 “The building of the architecture of a novel—the craft of it—is something I never tire of.”  Irving did not reach any popularity until his fourth book “The World According to Garp” which was written in 1972 and became his first film in 1982  The Hotel New Hampshire, Cider House Rules, and A Prayer for Owen Meany (Simon Birch) also all became films  Irving worked as a professor at many universities throughout New England, and even writes about the University of New Hampshire in his books  Many of his works are semi-autobiographical  Irving travelled to Vienna shortly after graduating University, then married at 23. Vienna had a profound impact on his writing

Fact About The AuthorEffect on the novel John was born in Exeter, New Hampshire on March 2 nd, 1942 The book takes place in New England which is where New Hampshire is located. John was born during WWII; his father served as an airman in the Pacific The book Owen Meany also has the element of War in it. Owen fights in the Vietnam War near the end of the book. John’s mother remarried when he was two years old, John never met his biological father One of the main objectives of John Wheelwright in the book is to find his biological father who he never met. John claims he has a “love of solitude” which helped him grow as a writer. He was also dyslexic as a child. John Wheelwright is a meek, quiet, isolated boy who also is not outwardly smart when it comes to school work. John is publically scrutinized for his “pro-choice” opinion on abortion Questions of religion, right and wrong and morality are themes of “A Prayer for Owen Meany”

 "I've read about myself that I am not to be taken seriously because I am a shameless entertainer, a crowd pleaser…You bet. I am. My feeling is I'm not going to get you to believe anything if I can't get you to finish the book. I have a very simple formula, which is that you've got to be more interested on page 320 than on page 32." shameless

 “"There's a procedure I go through when I write," he told People's Hubbard. "I always try to think: Okay, this is what you think is coming. But what would be worse?...It is my deliberate decision to create someone who is capable of moving you and then hurting him.”

 “ I wanted to write a book, if I could, with a happy ending, because I didn't feel I had a happy ending in me, and I wanted to get one.”

 Setting Free the Bears (1968) Setting Free the Bears  The Water-Method Man (1972) The Water-Method Man  The 158-Pound Marriage (1974) The 158-Pound Marriage  The World According to Garp (1978) The World According to Garp  The Hotel New Hampshire (1981) The Hotel New Hampshire  The Cider House Rules (1985) The Cider House Rules  A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989) A Prayer for Owen Meany  Trying to Save Piggy Sneed (collection, 1993) Trying to Save Piggy Sneed  A Son of the Circus (1994) A Son of the Circus  The Imaginary Girlfriend (non-fiction, 1996) The Imaginary Girlfriend  A Widow for One Year (1998) A Widow for One Year  My Movie Business (non-fiction, 1999) My Movie Business  The Cider House Rules: A Screenplay (1999) The Cider House Rules: A Screenplay  The Fourth Hand (2001) The Fourth Hand  A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound (2004) A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound  Until I Find You (2005) Until I Find You  Last Night in Twisted River (2009) Last Night in Twisted River

TitleNew England ProstitutesAbsent Parent Deadly Accident A Prayer for Owen Meany Setting Free the Bears The Water Method Man The158 Pound Marriage The World According to Garp The Hotel New Hampshire Cider House Rules Last Night in Twisted River

 Disfiguration, Amputation, Armlessness or overall “lacking”  Used many times throughout the book:  Owen as the Baby Jesus  Armadillo  John’s finger amputation  Mary Magdalene’s disfiguration  Owen’s death

 Loss of a loved one: - Tabby Wheelwright’s death would never “be okay” - The armadillo is as maimed as Tabby, as well as dignified as Owen feels  Armlessness- arms being the tool of God to kill: -Owen claims God used his arms to kill Tabby, therefore Owen cutting off the armadillo’s claws show himself trying to take away the guilt and responsibility for her death  Control - Owen in the Christmas pageant does not want his arms swaddled because without arms he is weakened, and vulnerable and is therefore not in control - When Owen cuts off John’s finger so he doesn’t have to go to Vietnam, he is gaining control of his fate - Ultimate loss of control comes at Owen’s death when the ultimate control of having life is lost. Owen represents faith, truth, morals. His arms being gone represents the ultimate loss  Disrespect - It is well known that Owen hates the Catholic religion, therefore him disfiguring the figure that represents Catholicism is showing the ultimate disrespect. It questions and mocks the religion’s credibility.

 Occurs frequently throughout the plot, linking together events in a unified way  Creates a visual depiction of emotion. Sadness= removal of claws, Anger= removal of statues arms etc.  Relatable to the reader. Lack of limbs creates a feeling of unrest, connotes negative, uneasy feelings.

 “ I was quite upset at how my best friend could have done this to me, until Dan Needham informed me this was precisely what Owen felt he had done to me, and to himself: that we were both maimed and mutilated by what had happened to us.  “Your friend is most original,” Dan Needham said with the greatest respect. “Don’t you see, Johnny? If he could, he would cut off his hands for you- that’s how it makes him feel, to have touched that baseball bat, to have swung the bat with those results. It’s how we all feel- you and me and Owen. We’ve lost a part of ourselves.” And Dan picked up the wrecked armadillo and began to experiment with it on my night table, trying- as I had tried- to find a position that allowed the beast to stand, or even to lie down, with any semblance of comfort or dignity; it was quite impossible. The thing had been crippled; it was rendered an invalid. And how had Owen arranged the claws? I wondered. What sort of terrible altarpiece had he constructed? Were the claws gripping the murderous baseball?  And so Dan and I became quite emotional, while we struggled to find a way to make the armadillo’s appearance acceptable- but that was point, Dan concluded: there was no way that any or all of this was acceptable. What had happened was unacceptable! Yet we still had to live with it.

Themes  Faith and Doubt  Owen believes that everything that happens is the will of God  Owen has an absolute faith in God  John has no particular beliefs of faith  Reverend Merrill believes doubt is the essence of faith

What it means  Strength: Faith drives Owen and gives him strength to do things that involve immense courage  Acts as a plot-shaper: Doubt triggers Johns behaviour throughout the plot of the novel  In the beginning he has little faith, by the end he is a true believer

Why It Works  Adds depth to characters: Makes them more relatable (John) Makes them more fantastic (Owen)  Creates unity – theme is carried throughout the book  Creates a “timeless” feel to the novel

Used in the book…  "Doubt one minute, faith the next — sometimes inspired, sometimes in despair."  “Never confuse faith, or belief – of any kind - with something even remotely intellectual."  "Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!"  “We kept our heads bowed; and we kept praying. Even as awkward as he was, the Rev. Mr. Merrill had made it clear to us that there was no end to praying for Owen Meany."