How Owen Meany is Directly Compared to Jesus Christ Throughout the novel "a prayer for Owen Meany," by John Irving, the main character is portrayed as a very religious martyr. In the Christian faith Jesus Christ is a martyr as well. Although there are many differences between the life of Jesus, as depicted in the bible and Owen Meany, there are many similarities as well, so many in fact, that the reader is forced to ponder if these similarities are intentional.
Jesus Christ was a miracle birth: he was born from a virgin.
"The virgin will be with child and she will give birth to a son" - Matthew 1:23 To be born from virgin makes the child blessed because the mother is then untouched and pure. Owen Meany was also born from a virgin.
"'You're saying Owen Meany was a virgin birth?' I asked Mr. Meany; he wouldn't look at me, but he nodded vigorously.
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Ch...
English: Resurrection of Christ
Owens Park Tower and Beetham Tower from Burnage'She was a virgin-yes!' he said" According to the bible if a women is with child, but is also untouched, then the child is a son of God. It was a miracle that Mary became impregnated with Jesus; it was a miracle that Mrs. Meany became impregnated with Owen. Both children are thus marked, and become a tool of God.
In Matthew 16:21 to Matthew 16:28 Jesus predicts his own death. God allows Jesus to see how he is going to die and why he is going to die in order that Jesus knew how he would fulfil the will of God. Owen was similarly informed of his death, ironically at about the same age as Jesus (between 11 and 13, the bible isn't specific) when he reads his own name on the tombstone in the play. Both Jesus and Owen are...