A Prayer for Owen Meany Blog #3

            As I read the second half of John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany, I began to see the importance of Owen’s voice. It is clear from the very beginning that Owen has a strange voice because not only does Johnny Wheelwright tell us that he has a strange voice, but we can also see that his voice is distinct through Irving’s use of capital letters each time Owen speaks. At first, Owen’s voice seems to be an opportunity for the other kids to make fun of him. As he grows up, however, his voice becomes more and more meaningful.  

            As Johnny’s grandmother loses her memory the fact that “Even when her memory was shot, Grandmother remembered Owen's voice” shows that Owen’s voice is not just weird (19). It is also memorable. Knowing that his voice is memorable and can make an impact paves the way for ample opportunity to use his voice to his advantage. As a child in the Christmas plays, Owen finds that he performs best when he does not have a speaking role. At this point, Owen has not faced the issue of his voice head on, but he has solved part of the problem by expressing his talents through acting, rather than through his voice. In high school, Owen once again finds a way to have his voice heard without actually speaking. Owen begins to publish articles in The Grave, the school paper and “among the editors of The Grave, in which Owen published the first essay he was assigned in English class, Owen was known as ‘The Voice.’” (289). Owen has found a way to share his thoughts and ideas without actually using his voice. While writing for the newspaper is a step in the right direction, it is not until his time working with the Vietnamese orphans that Owen Meany finally realizes and utilizes the full potential of his voice. When Dick Jarvits threw open the door to the room that Owen was in with the Vietnamese boys, Owen was able to use his voice to comfort them. Johnny recalls that “it was not only because he spoke their language; it was his voice that compelled the children to listen to him-it was a voice like their voices. That was why they trusted him, why they listened. " (612).

            It took Owen most of his life, but he finally realized why he had the underdeveloped voice that he did. It was God’s will. It is all in the moment that Owen saves the Vietnamese children from the grenade that Owen discovers God’s purpose for him in life. It’s wonderful how a boy that was made fun of all his life for being strangely underdeveloped with a small body and a small voice saved a group of other young boys with the help of the same features that he was always made fun of for.