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Wilfred Owen's Relationship To His Religion

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Owen’s strong connection to his faith – partially from his parents – causes him to assume that he is an instrument of God, and given that he receives messages and visions into his future, along with the fact that his whole life is set up to accomplish one task, he is correct in assuming so. Owen is regarded as a spiritual figure in the first few pages of this book.
As the novel begins, John claims: “What faith I have I owe to Owen Meany” (2). It is immediately apparent that Owen is deeply committed to his religion. The insight about his birth that the reader receives towards the end – Owen’s dad tells John “… ‘that Owen was a virgin birth…’” (536) – emphasizes the point that Owen is portrayed as a Christ figure. Although this is not a verified …show more content…

Owen does not believe in coincidences, so he knows he has an unchanging voice and short stature for a reason. After one of his dreams Owen states: “I WISH I KNEW WHY MY VOICE NEVER CHANGES... BUT GOD HAS ALLOWED ME TO KNOW MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE – SO I’M NOT COMLAINING” (366). His answer is revealed to him when he realizes that if his voice has been deeper or he himself has been taller, he would not have blend in with the children and therefore would not be able to save them. His height and voice are what allow him to successfully complete his task, and since those traits are unchangeable, it is shown he has a specified destiny since birth. John has stated, “‘Owen thinks his voice comes from God’” (191), which is proven true due to this event. To continue, John and Owen’s favorite pastime is to practice “‘The Shot’, a game where [Owen] would jump into a teammate’s waiting arms, and the teammate would (occasionally) boost Owen above the basket’s rim” (303) in order for him to stuff the ball. This game proves to be more than just a pastime when Owen needs to use the techniques he uses in practicing the shot in order to save the children. John recalls, “…I passed him the Chicom grenade and opened my arms to catch him. He jumped so lightly into my hands; I lifted him up—as easily as I had always lifted

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In the bible, the book of Isaiah, chapter 41, verse 10 says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you…” Owen resembles Christ when he too says to John not to be afraid. Owen is there for John just as he always has been, resembling Christ in the book of Matthew, chapter 28, verse 20, “I am with you always.” Owen is Christ-like in many ways.

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This is a turning point of the plot because until then everyone who was aware of the dream, but Owen, were sure that the premonitions were just fever-induced hallucinations and that he was not sent by God. However, Owen's accurate prediction of his own death is enough proof of his divine qualities. Owen's death leads the novel to its final stage, the resolution, which is when Owen is recognized as a hero by his community and as a miracle by John. At the end of the novel " Owen Meany was awarded the Soldier's Medal: "For heroism that involves the voluntary risk of life under conditions other than those of conflict with an opposing armed force. "(Irving.

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Owen is a martyr, he must sacrifice his own life to save others much like Christ had to do. Denny Weaver, a published professor of religion, stated in an literary analysis of the novel, that “each was sent on a mission to die to save others—Jesus' death absorbed the punishment that sinful humankind deserved; Owen's death absorbed a grenade blast that saved Vietnamese orphans.” Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Owen had to submit to the will of God. Salvation depended on it the death of these virtuous, innocent victim in both cases (Weaver). Furthermore, after Owen dies his friend John continues to wish that God would return Owen to him: “O God — please give him back!

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