way? Why does Harry Potter have a scar, where is it, how did he get it, and what does it resemble?" (Foster 195)

That brings me back to my previous question, what significant physical mark does Owen Meany acquire? Just at the beginning of the book, readers get the apparent image of Owen. Owen is extremely small for his age; at eleven years-old he resembles a five year-old child. He barely weights anything, and is so miniature that when he sits down on a chair, his feet don't even touch the floor. Owen is also the color of a gravestone; pearly and smooth. His diminutive face has rough cheekbones, that often blush with the touch of his best friend's mother, Tabby. Owen further has, as John described, "protrusive ears". In addition to that, specially at his temples, Owen's blue vains are clearly visible through his translucent granite skin. John also mentioned that Owen usually "had to shout through his nose to be heard", it was obvious that by his physical appearance he was born too soon. His squeaky voice made him even more unnatural. That voice, could literally "bring dead mice back to life" as told by John's grandmother.
Owen is not the perfect character in A Prayer For Owen Meany. In fact, he's the character with the most imperfections, which makes him quite extraordinary. This proves that Owen is in fact marked for greatness.