The story takes place in a small New Hampshire town before and during the Vietnam War. Johnny Wheelwright, a Canadian immigrant, in retrospect, narrates the novel. Johnny befriends a boy named Owen Meany who among many other oddities is a tiny boy with a shrill voice. Owen is responsible, by means of a fluke foul ball, for the death of Johnny's mother. Owens parents, who are not very stable or supporting, give Owen the impression that he was a miraculous virgin birth and thus the tool of God. When the boys' school decided to perform A Christmas Carol for the school play, Owen is cast (more appropriately, casts himself) as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. While acting his part Owen faints on stage. Upon waking, Owen claims to have seen his name and date of his death on the prop tombstone. The two boys then go on to attend a private prep school together. It is here that Owen insists that

This novel exemplifies, in my opinion, the anti-war and anti-American sentiment of this disillusioned group of men during and after the Vietnam War. I feel that this novel was Irving's attempt to come to terms with a horrible chapter in his life. It was this coping of the disillusionment that has led Irving to his anti-Americanism and the creation of this wonderful novel.

Johnny help him with the "shot." This is where Johnny lifts Owen up as he runs towards the basketball hoop to complete a slam-dunk. As the two grow older they both attend college and Owen enrolls in the ROTC program. He does so because he believes that God had called him to fight in Vietnam and die saving a group of Vietnamese school children. Owen also believes that Johnny has no place fighting in Vietnam and decides to help keep him out of the senseless war. To do so, Owen devises a plan to cut of Johnny's trigger finger, thus making him ineligible for the draft. While at the airport in Arizona (where Owen was stationed) the two come upon some nuns caring for a group of Vietnamese school children. While in the bathroom a deranged young man throws a grenade at the children. Johnny catches the grenade and performs the "shot" with Owen who places the grenade high above the children. Owen was killed by the blast but everyone else was

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ghost Christmas, Arizona Owen, American Vietnam, Johnny Canadian, Owen Meany, John Irving, Vietnam War, Wheelwright Canadian, Christmas Carol, House Inc, vietnam war, vietnamese school children, vietnamese school, grenade children, school children, fight vietnam, canadian immigrant, john irving, children owen, american values, owen meany,
Approximate Word count = 890
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)