(Azure)

Explain how Owen comes to perceive himself as Gods instrument?

Owen Meany attempts to understand his world, find meaning and construct
life. Seeking to find answers for his miniature size, wrecked voice, and
neglectful parents through his faith in God, he comes to believe he is the
chosen one.
Owen suffers his entire life. He is unwanted in his own home, and is blatantly bullied
by his peers at school. However he comes to find comfort in Tabitha, his surrogate
mother and his best friend Johnny. They provide Owen a place to come home to,
and the happiness of life he never receives elsewhere. Despite enduring a stream of
never-ending struggles, God still strips Owen of his surrogate mother, with the
unlucky swing of his bat, resulting in her death. Leaving him to question: why;
why must he suffer, why does he have no control?
Owen has no control of his life; it as if god was predetermining Owens every
move. His tiny body, always prohibits him from hitting the ball, except that
one foul ball he is actually able to hit, kills his surrogate mother Tabitha? The
only answer Owen finds is through his faith in god: his hands are under the
command of god, meant to carry out His will. GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER,
MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT, GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS, I AM
GODS INSTRUMENT. Owen believes Tabithas death is predestined, as gods
instrument, his hands are commanded to carry it out. Owen realizes there is a
greater truth for his suffering; he is meant to serve god and fulfill his
assignments. Owen choice to accept his fate, frees him. He becomes the author
to his own life, predestinating and finally defining himself.
(Azure)
Explain why, after Johnnys mother is struck by a foul ball, Owen gives his
baseball collection to Johnny.
Owen is born to carry out gods will. He cannot defy his fate, nor refuse his tasks; he
has no control, as the chosen one.
Owen Meany has no control in his life. He is toy for is peers to play with, and
instrument meant to carry out gods assignments. His miniature body
restrains him from playing baseball, the game he loves, and though he has the
voice of a prophet, he is voiceless. As the pinch hitter, Owen is placed on the field
to receive a free walk after being hit with the ball; he is up at the mercy. Owen
attempts to hits the ball, however his miniature body refrains him from receiving
result other than falling down or hitting himself. Endeavoring to defy his fate renders
pointless; Owen cannot succeed his limits. However the baseball cards are

something he can control and manipulate as he desires. The baseball cards allow
him to play the game he cannot play.
Owens hands are under the command of god; he is a tool meant to serve His will.
Owens hands swing the bat, and hit his first and last foul ball, which ultimately
kills his surrogate mother. Owen accepts his fate as gods instruments, and no
longer desires for any form of control. Thus he surrenders his baseball cards to
Johnny, he's not simply saying sorry, hes giving up control. The one thing he finds
control over in his life, he gives it up. Resigning to the fact that he is gods
instrument, and he is selected to carry out his work.
Owen Meany gives up his precious baseball collection, submitting as gods
instrument. He realizes he has no control over his life, his fate is predestined to
carry out gods will.
(Azure)

Explain the symbolism of the Armadillo as it relates to Owen Meany.

Owen is a substitute armadillo. Owen and the armadillo are armoured agents
meant to serve; as the armadillo serves as a childs toy, Owen serves as gods
tool.
Unique in their existence, un-native to the land, and armoured, Owen is a
parallel to the stuffed armadillo. The armadillo has physical armour, while Owen is
emotionally armoured. Owen is constantly picked up by his classmates, held above
their heads and passed around. However, Owen never rats them out, he simply
bears the transgressions of their sins with duty. His thick-skin enables him to endure
suffering in silence. Moreover, Owens convictions in god never falter; Owens shield
of faith is impenetrable. No matter the struggles he is born to face, Owen never
questions gods love. His faith in god, protects him from any doubt he may
encounter in his life. Owens tough hide and strong convictions shield armour him
against the cruel world and his fate as gods servant
GOD HAS TAKEN YOUR MOTHER, MY HANDS WERE THE INSTRUMENT,
GOD HAS TAKEN MY HANDS, I AM GODS INSTRUMENT. Owens hands are
under the command of god, carrying out His will; they are no longer his own. He
cannot escape his fate. In an attempt for Owen to portray the new-found
understanding of his life, predestined fate and the reason for his sufferings to
Johnny, he removes the claws off the armadillo; amputating his own hands, since
they no longer belong to him. If he could, he would cut off his hands for you,
thats how it makes him feel, to have touched that ball, to have swung that bat with
those results. Owen does not desire to be gods instrument, however he cannot
fight it. He wishes, he lacked hands for god to control, thus he wouldnt have been

able to kill his surrogate mother. Amputating the claws, Owen renders himself
defenceless as the armadillo.
Azure
Explain how Tabitha and Owens baseball card collection are surrogates:
Owen is born to serve under the command of god, however he still attempts to fill in
the voids in his life with replacements.
Owen is unwanted in his own home, thus Tabitha takes the place of his mother.
Caring for Owen as a mother would for her own child. She desires only the best for
Owen. Tabitha is willing to do anything, or pay anything to make sure Owen receives
the best education from an academy, instead of the low-profile public school he is
attending. As his surrogate mother, Tabitha goes as far as to pay a visit to Owens
parents to discuss the possibility of Owen attending the academy. Moreover, as
Owen wets his pants at Johnnys house during his visit with the wild cousins, he
runs away, only to be brought back by Tabitha and Johnny. She cares for his
wellbeing, thus she goes after Owen, bringing him back, and promising to wash his
soiled clothes for him. Tabitha cares for Owen as a mother does, worries for
him as a mother would, and loves him as a mother should, while his blood
parents remain distant in his life.
Owen lacks control in his life; he is born to serve the people and gods will. Owen is
the pinch-hitter, placed in the game to receive a free walk after hes hit with the
ball; hes up there at the mercy. His tiny body restrains him from playing the game
he loves; he is bound by chains god places upon him, unable to escape his fate.
Despite it all, Owen is able to find a replacement for everything he cannot control
through his baseball cards; he is able to manipulate them to his own desire. His
peers didnt know what system it was, but obviously Owen had a system
over the cards. He is able to obtain a degree of control over the game baseball
itself; the cards surrogate all that is beyond his power.
Owen fills the voids in his life with replacements. Owen has a mother, yet she is
distant, leaving him motherless. Owen has a hollow place in his heart, empty from
the love of a mother, thus Tabitha becomes his surrogate mother, caring for Owen
as if he were her own. While the lack of control Owen faces in his life is replaced
with his baseball cards; they allow him to have power over something. Owen
receives comfort and contentment from his surrogate mother and his baseball
cards.
Azure