PROMPT #2
Chapters 4-6
Due Saturday, July 22, 2017
Choose ONE of the following prompts to respond to. See the instructions on my homework page for details about what your response should include and look like in order to receive full credit.
A. A Prayer for Owen Meany was published in the 1980's, before texting, social media, and the Internet were a part of everyday life. Today it is considered rude, naive, or "shouting" to type in all capital letters. Why do you think author John Irving chose to present all of Owen's words in all caps? Consider that as a writer for The Grave, even Owen himself uses all caps for his articles. What connections can you make between this choice and the character of Owen Meany? Why would Irving have chosen to set Owen's words apart this way? Use specific evidence from the novel to support your ideas.
B. Consider the NAMES of the characters, places, and institutions/establishments you have been introduced to thus far in the novel. Choose at least five names of people/things in the novel and explain what you feel might be the symbolism behind the author's choices. Consider using a dictionary to explore all the meanings of common words such as "mean" and "grave" as you prepare your response. Use specific events, passages, and ideas presented in the novel to support your insights.
*A NOTE FROM MRS. WHITLEY*
Although the prompts presented so far have the potential to be answered (though not very well) by skimming or researching what others have written, keep in mind that future blog assignments and our first few class assignments will unequivocally require that you have read the novel. If you have found yourself skating by at this point, please be forewarned now that you should catch up and read the entire novel so you are well prepared.
Due Saturday, July 22, 2017
Choose ONE of the following prompts to respond to. See the instructions on my homework page for details about what your response should include and look like in order to receive full credit.
A. A Prayer for Owen Meany was published in the 1980's, before texting, social media, and the Internet were a part of everyday life. Today it is considered rude, naive, or "shouting" to type in all capital letters. Why do you think author John Irving chose to present all of Owen's words in all caps? Consider that as a writer for The Grave, even Owen himself uses all caps for his articles. What connections can you make between this choice and the character of Owen Meany? Why would Irving have chosen to set Owen's words apart this way? Use specific evidence from the novel to support your ideas.
B. Consider the NAMES of the characters, places, and institutions/establishments you have been introduced to thus far in the novel. Choose at least five names of people/things in the novel and explain what you feel might be the symbolism behind the author's choices. Consider using a dictionary to explore all the meanings of common words such as "mean" and "grave" as you prepare your response. Use specific events, passages, and ideas presented in the novel to support your insights.
*A NOTE FROM MRS. WHITLEY*
Although the prompts presented so far have the potential to be answered (though not very well) by skimming or researching what others have written, keep in mind that future blog assignments and our first few class assignments will unequivocally require that you have read the novel. If you have found yourself skating by at this point, please be forewarned now that you should catch up and read the entire novel so you are well prepared.
I think by making all of Owen Meany's words capital, John Irving was showing us how Owen sticks out like a sore thumb. He is unlike anything anybody has ever seen or heard before. Germaine even believes his voice comes from the devil himself, and claims she even heard him scream from across town. Another thing about typing in all capital letters is when you see them on a page, your eyes are drawn to it. That is also like Owen, everyone is drawn to him. For example in the Christmas Pageant, he stole the show with a small part, and no lines. Lastly capital words can also mean importance, or something that you shouldn’t forget. Owen most likely writes The Grave in all capital letters to show people he is “the voice”, and what he writes is important. He wants everyone to see and realize that. I know Owen Meany is a very important person in this book, and a lot of the things he say have great importance. I think he will be the one to lead John to his father. After all, Owen was the one that killed John’s mother, was the star of two plays, and “sees the future”.
ReplyDeleteOwen Meany was different. He was unique so the way he wrote in The Grave and the way John wrote about him also had to be unique. When seeing the sentences on the page we automatically know it is Owen Meany's voice. He was tiny, had big ears, and was a genius. While all that set him apart, his voice was one of a kind. Even in her old age John's grandmother could remember Owen's nasally voice when John attempted to mimic it. His voice demanded to be heard as capital letters are demanded to be seen. When seeing the capital letters we know it's Owens voice. After writing articles for The Grave, he was The Voice and he states that he will write everything in capitals because it grabs the reader's attention. John Irving is grabbing the readers attention and putting Owen Meany's special voice in our head when we read those lines.
ReplyDeletePrompt A.
ReplyDeleteI think the author, John Irving, chose to have Owen Meany's dialogue in all caps to make him seem bigger. Having a different voice can't be heard through paper, but writing in all caps makes it stand out. It makes it remembered. When I read the book I imagine Owen's voice loud and screechy. Without the use of the capitalized letters I don't think the point that the author was trying to reach would've been made clear. Throughout the book John says how his grandmother remembers Owen's voice even when she starts to lose her memory. When Owen becomes "The Voice" he writes in all caps to stand out to be different. From doing this many people read his article and listen to what he says. He argued about many different topics and changes the school needs to make, and the faculty listen to him for the most part. With writing in all caps it shows the importance and unique quality of Owen. He may be small, but no one ever forgets him. Everyone remembers him no matter what he's doing. I think even years after reading the book many of us with stumble across something and it will remind us of Owen because of how unique he is.
