Select a meaningful (and blog appropriate) quote from A Prayer for Owen Meany. Explain why this quote is important to the story, theme, characters, etc.(10 points)
"The only question that I wanted to ask the darkness was the one question Scrooge had also wanted an answer to: 'Are these the shadows of the things that Will be or are they shadows of the things that May be, only?' But the Ghost of the Future was not answering." p255
This quote is about when Owen sees his death date during the play. Johnny wants to know if this is his destiny or if his destiny can change. This goes with the theme of religion and faith. Owen seems to have everything figured out and believes in destiny, but he seems not to know if his destiny can change.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany". pg 1
This quote shows the theme of religion and Owen's manipulative personality. Further into the book we see Owen's character seem almost godlike and how Owen can have Johnny do whatever he says.
"When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time- the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes- when there's a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she's gone, forever- there comes another day, and another specifically missing part." p. 135
This quote shows the major significance of death as a theme throughout A Prayer for Owen Meany. John is explaining his feelings towards his mother's death, and how it affected his life. After we hear this experience from John in the book, he explains his night after his mother's death and we, as readers, realize that his life as he knows it has been changed. Throughout the book, we see the impact that death (particularly his mother's death) has on John, and learn how death has played a large role in determining the outcome of John's life and the outcome of the theme of the book as a whole.
" 'ARE YOU TELLING ME CHRIST WAS LUCKY?' Owen asked her. 'I WOULD SAY HE COULD HAVE USED A LITTLE MORE LUCK THAN HE HAD. I WOULD SAY HE RAN OUT OF LUCK. AT THE END.'"
This quote in my mind is significant becaue within the book after Owen is casted as baby Jesus they keep calling him the Christ Child. This is almost a foreshadowing on himself because Owen was never a really lucky person. The few times he was lucky i got someone killed. Owen got lucky and actually hit a baseball but killed his best friend's mother. He kicked ther perfect football kick and resulted in killing Sagamore. So in general Owen was never lucky and when he was lucky it always turned into something bad in the end, much like the qoute.
"'YOU ABSOLUTELY KNOW SHE'S THERE - EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE HER?' he asked me. 'Yes!' I screamed. 'WELL, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOD,' said Owen Meany" (Irving 451).
This quote is absolutely important because it really states the central idea of Owen's faith. By bringing this up, it forces us to consider once again the idea that Owen is an instrument of God. Even though the Mary statue was first broken by Owen (as he is referring to here) and put behind the pulpit, he creates an entirely new statue. This could be paralleled with the idea of God making man "in his image" and how Owen decides to change the statue by making it out of granite, and having it press its hands together rather than in the air. At once, Mary is silenced from what Owen considered to be yelling "GOAL!", and this could be made to signify contentment. The real question is, could it be paralleled with Owen? Will he be permanently silenced or simply end up content with his own life and finished duty to God? Perhaps both, but until I finish the book I won't know for sure. Overall, this quote simply brings out the basic idea of having faith without sight, but when digging slightly deeper it could be seen to have many different meanings.
"FAITH AND PRAYER. FAITH AND PRAYER-THEY WORK, THEY REALLY DO."
At the beginning of the book, Johnny says that Owen Meany is the reason he believes. In this quote, Owen is telling Johnny that all he needs is faith and prayer. This is important for Johnny to be able to believe in God because he is able to see the amazing things that Owen can do with just faith and prayer. This quote also further shows Owen's belief that he is an instrument in God's hands. Owen does not know exactly what he needs to do, but he believes that God will help him as long as he has faith and prayer.
"'BUT EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE PROOF,' said Owen Meany. 'Faith itself is a miracle, Owen," said pastor Merrill. "The first miracle that I believe in is my own faith itself.'" (p. 309)
The idea put forth by the pastor is that miracles come from inside, not out. Owen believes that he himself is a miracle-- an instrument of God. The idea of faith (not just faith in God, but faith in faith itself) guides Owen to fulfill what he believes to be his purpose in life, and is what causes Johnny's faith, as well.
"Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you!"
This quote is important to the story because most of the book is told by various flashbacks; Johnny's memory definitely "has him" and plays a strong role in his present life.
"God creates us out of love, but we don't want God, or we don't believe in Him, or we pay very poor attention to Him. Nevertheless, God continues to love us-at least, He continues to try to get our attention."
This quote is important to the story, because Owen mentions that he believes everything happens for a reason. Owen never agrees with an event being an "accident", and thinks God has a path for everyone.
