A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

... Cassie Pharis 3rd Hour/ Mrs. Young Novel and Drama Essay Johnny Wheelright Although the characters in A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving were all very complex and well-developed, Johnny Wheelright, was best developed and understood indirectly because of his actions and spoken opinions found in the book. Johnny is an observer who tells the story of his friend and family in a cynical but meticulous and slightly detached manner. He is, however, passionately loathsome towards the government throughout much of the book. Furthermore, his obsession with Vietnam is an indirect obsession with the memory of Owen Meany. The detached manner in which Johnny tells the story is both alarming and attractive. It is alarming because the reader never gets a direct grasp of Johnny's true emotions with regard to his mother. He tells of Owen's undying love and mourning for Tabby Wheelright, but never

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