Prompt A
ReplyDeleteOwen is a unique child. He's smaller than everyone else and has a very bizarre voice. I think that the author used all caps for Owen because it helps the reader remember that Owen Meany isn't like the others. Owen probably writes in all caps to portray the same thing, he wants everyone to hear him and see him. WRITING IN ALL CAPS CATCHES THE READERS EYE. The author wanted us to truly see Owen because he is a very important character in this book. He is the hand of god and is carrying out all his plans. This is made clear during the baseball incident, which Owen killed Tabitha, and when Owen killed Sagamore with the ball that went into the street. The reader seems to question Owen in a way, you start to wonder if he really is controlling everything and he knows what's going to happen. In the book, during the war, Owen seemed to be one step ahead of the everyone else (even the generals). Also the writing style helps you remember Owen and what he says or does. The all caps wrijting style is also similar to the character Owen Meany because it's strange, bizarre, and very unique, considering he is the only different one in the entire book.
Mrs. Whitley I posted my thing but it won't show up
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest examples of symbolism in the book is Owen Meany himself. When you look up the origin of the name Owen, you see that it is Welsh and that it stands for nobility. This is fitting, because in the story, John sees Owen as very noble. His last name, Meany, or "meanie" is defined as a very small person. Small as in character, not in size. In the book, however, that is exactly what Owen is, small. He is small and almost uniform. As in you wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd. Except John doesn't see him as that way. This is my third example of symbolism, and it is also Owen Meany, but Owen Meany the person, not the name. In contrast to Owen being small, he is described as having almost glowing skin, and being a little odd, especially once he becomes The Voice, that is how John sees him at least. This is because Owen Meany is meant to symbolize the hand of god. It was Owen who hit the ball. It is Owen's voice that John hears in capital letters. Owen is meant to be represented as being seen by John as otherworldly. My next example is the armless, or declawed armadillo. Armless-ness in this story is meant to symbolize helplessness. No one could help what happened to John's mother, and that is why the armadillo was returned after her death. And lastly, the foul ball itself. The ball is the "instrument of death," it is what killed John's mom. But the ball came off the bat held by Owen. It made an unusual sound, just as Owen's voice is unusual. A baseball is small, Owen is small. I believe that all these similarities are used to show that Owen and the ball are one in the same. The ball was Owen's instrument just as Owen is god's instrument in the story. It is meant to symbolize that.
ReplyDelete(sorry im late i forgot it was due last night!)
Nevermind I think I got it
ReplyDeleteFor Prompt A:
ReplyDeleteIrving uses all capitals when Owen Meany speaks for the specific purpose of drawing parallels. Why, in this exact prompt it is stated that capital letters in this day and age are considered impolite, loud, and attention seeking; this directly draws a parallel to both Owen's physical appearance, and his attitude. He rocks the boat constantly, commanding the world and others around him to follow how he thinks the world should be, and subsequently everyone around him bends to his will, even if not at first. This also mirrors the way he looks: how small he is, how his voice grabs, startles, and even frightens those around him and demands their attention as well, even at a young age. It is stated multiple times in the story that many of the people faced by Owen have the compulsion to pick him up or touch him.
As a reader, flipping a page and continuing the story, seeing sentences in all capital letters is very eye-catching. It stands out from the rest of the dialogue and the mountains of explanatory textual descriptions that the rest of the book is composed of. This is a visual aid, although a sneaky one, as it quite literally makes you, the reader, accidentally draw your attention to his words, and his words alone. Subconciously or not, this may be why Owen Meany also chose to use capitals in his columns, though it may have also been influenced by his stance that his voice is the way it is for a reason. Perhaps it is for the express purpose of standing out, or being extraordinary.
^^^^ This is Zoe's, I have no idea why it didn't prompt me this time to enter my Google account. Sorry, Mrs. W.
DeleteJesse 7/20/17
ReplyDeletePrompt A
In the story, Owen is written as different from everyone else. He was always smaller and had an odd voice.When he was younger, he was often picked up and tossed around at Sunday school. He would sometimes scare the main character 's (John's) grandmother with his unusual and weirdly pitched voice. Then, the one maid , Germaine, was superstitious and thought that his was demonic and came straight from h*ll. Later, he gained unique opinions about all things from Catholics to Television to Girls. When he attended Gravesend Academy, he voiced his various opinions on several different things as "the Voice" in the academy newspaper ; ranging from disavowing the alumni and school board to not wanting fish on Fridays because of Catholics. He said his columns were to be "PUBLISHED IN CAPITALS BECAUSE IT WILL INSTANTLY GRAB THE READER'S ATTENTION." (PG. 289) The readers of "the Grave" , as it is called, constantly read and admire the pessimistic views of the school and other things and look up to him. Also, the use of capital letters in the story can show the unearthly and godly aspects of Owen, such as his odd events and coincidences relating to death, such as seeing his name on scrooges tombstone and fainting at the same time as Germaine and Lydia heard a scream and then Lydia passed away (Ch. 5). Plus, the story revolves very much around Owen Meany, detailing different parts of his life as he grows up with his best friend, the main character, John Wheelwright. As a telling of recollection years later by John, he owes thanks and part of his life to Owen, who at times helped him get through at school, such as with homework, and who had different activities and times of fun together with him even though he accidentally and tragically killed John's mother with a foul ball.
I figured it out Mrs. Whitley!
I think that the Author chose to have Owen Meany's Words capitalized to show how different he really was, he stood out from everyone in many ways. I also believe that since his words were capitalized when he spoke and wrote they showed that his views mattered more than anyone else in the book. This was a smart tactic i the author because what better way to catch the reader's eye than to capitalize all the words that they would like them to recognize. Owen Meany’s opinion also has more meaning than anyone else in the book. His voice was also very distinguishable in the book even though his grandmother was losing her memory she could still remember his voice and his opinion mattered most through the eyes of johnny.
ReplyDeleteThis is Adam i guess my name cannot be displayed
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