"When we held Owen Meany above our heads, when we passed him back and forht -so effortlessly- we believed that Owen weighed nothing at all. We did not realize that there were forces beyond our play. Now I know they were the forces that contributed to our illusion of owne's weightlessness; they were the forces we didn't have the faith to believe in -and they were also lifting Owen Meany, taking him out of our hands."
This quote is at the very end of the novel. I find it ends the book nicely. John sums up his feelings at the end of it all, at Owen's funeral, and explains one last time the holiness that surrounds and encompasses Owen Meany. This quote also wraps up the aspect of religion for John and gives a good closer to the book.
"YOU'RE GETTING SMALLER, BUT I CAN STILL SEE YOU!"
Owen's dying words are important to this piece of literature because all of his life he was the small one and he was viewed differently than every one else, but John always saw him just as Owen and didn't judge him by his appearance. Even though no one else saw Owen as someone they would be life long friends with, John did and they had a strong deep connection. Like Owen said as his dying words, John still saw Owen, even though he was small.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany,"
One of the major themes in the book is religion, as everyone who read the book should know, but I also think that this quote ties in with the idea that Owen is an instrument of god, because wasn't Jesus' message to spread the word of god, and I am certainly not liking Owen to Jesus, I am just saying that they both spread the word, even though Owen does it in an incredibally annoying way.
"IT'S NOT UP TO YOU OR ME, SIR--IT'S NOT UP TO US: WHO'S BEYOND SAVING." (601)
Owen is talking to Major Rawls after he states that Dick is beyond saving. Owen argues that we can't decide these things. According to Owen only God can. It shows how deep his faith is once again because Owen knows how troubled Dick is, yet he still believes that God is the only one who has the power to save people. Owen never gives up on God because he believes that God never gives up anyone and everyone has a purpose.
"GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT." (pg. 87 This quote is important to the theme, a person's place of being is predetermined by a greater force (chain of being), because it expresses Owen's belief that God has used Owen which puts his place (link) of being higher than an average person's.
"NOW I KNOW WHY YOU HAD TO BE HERE, DO YOU SEE WHY? REMEMBER ALL OUR PRACTICING?" (pg 615)
This quote is important to the story because it connects the dots for all of the strange things Owen made Johnny do with him, like the shot, which leads to Owen fulfilling his dream and saving the children for the nuns. It is also important for the theme of restoring faith, because Owen's death led to rev Merrill regaining his faith and Johnny believing in Owen as an instrument of God.
"FAITH AND PRAYER. FAITH AND PRAYER- THEY WORK, THEY REALLY DO." (Irving,402)
This quote untimately explains Owens entire existance. This was how Owen lived his life, he believed that God put him on earth for a purpose and everything he did was because he thought it to have a higher purpose. Owen uses this quote after he arranges for Dr. Dolder's Volkswagon to be put on stage at the academy and also after he single handedly put the giant statue of Mary Magdalene on stage also.
"WELL, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOD. I CAN'T SEE HIM--BUT I ABSOLUTELY KNOW HE IS THERE!" (Irving 451).
This quote is an important piece in the themes centering around religious belief. Sometimes, one doesn't have to see something to believe in it; in this case, it's not necessary to see God to believe that he is real. Owen tries to make Johnny realize this point by questioning him about the presence of the Mary Magdalene statue in the dark. Just as Johnny knows that the statue is still there, Owen knows that God is always present in his life.
"YOUR ABSOLUTELY KNOW SHE'S THERE- EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE HER?" he asked me. "yes!" I screamed. "WELL, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOD," said Owen Meany. "I CAN'T SEE HIM-BUT I ABSOLUTELY KNOW HE IS THERE!" (451).
In this passage, the theme of religion is seen throught Owen's example that the statue of Mary Magdalene is physically there, even though Johnny cannot see it. Similarlly, to the statue, God's presence is always there, although you cannot physically see it.
"I LOVE YOU," Owen told me, "NOTHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU--TRUST ME." (Irving, 508).
This solemn quotes accurately expresses the theme of pure friendship between Owen and Johnny. Owen is so set on keeping Johnny out of Vietnam, to keep him alive and safe, that he convinces Johnny to let him cut his finger off. Owen loves Johnny because he's his best and only friend, who understands him best. He is willing to hurt Johnny to keep him safe, to make sure he stays alive, because Owen will not. This in an enlightenment into their strong and solid sense of love for each other, that they are more than friends, they are brothers.
"GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT." This quote is important because it relates to Owen and his religious stature in the novel. Owen claims he his "God's instrument" He even states that his voice is the way it is because it is the way God wanted it. Owen strongly believes he is God's instrument. He becomes a respected person throughout the story which provides credibility to Owen's beliefs.
"Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you!"
in this passage, the theme of religious doubt comes into play. in this case, your mind is the doubt. you doubt that you can remember what has been locked away in your memory, but in reality it is there and you have simply forgotten it.
"WE'RE PALS, AREN'T WE? WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR? I'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU" (267).
This quote illustrates the steadfast friendship that Owen and Johnny have with each other. Even though Owen is extremely bright and has a chance to go to a higher level of education, he chooses to stay behind with his best friend. This act of loyalty also foreshadows the other sacrifices and acts of kindness Owen shows to Johnny like inventing a new tool to help him read, pushing him to find out who his father is, and even cutting off his finger so that Johnny can avoid the draft.
"THEY HAVE REMOVABLE CROSSES IN THE CHAPEL... THEY CAN SWITCH CROSSES, DEPENDING ON THE DENOMINATION OF THE SERVICE-THEY'VE GOT A CRUCIFIX WITH AN ESPECIALLY LIFELIKE CHRIST HANGING ON IT, FOR THE CATHOLICS. THEY'VE GOT A PLAIN WOODEN CROSS FOR THE PLAIN, PROTESTANT TYPES. THEY'VE EVEN GOT A FANCY CROSS WITH JEWELS IN IT, FOR THE IN-BETWEENS" (590-591).
This Owen Meany quote hilights an important religious theme in the novel. The different crosses represent the commercial aspects of faith as well as the unnecessary separation between denominations. Each of these faiths all have the holy symbol of the cross; however, they continue to differentiate even though the essentially believe in the same underlying meaning. This forces then to miss what Owen thinks is truly important in faith: a personal connection and ability to speak to God.
"IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND A WAY OF LIFE YOU LOVE, YOU HAVE TO FIND THE COURAGE TO LIVE IT."
This quote is important to the story because it applies to several of the characters. For one, this describes how Owen lives his life...he has courage and lives the way he loves/think is right. He doesn't change because of others' opinions. Contrary to Owen, Johnny is just kind of floating through life.. there's nothing that he really feels passionate about and he lacks courage because of this. This quote serves the purpose to show the difference between Johnny and Owen.This contributes to the story because by displaying their differences, the story is set up to show how the two benefit/learn from each other. Especially in regards to how Owen affects Johnny's life.
"I am 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" p. 1
This is the opening sentence in the book, and it has a lot of meaning. After reading this sentence, without reading the rest of the book, you already know that Owen is going to have a huge impact on the narrator's life, and this also foreshadows the death of Owen Meany. The quote describes the close bond Owen and Johnny had, because it shows that John took everything Owen said to heart, and even though he might have been annoyed but it several times, he was inspired in the long run. However, the most important thing this quote describes in the theme of the whole book; religion. Throughout the book, you keep hearing about how Owen is supposedly an instrument of god, and the plot does show that, including this quote! Jesus wants to spread the word of religion to others, and what does Owen end up doing? Yes, Owen ends up making Johnny believe, which in a way links Owen to Jesus, making it another example of how Owen truly is an instrument of God.
"He is the reason I believe in God. I am a Christian because of Owen Meany. "
This is an important quote because religion is one of the major themes of this novel, and this quote represents how important this religious aspect is. Owen Meany is an "instrument of God" and this just shows much of an impact he had on others.
"I am 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 becaue of Owen Meany."
This is the most important quote in my opinion because it sets up the whole book for us. It tells us what major event happened in Johnny's life and that Owen is a very religious person. Also religion and spirituality is one of the main themes in this book. It is the first line of the book and lets the reader know a little bit into the future.
Duncan Gichimu "In all of Gravesend, the object that most attracted owen's contempt was the stone statue of mary magdalene ... the life-sized statue stood in a meaningless cement archway - 'meaningless' because the archway led nowhere; it was a gate without a place to be admitted to; it was an entrance without a house"
This quote shows that owen really hates Catholicism and the hypocrisy of religion. Owen is supposed to be the 2nd coming of Jesus and religious people are supposed to nice, but owen bears a great hate for Catholicism
"GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INTSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT."
This quote is important because it shows Owens inner feelings about the death of Johns mother. It also is an example of Owens faith in God, and it explains why Owen does what he does to the armadillo. But mainly it covers the religious point of view for Owen and that things happen for a reason. It makes Owen consistant in beliefs and a reliable person.
"' FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO,'"- Owen Meany (p 381)
Owen says this quote after he is told that he needs to see the school psychiatrist. The act of Owen quoting from the bible a verse that Jesus said before he was crucified reinforces Owen's idea that he is God's instrument and aids the theme of faith and religion.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany"
This quote is essentially what the entire book is about: beliefs and religion. This quote also shows what an huge impact Owen made on people's lives, especially Johnny's. While we don't see this until later in the book, this quote strongly supports Owen's beliefs that he is the instrument of God.
"O god-please give him back! I shall keep asking You."
This quote came on the last page of the book, and it comes from John as he is reflecting on Owen, and how much he misses him. it is important to the book because it shows just how much John still thought about Owen and still wouldnt let him go, whcih could contribute to him still living in Canada
"Your memory is a monster, you forget- it doesnt. It simply files things away. It keeps things from you or hides things from you and summons them to your recall with will of its own, You think you have a memory; but it has you."
Towards the end of the book John is constantly thinking about Owen. It seems like practically everything he does reminds him of Owen. His memory wont let him forget Owen.
"if you care about something, you have to protect it, if you're lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage of living it"
this seems to represent all the phases that the boys go through throughout their life. They change their ideas and morals and that is the way of life they live for in that moment. plus i just really really liked the quote :]
“DON’T YOU SEE HOW A BELIEF IS SUCH A BITTER UNIVERSE IS NOT UNLIKE RELIGIOUS FAITH? LIKE THE FAITH HARDY BELIVED WAS NAKED, PLAIN, AND VULNERABLE. BELIEF IN GOD, OR A BELIEF THAT EVENTUALLY EVERYHTHING HAS TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES…EITHER WAY YOU DON’T LEAVE YOUR SELF IN A ROOM WITH PSYCOLOGICAL DETACHMENT” ( Irving 519) This quote is the reverend reading views from Owen in his sermon. I thought this passage was important because it proves in a different way that Owen Meany was the true instrument of god to the point where a reverend spoke his words. The belief that Owen was a “virgin birth” or that was some kind of higher power was not seen by many but to some it was very clear and in fact effected their judgment of God as a whole.
"'THEN IT'S ALL SETTLED: I'LL LOOK AFTER THE ARMADILLO WHEN YOU'RE AWAY, AND WHEN YOUR COUSINS ARE HERE, I'LL LOOK AFTER IT, TOO-OVER NEXT THANKSGIVING...'" (Irving 63). this quote shows how Owen can be obsessive compulsive about things, and how he pushes the issue until things go his way. Most of the time they do, because he has an effect on people where they will listen to him, and pay attention to what he does and says.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany"
I believe that this quote illustrates not only a major part of the plot of this book, but also one of the main conflicts. Is Johny really a Christian in the sense that he believes in God or does he just believe in Owen Meany as someone who has Godly characteristics and powers?
" 'ARE YOU TELLING ME CHRIST WAS LUCKY?' Owen asked her. 'I WOULD SAY HE COULD HAVE USED A LITTLE MORE LUCK THAN HE HAD. I WOULD SAY HE RAN OUT OF LUCK. AT THE END.'"
this quote is important to the story because it shows what the personality of Owen Meany is, raw and sarcastic, and yet brutally honest. It also relates to the theme of the book, which is religion, in the sense that Owen professed himself as an instrument of god and the quote is about Owen's view on Jeasus which is also ironic because he played baby Jeasus in his church's play.
"He is the reason I believe in God. I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."
I think that this quote is a pretty good summary of what the course of this entire book was about. It also shows that religion was a big part of this story and its questioned throughout the entire story yet it still leaves questions about certain characters religion.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany". pg 1
This not only relfexs Owen in a strange light, but it shows how Johnny feels about him and sets how the story is going to happen. The devotion shown by Johnny is completely relade by this quote, and also show [when looking back on it] Owens manipulative personality.
"When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time -- the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes -- when there's a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she's gone, forever -- there comes another day, and another specifically missing part."
This quote stuck out to me because at first, we aren't really sure how John feels about his mother's death. He's kind of just like "eh...okay" about it, but then when he says that (the quote) it answers our questions and we really see how he's dealing with it.
