Death and Dying in a Prayer For Owen Meany essays

Death and Dying in a Prayer For Owen Meany essays The theme of death and dying in A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is constant throughout the novel. Many events that prepare the characters for death occur through the death of Tabitha Wheelwright, through Owens faith and religion, also through Owens own death. In relation to the book and reality, there are events in life that people encounter that prepare themselves for death. In the novel, the event of Tabitha Wheelwrights death is the first and also one of the most important events. John and Owen experience death of a loved one at an early age when Owen accidentally kills Tabitha with a baseball. After this event John and Owen encounter many feelings that are associated with death. John felt anger towards his mother for leaving him so soon. John wanting to know many things about his mother could not be answered. This is evident in pages 34-35 where John wanted to know who his father was, but his mother had already left before she could even tell him. Owen felt the emotion of guilt. Though the death of Johns mother was an accident, Owen blames himself. GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GODS INSTRUMENT. - P. 87 In this quote, the only way for Owen to deal with the accident is by associating it with his faith. Johns and Owens feelings are natural when people lose a close one, but it helps them embrace de ath later down the road, and also their own. Owens unconditional faith helped John go on after his mothers death. Owens constant bible references made John feel comfortable about death than to fear it. I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord. He believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. P. 181 In this quote, Owen is reciting out from the bible to John to convince him of life after death. When you die,...