Motifs In A Prayer For Owen Me :: essays research papers

Owen Meany MotifA Prayer for Owen Meany by tin Irving has many different motifs. One dominant motif is armlessness. Armlessness was a reoccurring motif throughout the story and came up in many occasions. It seems to symbolize helplessness or organism under your own control. There are a variety of things throughout the novel that gives off that feeling.The armadillo was very dear to John. He had gotten it from Dan Needham the only give way he kept from one of his mother&8217s beaus. It had bully sentimental value to him and to young Owen who had also become attached to it. That&8217s why it showed great emotional distress on Owen&8217s part when he removed the claws of the armadillo. He did this when he had hit Johnny&8217s mother with the foul gawk that killed her. Dan had interpreted it as trying to say that Owen was helpless now and that he couldn&8217t do anything to change what he had done on accident. Though that top executive be the partial truth it could also symbolize s omething different. Almost saying that he is the armadillo and he wasn&8217t in control of himself, but was the instrument of God. His work force were not his own. Though the armadillo never recovered from the declawing, it had mended John and Owen&8217s friendship and helped ease some of the pain of that situation.The statue of Mary Magdalene sat in front of a concrete arch. &8220She was like a goalie protecting her goal, John had noted. Owen had sawn off her arms when he was expelled from Gravesend Academy. This might also symbolize Owen&8217s helplessness, not being able to change what had happened. When the statue is returned John notes that she is unable to protect her goal.