A Prayer for Owen Meany
It is often the case in the novels with strong themes, that the author must rely on certain prearranged molds when shaping the major characters and their relationships with each other. These molded characters allow for the thematic content of the novel to be expressed more clearly. Hence, the thoughts and actions of the characters give a better idea to develop themes in the novel. A Separate Peace by John Knowles and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving are two novels that deal with similar themes. A Separate Peace deals with the events that alter the lives of two boys in a boarding school, while A Prayer for Owen Meany is the journey of two people from childhood to adulthood. Both works clearly define the true meaning of friendship and the obstacles it faces throughout the life. Due to the similar themes in these novels, one can find many similarities between the protagonists: Gene and John. By examining their attributes and relationships with their friends, one can tell that both these protagonists are somewhat comparable. They both have a guiding figure as a friend who is there to indicate them. Finally, the relationships between the protagonists and the guiding figures are the one in which the prot
In conclusion, the protagonists in both the novels were good at heart but uncertain and somewhat vulnerable. To help the protagonist, there was the guiding figure who symbolized purity and guided the protagonist towards light. Hence, due to similar thematic nature of A Separate Peace by John Knowles and A Prayer for Owen Meany the novels, many similarities can be found in the character attributes in both the novels. The protagonist in one book is similar in nature to the one in the other book, i.e. Gene Foster from A Separate Peace and John Wheelwright from A Prayer for Owen Meany. For example, the protagonist is definitely innately good but lacks to know the very self of him. This translates into a very vulnerable and an uncertain character, who must learn from the events that occur around him. Gene is a noble name, and he with no doubt is a gentleman with great determination. He comes from a good family and his goal is to excel in his studies. He is however, unsure of himself and others around him and this leads him to be quick to judge others. He judges his best friend to be plotting against him, whereas all that friends wants is to help him. Uncertainty is central to his character and results in a change in his character. It occurs when he pushes his best friend off a tree without knowing it. Later, when he analyzes the details of his action, he realizes that he harbors an evil that he did know existed. What he realizes through the course of the novel is that evil surrounds him and what he must search for is some sort of peace. Gene claims "...the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary illusory, special and separate peace"(Pg. 128). Similar to Gene, John is the protagonist of A Prayer for Owen Meany. John is a noble name as well and symbolizes good. He also is a humble boy and a student at the start of the novel. What is most interesting about John, however, is his uncertainty as
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Approximate Word count = 1292
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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