ipl-logo

Wilfred Owen Meany's Irony

417 Words2 Pages

The irony used by Irving shows how tolerance is key in life when faced with tough dilemmas; enduring pain helps to shape individuals and make them who they are destined to be. Hardships come along with life, growing as an individual is not always the easiest; however, learning from tough situations and building a tolerance shapes a person. Owen Meany is a prime example of a character who has had to endure a lot, this began since the moment he was born. His short stature and “cartoon voice” (18) are characteristics that depicts Owen from everyone else. For instance, John states that during Sunday school, “We tortured him, I think, in order to hear his voice; I used to think his voice came from another planet. Now I’m convinced it was a voice not …show more content…

Owen is not described as a heroic character; he is depicted for a weak link... a nerd. The irony behind Owen and him being bullied is in the end of the novel. Owen, “‘a little doll,”’ ends up becoming the hero when he saves the Vietnamese children from the bomb that is thrown at them. Owen Realizes in his heroic moment of victory that the tolerance he endured throughout his life was purposeful… it was “fate” (132). Being short with a “ruined voice” (17) is for a reason in the shaping of the end of Owen Meany’s life. As Owen is being heroic, he shouts to Johnny,“‘NOW I KNOW WHY MY VOICE NEVER CHANGES,’ owen said to me. ‘DO YOU SEE WHY?’ (612). The irony of Owen being a hero is humorous, he is the main character in the novel that has had to endure the most, and yet, when he is looked down upon and frowned on, he builds a strong tolerance. Owen gets rid of the cliches of what a hero is supposed to look like, he creates himself as a hero; a person of great courage, he has an enormous heart in such a small body. Owen himself is a paradox, he defies everything that is stereotypical for a person like himself. From Owen, the reader

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of A Prayer For Owen Meany

    750 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is a turning point of the plot because until then everyone who was aware of the dream, but Owen, were sure that the premonitions were just fever-induced hallucinations and that he was not sent by God. However, Owen's accurate prediction of his own death is enough proof of his divine qualities. Owen's death leads the novel to its final stage, the resolution, which is when Owen is recognized as a hero by his community and as a miracle by John. At the end of the novel " Owen Meany was awarded the Soldier's Medal: "For heroism that involves the voluntary risk of life under conditions other than those of conflict with an opposing armed force. "(Irving.

    Read More

  • Summary Of A Prayer For Owen Meany

    1669 Words  | 7 Pages

    Owen was a strong believer that everything happens for a reason and it will all lead to a greater good. Owen ended up dying with both of his arms blown off by the bomb which symbolizes the idea that God took his hands and used them as and instrument. Amputation symbolizes that God has taken over his hands and used them as a tool, but for Owen it wasn’t just his hands, it was his entire body. Owens meager size and ear-piercing-voice play a large role in the God’s purpose for him. Even Owen did not understand why his voice was so awful, but he accepted it as another piece of his fate puzzle.

    Read More

  • What Does A Prayer For Owen Meany

    382 Words  | 2 Pages

    In A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving, Owen is constantly picked on because of his size. As a child, he was thrown around his classroom by the boys and the girls. Although Owen was picked on, the children show that they still care about him by stating, “Yet he was dear to us--‘a little doll,’ the girls called him, while he squirmed to get away from them; and from all of us” (Irving 3). This metaphor comparing Owen to a doll demonstrates how small he actually is in comparison to the other children.

    Read More

  • Miss Strangeworth's Letter Irony Analysis

    77 Words  | 1 Pages

    Irony is used in this story to express how generous and nice Miss Strangeworth may seem, but at the same time it shows just how evil a person can be. When Miss Strangeworth drops the letter, that's an example of situational irony. When Miss Strangeworth writes the letters to the people of the town, that's an example of verbal irony. When Miss Strangeworths roses are found destroyed with a little note, that's an example of dramatic

    Read More

  • Owen Meany Wisdom

    898 Words  | 4 Pages

    Wisdom in fiction has developed through the years and can take many forms in todays literature. We can see wisdom ranging from the common old wizards or grandmother figures, to something along the lines of children or teens realizing and learning pieces of life early on. In this paper we will focus on one such child, Owen Meany, from the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. One’s perception of what characters are wisest all depend on how the term is defined and by what formula it is laid out. For the purpose of this paper and analysis the wisdom will be very Ardelt in theory.

    Read More

  • Elements Of A Prayer For Owen Meany

    930 Words  | 4 Pages

    This genre is usually a heartwarming story of a faithful person who is trying to live morally and overcome adversity. Owen lives with his voice and size his entire life. He does not let that get in his way of accomplishing what he thinks he needs to do. Owen Meany is described as an extremely faithful person to God and to Johnny. He is willing to do anything for either of them.

