A Prayer For Owen Meany Essay -- essays research papers

orison As A Symbol in Irvings A orison FOR OWEN unkind person In John Irvings A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY there ar many prominent symbols. Those of arm-less figures, water, and angels are a few of the more prominent ones but, there are also many symbols that are much more subtle than those few. The most prominent of the subtle symbols is that of prayer. Prayer, in an of itself, is an idea. But, in A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY, Irving uses it to convey many more crimp concepts. "THE TROUBLE WITH CHURCH IS THE SERVICE." Owen states. "A SERVICE IS CONDUCTED FOR A MASS AUDIENCE. comely WHEN I last TO LIKE THE HYMN, EVERYONE PLOPS DOWN TO PRAY. JUST WHEN I START TO HEAR THE PRAYER, EVERYONE POPS UP TO SING (23)." In this passage prayer is viewed but as a part of the "hocus-pocus (21)" of church ceremony. It is thus phonation both of Owens view of church formality and ceremony, and of the attitudes that both Owen and freedom fighter hold toward certain aspects of the church and its traditions. This becomes important on a large scale when the reader recognizes the conflict that plagues both knot and Owen when it comes to religious issues. Johnny states this point clearly when he says, "I was baptized in the congregational Church, and after some years of fraternity with the Episcopalian...I became rather weak in my religion in my teens I attended a non-denomination church. Then I became an Anglican...(1)." These frequent internal religious conflict...