Foreshadowing and Irony in A Prayer for Owen Meany

    In John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany, Irving uses the literary devices of foreshadowing and irony to link past events to the death and periods following the death of Johnny's mother, Tabitha Wheelwright. There are many instances where Irving uses phrases or descriptions to insinuate the impending demise of Johnny's mother and her funeral. The way that Irving juxtaposes these scenes is ironic because specifically when talking about Tabitha Wheelwright's wedding he foreshadows her death. So, in turn when it is supposed to be the happiest moment of her life, besides the birth of Johnny, the readers are remembering her death that is soon to follow.
     When describing the wardrobe of Owen Meany at Tabitha Wheelwright's wedding, Simon, Johnny's cousin tells Owen that his suit "[looks] like [he's] at a funeral"(Irving 122). This statement made by Simon is not only foreshadowing the death of Tabitha Wheelwright and the funeral that is to come, but also the fact that it is Owen who is said to be dressed for a funeral is ironic because Owen's foul ball is the reason for Tabitha's death. So, while everyone is celebrating the union of Tabitha Wheelwright and Dan Needham, the readers are reminded by Owen Meany specifically that Tabitha's happy life will be cut short by a freak accident.
    Not only did Owen Meany's wardrobe foreshadow the funeral of Tabitha Wheelwright, but also his gift for the bride and groom was death-like. Owen Meany gave Tabitha and Dan a piece of granite with their wedding date engraved in it. This gift as Johnny described it "looked like a tombstone for a cherished pet"(125). In a way Owen gave her a tombstone for the death that he would later cause, thus foreshadowing the foul ball that killed her. While the gift that Owen Meany gave Tabitha and Dan was heartfelt and meaningful it still reminds the readers that Tabitha will die, however at this point in the plot Tabitha is unaware of her demise.
   Irving also used the literary device of irony and foreshadowing when he used the quote from the bible, "That she and I may grow old together"(127). This quote is not only ironic because Owen Meany's foul ball will cut Tabitha Wheelright's life short , but also because it is said on a day that is supposed to be filled with love and celebration, however to the readers this quote just once again foreshadow's her death. This quote reminds the readers that Dan and Tabitha will not be able to grow old together, but that they will have just a few short years together before she is killed.
   Irving does a great job in foreshadowing the events to come and by doing it in an ironic way. He not only reminds the readers of what is yet to come, but also uses irony to create a sort of humor around these scenes. These are not the only examples of foreshadowing and irony throughout the novel, but these are just some prominent examples that came to mind.

Writing Style of John Irving

    I am reading the novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving and while reading this I am noticing his writing style for this piece is used to help convey certain aspects of the novel to the readers. In this novel he uses capital letters for the speech of one of the characters, Owen Meany, and he also uses biblical references throughout the novel to demonstrate to the readers Owen Meany's beliefs and how he has influenced Johnny's beliefs.
   The use of capital letters for the speech of the character Owen Meany allows the readers to hear his voice. The capital letters stand out and make the words seem to be shouted, rather than the speech of the other characters which is written in normal text. These letters, since they are capitalized, allow the readers to visually understand the difference between Owen Meany's voice and the voices of everyone else. Since Owen's voice seems to be a main trait that set him apart from the rest, along with his scrawny stature and translucent skin, Irving does a good job in making sure Owen's speech sets him apart from the speech of others.
   Throughout the novel, the theme of religion is brought up by the many biblical references and by the trading facts of different religious cultures between Owen and Johnny. These references to the bible allow the readers to understand the beliefs of Johnny and how he credits Owen for them and they also allow the readers to understand Owen's own personal beliefs. When discussing the various forms of religion and each of the cultures' beliefs, Owen demonstrates that he has a deeper connection to God and that the religion he formally belongs to does not allow him to nurture that bond, rather it takes him away from it. These facts about the different religious cultures allow the readers to understand how serious Owen is in his faith if he feels they "believe less than he believed"(Irving 25).
  Irving's style for this novel allows the readers to get a better understanding of the characters and help the plot to move along smoothly. An example of both of the styles combined would be, "'GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER. MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT. GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS. I AM GOD'S INSTRUMENT'"(90). This is quote demonstrates the capitalizing of Owen Meany's speech and the referencing of religion, or in this case God. So as one can see this quote shows the distinct voice of Owen, while also showing his beliefs. Irving uses this style to aid the readers in their understanding the storyline by allowing them to get to know the characters better.

Questions for the Author

    I have many questions for Jhumpa Lahiri due to the fact that the end of her novel is so frustrating!!! I loved her book and it was so well written but why did she have to make Kaushik die. It is just so frustrating and I do understand that these are real stories, but could she have at least left out the part of Kaushik drowning by the tsunami. So Jhumpa Lahiri I am left with these questions...
   Why do you make part two of your book seem like it is written in the format of letters or is that just me? I wonder if it is in order to make the readers feel like they are reading directly from the hands of the writer, in this case Hema and Kaushik. This format makes the readers feel like they are directly in the storyline and it helps to immerse the readers, me especially in this case, because I feel as though I can have a better understanding of the plot and the characters when I read a story in first-person perspective, event though there tends to be bias. So again in conclusion to this question I wonder was it just my interpretation that part two seemed to be letter format or was that done on purpose?
   Why does Kaushik have to die? I seriously do not understand this ending because Kaushik and Hema were supposed to end up together! I understand that it is a true story, but come on for the sake of heartbreak leave out the sad ending. I just wish that Kaushik could have lived and that in the end Hema would have realized that she made a mistake in marrying a man she barely knew and that she would run to Kaushik in Thailand and live with him in Hong Kong. It was just so unfortunate that they did not end up together, so I ask why not just leave out Kaushik's death and allow the readers to imagine themselves what happened to the star-crossed lovers, so to speak.
   I am left with many more questions for Jhumpa Lahiri, but I am so frustrated beyond words that I cannot find the words. The ending of the book was just a complete disappointment for me because I thought that Kaushik and Hema were destined for each other, but instead Lahiri's story took an unexpected turn and left me in tears.