A Prayer for Owen Meany

Although Owen is filled with remorse, everyone agrees that it was a terrible accident and not his fault. Yet there is the nagging question: what happened to the baseball--the murder weapon? Police Chief Pike is angry that it cannot be found. If it killed someone, then he should, by law, have possession of it. He also insists that the Little League players stand behind the bleachers while the police take photographs of Tabitha Wheelwright. Several of the townspeople also stand with the Little Leaguers.

Over the years, Johnny will reconstruct that scene: who was standing behind the bleachers and who had gone home. He has a theory that the person his mother waved to before she died was his father. Johnny knows he's illegitimate and he is angry

. . .
ws them into the sea--the cycle of the baseball is complete. Owen always believed he was the instrument of God, and in hitting the baseball that killed Tabitha, he believed he was carrying out God's will. There were no accidents, according to Owen and the baseball was sent by God. Owen also had always told Johnny that God would reveal who his father was--and, indeed, God does. From the grave, Owen tells Johnny where he will find the baseball. The baseball, having killed Tabitha and Merrill's faith at the same time, then becomes the instrument that restores Merrill's faith. Irving uses the armadillo to convey the idea that Owen was God's instrument. Although everyone else believes an accident killed Tabitha, Owen, who affirms there are no accidents, believes that God took Tabitha and that his hands were the instrument. Therefore, Owen removes the claws from the armadillo--symbolizing his remorse. If he could cut of his own hands he would, because when Tabitha died, Owen, like Johnny and Dan (Tabitha's husband and Johnny's step-father), believes he has lost a part of himself. Also by taking away the claws of the armadillo, Owen is making a statement that God has away taken his hands--that he was God's instrument. The
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Johnny Owen, Johnny Wheelwright, Dan Tabitha's, Merrill Tabitha's, Leaguers Johnny, Rev Merrill, Gravesend Players--the, John Irving, Owen Meany, Rye Harbor--where, owen meany, baseball killed, merrill's faith, owen believes, killed tabitha, john irving, prayer owen meany, father johnny, angel theme, johnny father, believes god, restore merrill's faith, baseball killed mother, baseball killed tabitha, john irving novel,
Approximate Word count = 1474
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)