    Read More

  • A Prayer For Owen Meany Summary

    112 Words  | 1 Pages

    A Prayer for Owen Meany is a fictional story that is set in the fictional town of Gravesend, New Hampshire, which is primarily based on the real town of Exeter where John Irving grew up. The story takes place at two distinct periods in John's life. The first time period in the book covers his adolescence starting in 1948 and ending in July of 1968. The second period takes place in 1987 when John is in his adulthood, living by himself in Toronto, Canada. Time isn't direct in Owen Meany, alternatively, John's narration goes back and forth in time, weaving the events of his childhood with his observations from his current age.

    Read More

  • What Did Owen Contribute To The Trenches Between 1914 And 1918

    129 Words  | 1 Pages

    Caught in a war that was waged primarily in trenches (big ditches that filled with mud, rats, and rainwater), Owen began to find it hard to justify all the suffering and death he witnessed. He was perfectly willing to sacrifice his life for king and country, but, like many other people, he 'd like to make sure that his sacrifice was actually needed.

    Read More

  • Owen Meany Character Analysis

    849 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the book A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, my favorite character is Owen Meany. I admire the way he cares about his friends and is willing to do anything for them. He is concerned about John coming to Vietnam, so he cuts off his finger in order to prevent him from going into the war. This would be a very hard thing to do, but he cares a lot about John and wants to protect him. Another thing I enjoy is Owen’s jokes and humor.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Owen Meany

    1116 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the book A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, my favorite character is Owen Meany. I admire the way he cares about his friends and is willing to do anything for them. He is concerned about John coming to Vietnam. To avoid this, Owen cuts off John’s finger so he cannot go into the war. This would be difficult, but he loves John and wants to protect him.

    Read More

  • Foreshadowing In A Prayer For Owen Meany

    1074 Words  | 5 Pages

    A Prayer for Owen Meany Literary Analysis In A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving, the author, uses symbolism, theme, and foreshadowing in order to convey a deeper message to the reader. John Irving uses these literary devices throughout the story to continuously reflect a message back onto the reader. The constant message that Irving attempts to convey is the conflict of faith. A Prayer for Owen Meany is told in the first-person perspective of John Wheelwright, as an adult, talking about growing up with his best friend, Owen Meany.

    Read More

  • Superstitions In John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany

    1322 Words  | 6 Pages

    At the time of John’s amputation, Owen was yearning to fight in Vietnam and John would be allowed to stay in the United States. Without John being present, Owen’s vision would not be able to come true, in a sense prolonging Owen’s life. While this interpretation is unlikely to be Owen’s motivation, it is interestingly to view the situation through this

    Read More

  • Self-Discovery In A Prayer For Owen Meany

    1163 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving’s characters have many quests and journeys. These are both interpersonal and journeys of self-discovery. Through John’s search for faith, for his identity and America’s collective search for honesty and truth, Irving solidifies Thomas Hardy’s message that “Nothing bears out in practice what it promises incipiently.” While one character grows to fulfill his God given destiny, others float along and see where the road takes them. Owen Meany has a seemingly direct and purposeful path in life, while John struggles with finding identity and faith.

    Read More

  • Dulce Et Decorum Est And Disabled Analysis

    1153 Words  | 5 Pages

    Through both of his poems, Dulce Et Decorum Est and Disabled, Owen clearly illustrates his feeling about war. Both of them convey the same meaning that war destroyed people’s lives. For Dulce Et, Decorum Est, it mainly illustrates soldier’s life during war, the dreadfulness of war, whereas, Disabled illustrates how war have damaged soldier’s life. Also, the saying that said that war it is lovely and honorable to die for your country is completely against his point of view. Owen conveys his idea through graphically describing his horrible experiences in war.

    Read More

  • Henry V: The Role Of Heroism In Anthem For Doomed Youth

    509 Words  | 3 Pages

    Owen uses of simile differentiate with Shakespeare’s depiction on heroic sacrifice. He depicts the soldiers in the war like cattle locked in a pen waiting to be slaughtered, implying that the scarification of the soldiers was pointless. During the poem Owen highlights that a role of a hero isn’t someone who sacrifices his or her self. The perception that Owen has was because mass destruction weapons like bombs, tanks, airplanes and machine guns allowed hundreds for men and families to die at a click of a button. Additionally, millions of men were involved in these wars and civilians were even under attack.

    Read More

More about Wilfred Owen Meany's Irony

Open Document