"The only question that I wanted to ask the darkness was the one question Scrooge had also wanted an answer to: 'Are these the shadows of the things that Will be or are they shadows of the things that May be, only?' But the Ghost of the Future was not answering." p255
ReplyDeleteThis quote is about when Owen sees his death date during the play. Johnny wants to know if this is his destiny or if his destiny can change. This goes with the theme of religion and faith. Owen seems to have everything figured out and believes in destiny, but he seems not to know if his destiny can change.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany". pg 1
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the theme of religion and Owen's manipulative personality. Further into the book we see Owen's character seem almost godlike and how Owen can have Johnny do whatever he says.
"When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time- the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes- when there's a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she's gone, forever- there comes another day, and another specifically missing part." p. 135
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the major significance of death as a theme throughout A Prayer for Owen Meany. John is explaining his feelings towards his mother's death, and how it affected his life. After we hear this experience from John in the book, he explains his night after his mother's death and we, as readers, realize that his life as he knows it has been changed. Throughout the book, we see the impact that death (particularly his mother's death) has on John, and learn how death has played a large role in determining the outcome of John's life and the outcome of the theme of the book as a whole.
" 'ARE YOU TELLING ME CHRIST WAS LUCKY?' Owen asked her. 'I WOULD SAY HE COULD HAVE USED A LITTLE MORE LUCK THAN HE HAD. I WOULD SAY HE RAN OUT OF LUCK. AT THE END.'"
ReplyDeleteThis quote in my mind is significant becaue within the book after Owen is casted as baby Jesus they keep calling him the Christ Child. This is almost a foreshadowing on himself because Owen was never a really lucky person. The few times he was lucky i got someone killed. Owen got lucky and actually hit a baseball but killed his best friend's mother. He kicked ther perfect football kick and resulted in killing Sagamore. So in general Owen was never lucky and when he was lucky it always turned into something bad in the end, much like the qoute.
"'YOU ABSOLUTELY KNOW SHE'S THERE - EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE HER?' he asked me.
ReplyDelete'Yes!' I screamed.
'WELL, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOD,' said Owen Meany" (Irving 451).
This quote is absolutely important because it really states the central idea of Owen's faith. By bringing this up, it forces us to consider once again the idea that Owen is an instrument of God. Even though the Mary statue was first broken by Owen (as he is referring to here) and put behind the pulpit, he creates an entirely new statue. This could be paralleled with the idea of God making man "in his image" and how Owen decides to change the statue by making it out of granite, and having it press its hands together rather than in the air. At once, Mary is silenced from what Owen considered to be yelling "GOAL!", and this could be made to signify contentment. The real question is, could it be paralleled with Owen? Will he be permanently silenced or simply end up content with his own life and finished duty to God? Perhaps both, but until I finish the book I won't know for sure. Overall, this quote simply brings out the basic idea of having faith without sight, but when digging slightly deeper it could be seen to have many different meanings.
"FAITH AND PRAYER. FAITH AND PRAYER-THEY WORK, THEY REALLY DO."
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the book, Johnny says that Owen Meany is the reason he believes. In this quote, Owen is telling Johnny that all he needs is faith and prayer. This is important for Johnny to be able to believe in God because he is able to see the amazing things that Owen can do with just faith and prayer. This quote also further shows Owen's belief that he is an instrument in God's hands. Owen does not know exactly what he needs to do, but he believes that God will help him as long as he has faith and prayer.
"'BUT EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE PROOF,' said Owen Meany.
ReplyDelete'Faith itself is a miracle, Owen," said pastor Merrill. "The first miracle that I believe in is my own faith itself.'" (p. 309)
The idea put forth by the pastor is that miracles come from inside, not out. Owen believes that he himself is a miracle-- an instrument of God. The idea of faith (not just faith in God, but faith in faith itself) guides Owen to fulfill what he believes to be his purpose in life, and is what causes Johnny's faith, as well.
"Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you!"
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important to the story because most of the book is told by various flashbacks; Johnny's memory definitely "has him" and plays a strong role in his present life.
"God creates us out of love, but we don't want God, or we don't believe in Him, or we pay very poor attention to Him. Nevertheless, God continues to love us-at least, He continues to try to get our attention."
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important to the story, because Owen mentions that he believes everything happens for a reason. Owen never agrees with an event being an "accident", and thinks God has a path for everyone.
"When we held Owen Meany above our heads, when we passed him back and forht -so effortlessly- we believed that Owen weighed nothing at all. We did not realize that there were forces beyond our play. Now I know they were the forces that contributed to our illusion of owne's weightlessness; they were the forces we didn't have the faith to believe in -and they were also lifting Owen Meany, taking him out of our hands."
