John Irving, a prayer for owen meany Essay Example for Free

John Irving, a prayer for owen meany EssayIn the first chapter of A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving displays an expansive, articulate expressive style that relies heavily on rich descriptions to create tiny portraits of the revolutionary England of his youth, especially the title character who inspires him to call back in God and Christ. Irvings language throughout the chapter is articulate and his sentences long, perhaps to accommodate his rather abundant, detailed descriptions it is almost oratorical without being florid or long-winded, reflecting the fact that the narrator is descended from a prominent smart England family (including the Puritan minister for whom he is named). He also relies heavily on memories, moving from his recollections of Owen to broader discussions of his own family and hometown, creating a context for the subsequent action and thus giving his memories a deeper meaning. In addition, Irving uses Owen as a token of Christ-like divinity the boy i s something of a martyr for his suffering (indeed, he never tells on his peers for their abuses), and yet he takes away the narrators m a nonher(prenominal), however unintentionally, by hitting the foul ball that kills the narrators mother (hence the chapters title, The Foul Ball).Irving avoids sounding childish by using articulate mature language, but he conveys a childs point of view by speaking in a matter-of-fact way about how he and his peers picked on the frail, undersized Owen. He conveys no warm judgments or apologies for his actions (indeed, as a child he feels no shame for it), and he does not break down his motivations.For example, when Owen offers a surprisingly mature complaint about church services, the narrator says, To these complaints, and others like them, I could resolve only by picking up Owen Meany and holding him above my head (Irving 23), showing how other children are unable to comprehend Owen. He also implies adults stupidity by mentioning his oblivious Sunday tame teacher and how the police chief and coach quarrel over the ball after his mothers death.The author wants the ratifier to understand his world (hence the detailed discussions of his town, family, and relationship with Owen) and especially Owens complex aim in it. Though he mentions his Christianity at the very start, the narrator does not preach or scold the reader, admitting that he is a rather lazy Christian but also making clear that he feels deeply indebted to him (despite Owens role in his mothers death) and makes the reader feel fellow feeling for the victimized Owen.Irvings language is richly descriptive without becoming tedious, and he recalls Owens characteristics humorously, especially his piddling size and high-strangled voice (Owens words always appear in capitals). Irving communicates respect for Christianity, but not for the ritual or doctrine he admits his laziness and calls his approach a church-rummage faith (Irving 2). Instead, he believes in the divine power channeled through Owen, whose intelligence and deep understanding of God set him apart from his peers.Irving implies that twain the narrator and New England, despite their Puritan by, find religion uninspiring until Owen appears, and that Owen has vastly more effectiveness to influence events than is shown in the first chapter. More explicitly, he evokes New Englands provincial values, especially the damp between insiders (the descendants of Puritans, like the narrator) and outsiders (later arrivals, like Owens Irish-Catholic family), and Irving contrasts the regions harsh religious past with the narrators spiritual barrenness, for which Owen ultimately becomes a remedy.In the books first chapter, Irving shows the reader a rich picture of his characters world, creating the context in which the narrators transition from nonbeliever to Christian occurs. He presents Owen in a sympathetic light, as a wise yet victimized visualize whose suffering and kindness bring enl ightenment into a milieu that needs it. Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. New York Ballantine, 1989.