John Wheelwright

E794100

John Wheelwright is the reflective, often self-doubting narrator of John Irving’s novel "A Prayer for Owen Meany," whose life is profoundly shaped by his intense childhood friendship with the title character.

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Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional character
literary character
appearsIn A Prayer for Owen Meany NERFINISHED
associatedWithTheme destiny
friendship
political critique
religious faith
characterTrait introspective
reflective
self-doubting
childhoodFriendOf Owen Meany NERFINISHED
childhoodTimePeriod 1950s and 1960s
closeRelationshipWith Owen Meany NERFINISHED
createdBy John Irving NERFINISHED
education attended private schools
feelsGuiltAbout death of his mother
gender male
genreContext contemporary American novel
hasFriend Owen Meany NERFINISHED
hasNarrativeTone ironic
melancholic
retrospective
hasStrongMemoryOf Owen Meany’s voice
influencedBy Owen Meany’s religious conviction
laterReligiousAffiliation Anglican NERFINISHED
lifeShapedBy friendship with Owen Meany
mother Tabitha Wheelwright NERFINISHED
narrativeFunction interpreter of Owen Meany’s life and actions
narrativePerspective first-person
narrativeRole protagonist
narratorOf A Prayer for Owen Meany NERFINISHED
nationality American
occupation teacher
writer
politicalViewpoint critical of U.S. involvement in Vietnam War
critical of U.S. politics in the 1980s
raisedIn New Hampshire NERFINISHED
religiousBackground Episcopalian
religiousThemeRole wrestles with faith and doubt
stepfather Dan Needham NERFINISHED
strugglesWith faith
identity
loss
timeOfNarration set in the 1980s

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

A Prayer for Owen Meany mainCharacter John Wheelwright
A Prayer for Owen Meany narrator John Wheelwright