Doomed to Remember a Boy

¶ … doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice -- not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany. I make no claims to have a life in Christ, or with Christ -- and certainly not for Christ, which I've heard some zealots claim" (Wheelwright 1).

This quotation is an example of organization. It illustrates to the reader the organization of the basic premise of John Wheelwright's novel, A Prayer For Owen Meany, which will revolve around what the author chooses to "remember" about a person who is highly particular and significant to Wheelwright's life. Based on this quotation, the reader is prepared for a series of recollections that touch upon the central theme of the development of Christian faith for Wheelwright.

"Then he looked only at me. "YOU'RE GETTING SMALLER, BUT I CAN STILL SEE YOU!" said Owen Meany. Then he left us; he was gone" (Wheelwright 578). This quotation presents one of the most poignant details in the novel -- the part where Meaney's long prophesized death takes place. It further underscores the intense, close relationship he had with John, the fact that he chooses to spend his final moments paying attention to his lifelong friend.

"God knows, Owen gave me more than he ever took from me -- even when you consider that he took my mother" (Wheelwright 511). This quote is an excellent example of the author's usage of diction, typified in this passage by the word "took." By cutting off one of John's finger's, and actually taking it, Owen actually gives John something -- the precious gift of avoiding going to Vietnam. In this instance, the word took is actually an example of irony, since it allows John to receive the gift of avoiding an uncertain future in Vietnam.

"YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND," said Owen Meany -- his voice breaking a little. I assumed it was the telephone; I thought we had a bad connection" (446). This quotation is an excellent example of the author's usage of syntax to underscore the relationship he had with Meany, and how close it was. Each of these sentences is separated into two parts, and divided by a dash and by a semicolon, respectively. In the first half of each sentence, the author tells what was said; in the second half, he shows it. Owen's voice breaking symbolizes the emotion he feels at John joining him in Phoenix during the time the former knows he is fated to die.

"THERE WAS NO DATE," Owen said. I wanted to cry -- not because I believed a single thing about his stupid "vision," but because it was the first time he had lied to me" (397). In this quotation, Owen's point-of-view about his death and the nature of his relationship with John is revealed. He does not want to tell John the date on the tombstone he envisioned, because he wants to protect John and keep him from worrying about his impending death. This quote shows how selfless Owen's point-of-view regarding his friendship with John is.

"IF KENNEDY CAN RATIONALIZE ADULTERY, WHATELSE CAN HE RATIONALIZE?" Owen asked me…! IF CATHOLICS CAN CONFESS ANYTHING, THEY CAN FORGIVE THEMSELVES ANYTHING, TOO!" (301). This quotation is highly demonstrative of Meany's point-of-view regarding Catholicism, which is contrasted with the Christianity which he inspires within the narrator. Meany continually disparages Catholic practices within the novel, particularly their sacrament of confession which he believes allows them to sin as much as they like. There is an inherent duality in his low regard of Catholicism and the Christian beliefs that he inspires in Wheelwright.

"WELL, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOD," said Owen Meany. "I CAN'T SEE HIM -- BUT I ABSOLUTELY KNOW HE IS THERE!" (267). This quote is a fairly important detail within this novel, because it becomes one of the elucidating points in Wheelwright's life in which he begins to truly open up to the faith of Christianity, which is one of the central themes in the novel. In this quote, Meany sets up a comparison to John's certainty that a statue exists in the dark even though he cannot see it, and the fact that the former believes there is a Christian God, even though neither one can see it.