ReplyDeleteThis quote is at the very end of the novel. I find it ends the book nicely. John sums up his feelings at the end of it all, at Owen's funeral, and explains one last time the holiness that surrounds and encompasses Owen Meany. This quote also wraps up the aspect of religion for John and gives a good closer to the book.
Cadie Engelking
ReplyDelete"YOU'RE GETTING SMALLER, BUT I CAN STILL SEE YOU!"
Owen's dying words are important to this piece of literature because all of his life he was the small one and he was viewed differently than every one else, but John always saw him just as Owen and didn't judge him by his appearance. Even though no one else saw Owen as someone they would be life long friends with, John did and they had a strong deep connection. Like Owen said as his dying words, John still saw Owen, even though he was small.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany,"
ReplyDeleteOne of the major themes in the book is religion, as everyone who read the book should know, but I also think that this quote ties in with the idea that Owen is an instrument of god, because wasn't Jesus' message to spread the word of god, and I am certainly not liking Owen to Jesus, I am just saying that they both spread the word, even though Owen does it in an incredibally annoying way.
"IT'S NOT UP TO YOU OR ME, SIR--IT'S NOT UP TO US: WHO'S BEYOND SAVING." (601)
ReplyDeleteOwen is talking to Major Rawls after he states that Dick is beyond saving. Owen argues that we can't decide these things. According to Owen only God can. It shows how deep his faith is once again because Owen knows how troubled Dick is, yet he still believes that God is the only one who has the power to save people. Owen never gives up on God because he believes that God never gives up anyone and everyone has a purpose.
"GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT." (pg. 87
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important to the theme, a person's place of being is predetermined by a greater force (chain of being), because it expresses Owen's belief that God has used Owen which puts his place (link) of being higher than an average person's.
"NOW I KNOW WHY YOU HAD TO BE HERE, DO YOU SEE WHY? REMEMBER ALL OUR PRACTICING?" (pg 615)
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important to the story because it connects the dots for all of the strange things Owen made Johnny do with him, like the shot, which leads to Owen fulfilling his dream and saving the children for the nuns. It is also important for the theme of restoring faith, because Owen's death led to rev Merrill regaining his faith and Johnny believing in Owen as an instrument of God.
"FAITH AND PRAYER. FAITH AND PRAYER- THEY WORK, THEY REALLY DO." (Irving,402)
ReplyDeleteThis quote untimately explains Owens entire existance. This was how Owen lived his life, he believed that God put him on earth for a purpose and everything he did was because he thought it to have a higher purpose. Owen uses this quote after he arranges for Dr. Dolder's Volkswagon to be put on stage at the academy and also after he single handedly put the giant statue of Mary Magdalene on stage also.
"WELL, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOD. I CAN'T SEE HIM--BUT I ABSOLUTELY KNOW HE IS THERE!" (Irving 451).
ReplyDeleteThis quote is an important piece in the themes centering around religious belief. Sometimes, one doesn't have to see something to believe in it; in this case, it's not necessary to see God to believe that he is real. Owen tries to make Johnny realize this point by questioning him about the presence of the Mary Magdalene statue in the dark. Just as Johnny knows that the statue is still there, Owen knows that God is always present in his life.
"YOUR ABSOLUTELY KNOW SHE'S THERE- EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE HER?" he asked me.
ReplyDelete"yes!" I screamed.
"WELL, NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GOD," said Owen Meany. "I CAN'T SEE HIM-BUT I ABSOLUTELY KNOW HE IS THERE!" (451).
In this passage, the theme of religion is seen throught Owen's example that the statue of Mary Magdalene is physically there, even though Johnny cannot see it. Similarlly, to the statue, God's presence is always there, although you cannot physically see it.
"I LOVE YOU," Owen told me, "NOTHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU--TRUST ME." (Irving, 508).
ReplyDeleteThis solemn quotes accurately expresses the theme of pure friendship between Owen and Johnny. Owen is so set on keeping Johnny out of Vietnam, to keep him alive and safe, that he convinces Johnny to let him cut his finger off. Owen loves Johnny because he's his best and only friend, who understands him best. He is willing to hurt Johnny to keep him safe, to make sure he stays alive, because Owen will not. This in an enlightenment into their strong and solid sense of love for each other, that they are more than friends, they are brothers.
"GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT."
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important because it relates to Owen and his religious stature in the novel. Owen claims he his "God's instrument" He even states that his voice is the way it is because it is the way God wanted it. Owen strongly believes he is God's instrument. He becomes a respected person throughout the story which provides credibility to Owen's beliefs.
"Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you!"
