Thursday, July 1, 2010

Owen Meany: Short. Cute. Christ Figure?

In the novel by John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Owen is meant to be portrayed as a "Christ Figure". In Chapter 14 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, the author, Thomas C. Foster, discusses characters in novels who exemplify similar qualities to that of Jesus Christ, the "Savior" from the Bible. Page 119 of the book provides readers with a list for recognizing Christ figures. The list includes the following characteristics: "2. in agony; 3. self-sacrificing; 5. good with loaves, water, and wine (can perform miracles); 7. employed as carpenter; 8. known to use humble modes of transportation, feet or donkeys preferred; 10. often portrayed with arms outstretched; 12. believed to have had a confrontation with the devil, possibly tempted; 14. creator of many aphorisms and parables; 16. had disciples, twelve at first, though not all equally devoted; 17. very forgiving; 18. come to redeem an unforgiving world" (Foster 199-120). Owen complies with many of the characteristics listed on this page.
Owen Meany is in agony. For instance, he killed his best friend's mother with a baseball; a woman that he also loved deeply. He also has to deal with the day-to-day task of being shorter than normal. Also, Owen's parents don't like children, which makes Owen feel unimportant. In Chapter 5, Owen finally snaps and yells at his parents to leave his performance at his church's Christmas pageant, possibly releasing a great buildup of stress and anger toward his parents for basically wishing he did not exist.
Owen Meany is a very selfless person as well. Chapter 1 depicts a scene where Johnny, Owen and their Sunday school classmates are supposed to be "thinking very hard" about the Bible passage they just read. Instead, Johnny and the others take turns throwing Owen into the air, as if he were a little baby. Often times, the teacher would re-enter the room and catch Owen while he was in the air. As angry as he was, Owen never complained about his classmates, and, on page 6, Johnny says, "Owen showed us what a martyr was."
Another similarity that Owen shares with the list is that he lives modestly, just as Christ did. When he wanted to go to Johnny's house, he walked there, or accepted a car ride from Tabitha, Johnny's mom, when she offered. His father had a similar average lifestyle to Jesus' earthly father, Joseph. Joseph was a carpenter, and Owen's father worked in a granite quarry.
Although Foster adds that Christ figures are typically portrayed with their arms outstretched, it is quite the contrary for Owen. Many times, Owen is caught with his arms behind his back, or armlessness is mentioned repeatedly throughout the book thus far. On page 8, the Watahantowet is first mentioned as an "armless warrior". On page 69, when Johnny and his cousins are in the attic, Hester notices Owen when he is standing still under a beam of light, resembling an armless angel of some sort. Additionally, Owen says, "GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT" (Irving 87). Owen is similar to Christ through this quote because it is revealing that he believes that God sent him to Earth for a specific purpose. He also believed that God controls all his actions, and he is not in charge of his own destiny, for God has everything mapped out for him, just as God did for Jesus in the Bible.
Owen also has disciples, sice Johnny said that Owen is the reason he believes in God. And up until her death, Tabitha believed greatly in Owen's academic potential.
Throughout the book, Owen and Johnny have some rather interesting adventures together. The things they encounter and explore, if you will, became some of the major reasons why some of my classmates don't believe that Owen Meany is Christ figure. In the beginning of Chapter 4, Dan, Johnny's adoptive father, allows Johnny and Owen to explore Waterhouse Hall, a dormitory at Gravesend Academy, and they discover pornographic magazines, and, in one room, they take turns trying on a condom. These things may be viewed as unholy to others, but to me, it is just a friendly reminder from the author that Owen is, in fact human, and that he does get tempted. For, just as How to Read Literautre Like a Professor states on page 122: if he didn't have a few flaws, Owen Meany wouldn't be a Christ figure; he'd be Christ.

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