ReplyDeletein this passage, the theme of religious doubt comes into play. in this case, your mind is the doubt. you doubt that you can remember what has been locked away in your memory, but in reality it is there and you have simply forgotten it.
"WE'RE PALS, AREN'T WE? WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR? I'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU" (267).
ReplyDeleteThis quote illustrates the steadfast friendship that Owen and Johnny have with each other. Even though Owen is extremely bright and has a chance to go to a higher level of education, he chooses to stay behind with his best friend. This act of loyalty also foreshadows the other sacrifices and acts of kindness Owen shows to Johnny like inventing a new tool to help him read, pushing him to find out who his father is, and even cutting off his finger so that Johnny can avoid the draft.
"THEY HAVE REMOVABLE CROSSES IN THE CHAPEL... THEY CAN SWITCH CROSSES, DEPENDING ON THE DENOMINATION OF THE SERVICE-THEY'VE GOT A CRUCIFIX WITH AN ESPECIALLY LIFELIKE CHRIST HANGING ON IT, FOR THE CATHOLICS. THEY'VE GOT A PLAIN WOODEN CROSS FOR THE PLAIN, PROTESTANT TYPES. THEY'VE EVEN GOT A FANCY CROSS WITH JEWELS IN IT, FOR THE IN-BETWEENS" (590-591).
ReplyDeleteThis Owen Meany quote hilights an important religious theme in the novel. The different crosses represent the commercial aspects of faith as well as the unnecessary separation between denominations. Each of these faiths all have the holy symbol of the cross; however, they continue to differentiate even though the essentially believe in the same underlying meaning. This forces then to miss what Owen thinks is truly important in faith: a personal connection and ability to speak to God.
"IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND A WAY OF LIFE YOU LOVE, YOU HAVE TO FIND THE COURAGE TO LIVE IT."
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important to the story because it applies to several of the characters. For one, this describes how Owen lives his life...he has courage and lives the way he loves/think is right. He doesn't change because of others' opinions. Contrary to Owen, Johnny is just kind of floating through life.. there's nothing that he really feels passionate about and he lacks courage because of this. This quote serves the purpose to show the difference between Johnny and Owen.This contributes to the story because by displaying their differences, the story is set up to show how the two benefit/learn from each other. Especially in regards to how Owen affects Johnny's life.
"I am 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" p. 1
ReplyDeleteThis is the opening sentence in the book, and it has a lot of meaning. After reading this sentence, without reading the rest of the book, you already know that Owen is going to have a huge impact on the narrator's life, and this also foreshadows the death of Owen Meany. The quote describes the close bond Owen and Johnny had, because it shows that John took everything Owen said to heart, and even though he might have been annoyed but it several times, he was inspired in the long run. However, the most important thing this quote describes in the theme of the whole book; religion. Throughout the book, you keep hearing about how Owen is supposedly an instrument of god, and the plot does show that, including this quote! Jesus wants to spread the word of religion to others, and what does Owen end up doing? Yes, Owen ends up making Johnny believe, which in a way links Owen to Jesus, making it another example of how Owen truly is an instrument of God.
"He is the reason I believe in God. I am a Christian because of Owen Meany. "
ReplyDeleteThis is an important quote because religion is one of the major themes of this novel, and this quote represents how important this religious aspect is. Owen Meany is an "instrument of God" and this just shows much of an impact he had on others.
"I am 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 becaue of Owen Meany."
ReplyDeleteThis is the most important quote in my opinion because it sets up the whole book for us. It tells us what major event happened in Johnny's life and that Owen is a very religious person. Also religion and spirituality is one of the main themes in this book. It is the first line of the book and lets the reader know a little bit into the future.
Duncan Gichimu
ReplyDelete"In all of Gravesend, the object that most attracted owen's contempt was the stone statue of mary magdalene ... the life-sized statue stood in a meaningless cement archway - 'meaningless' because the archway led nowhere; it was a gate without a place to be admitted to; it was an entrance without a house"
This quote shows that owen really hates Catholicism and the hypocrisy of religion. Owen is supposed to be the 2nd coming of Jesus and religious people are supposed to nice, but owen bears a great hate for Catholicism
"GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INTSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT."
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important because it shows Owens inner feelings about the death of Johns mother. It also is an example of Owens faith in God, and it explains why Owen does what he does to the armadillo. But mainly it covers the religious point of view for Owen and that things happen for a reason. It makes Owen consistant in beliefs and a reliable person.
"' FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO,'"- Owen Meany (p 381)
ReplyDeleteOwen says this quote after he is told that he needs to see the school psychiatrist. The act of Owen quoting from the bible a verse that Jesus said before he was crucified reinforces Owen's idea that he is God's instrument and aids the theme of faith and religion.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany"
ReplyDeleteThis quote is essentially what the entire book is about: beliefs and religion. This quote also shows what an huge impact Owen made on people's lives, especially Johnny's. While we don't see this until later in the book, this quote strongly supports Owen's beliefs that he is the instrument of God.
"O god-please give him back! I shall keep asking You."
ReplyDeleteThis quote came on the last page of the book, and it comes from John as he is reflecting on Owen, and how much he misses him. it is important to the book because it shows just how much John still thought about Owen and still wouldnt let him go, whcih could contribute to him still living in Canada
"Your memory is a monster, you forget- it doesnt. It simply files things away. It keeps things from you or hides things from you and summons them to your recall with will of its own, You think you have a memory; but it has you."
ReplyDeleteTowards the end of the book John is constantly thinking about Owen. It seems like practically everything he does reminds him of Owen. His memory wont let him forget Owen.
"if you care about something, you have to protect it, if you're lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage of living it"
ReplyDeletethis seems to represent all the phases that the boys go through throughout their life. They change their ideas and morals and that is the way of life they live for in that moment. plus i just really really liked the quote :]
“DON’T YOU SEE HOW A BELIEF IS SUCH A BITTER UNIVERSE IS NOT UNLIKE RELIGIOUS FAITH? LIKE THE FAITH HARDY BELIVED WAS NAKED, PLAIN, AND VULNERABLE. BELIEF IN GOD, OR A BELIEF THAT EVENTUALLY EVERYHTHING HAS TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES…EITHER WAY YOU DON’T LEAVE YOUR SELF IN A ROOM WITH PSYCOLOGICAL DETACHMENT” ( Irving 519)
ReplyDeleteThis quote is the reverend reading views from Owen in his sermon. I thought this passage was important because it proves in a different way that Owen Meany was the true instrument of god to the point where a reverend spoke his words. The belief that Owen was a “virgin birth” or that was some kind of higher power was not seen by many but to some it was very clear and in fact effected their judgment of God as a whole.
"'THEN IT'S ALL SETTLED: I'LL LOOK AFTER THE ARMADILLO WHEN YOU'RE AWAY, AND WHEN YOUR COUSINS ARE HERE, I'LL LOOK AFTER IT, TOO-OVER NEXT THANKSGIVING...'" (Irving 63).
ReplyDeletethis quote shows how Owen can be obsessive compulsive about things, and how he pushes the issue until things go his way. Most of the time they do, because he has an effect on people where they will listen to him, and pay attention to what he does and says.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany"
ReplyDeleteI believe that this quote illustrates not only a major part of the plot of this book, but also one of the main conflicts. Is Johny really a Christian in the sense that he believes in God or does he just believe in Owen Meany as someone who has Godly characteristics and powers?
" 'ARE YOU TELLING ME CHRIST WAS LUCKY?' Owen asked her. 'I WOULD SAY HE COULD HAVE USED A LITTLE MORE LUCK THAN HE HAD. I WOULD SAY HE RAN OUT OF LUCK. AT THE END.'"
ReplyDeletethis quote is important to the story because it shows what the personality of Owen Meany is, raw and sarcastic, and yet brutally honest. It also relates to the theme of the book, which is religion, in the sense that Owen professed himself as an instrument of god and the quote is about Owen's view on Jeasus which is also ironic because he played baby Jeasus in his church's play.
"He is the reason I believe in God. I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."
ReplyDeleteI think that this quote is a pretty good summary of what the course of this entire book was about. It also shows that religion was a big part of this story and its questioned throughout the entire story yet it still leaves questions about certain characters religion.
"He is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany". pg 1
ReplyDeleteThis not only relfexs Owen in a strange light, but it shows how Johnny feels about him and sets how the story is going to happen. The devotion shown by Johnny is completely relade by this quote, and also show [when looking back on it] Owens manipulative personality.
"When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time -- the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers. Gradually, you accumulate the parts of her that are gone. Just when the day comes -- when there's a particular missing part that overwhelms you with the feeling that she's gone, forever -- there comes another day, and another specifically missing part."
ReplyDeleteThis quote stuck out to me because at first, we aren't really sure how John feels about his mother's death. He's kind of just like "eh...okay" about it, but then when he says that (the quote) it answers our questions and we really see how he's dealing with it.