The Ultimate A Prayer for Owen Meany Quiz | Authors

Answer: The Lady in Red

Tabby chooses the name because it allows her to be "totally out of character" one day a week. Her wardrobe mostly consists of only black and white, but she buys a red dress to wear while singing. The famous novel by Collins is, of course "The Woman in White".

Answer: Marilyn Monroe

Owen is a fervent supporter of JFK and ends up greatly disillusioned when he finds out that his hero is having an affair with Monroe. When Monroe's death is announced by the news, Owen compares Monroe to the USA: "not quite old but not quite young, maybe just a little stupid, and possibly used by the powerful and influential members of society."

Answer: Liberace

Their enjoyment of the over-the-top Liberace was a touchstone for the two, allowing them to talk to each other. After their relationship blossomed, Mrs Wheelwright sponsored Owen for the Gravesend Academy.

Answer: Ronald Reagan

Much of the novel is told in flashbacks to the 50s and 60s, and during that time period Reagan is just another actor. But the text sees constant interjections from the narrator decrying the policies of the current President (in 1987). John is so upset with American politics that in his adulthood, he moves to Toronto, Canada, and applies for Canadian citizenship. Ironically, his anti-American rants make him seem even more American to his Canadian neighbors, who tend to shun such strong opinions.

Answer: A Christmas Carol

Owen played the role of the Ghost of Yet to Come. In the climactic scene where the Ghost points toward the grave of Scrooge, Owen has a vision of his own name and the date of his death on the gravestone and understandably faints. He later carves a stone with the same information and leaves it for John to find.

Answer: The Great Gatsby

Amusingly, one of the girls in John's class calls Nick Carraway, the narrator of "The Great Gatsby", a snob and someone who can't be trusted.

Answer: Tess of the D'Urbervilles

When John can't understand the book, Owen offers to tell him the whole story and do John's homework for him. Then Owen reconsiders: "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN I'M GONE?" Later, John ends up teaching "Tess" to his English class, which triggers the memory.

Answer: The Scarlet Letter

The parallels between "The Scarlet Letter" and "A Prayer for Owen Meany" are striking. Like the protagonist Hester Prynne, John's mother has a baby out of wedlock; the father is not named until the end and turns out to be the priest; a red piece of clothing plays a significant role, and John's cousin is even named Hester.

Answer: The Tin Drum

"The Tin Drum" (1959) is regarded as Grass's masterpiece, the first of a trilogy which includes "Cat and Mouse" (1961) and "Dog Years" (1963). Both Oscar and Owen are small, intelligent, stonemasons with broken voices, and who save other people's lives through their actions. Since Grass and Irving are friends in real life, it's likely Irving paid a homage to his friend through his creation of Owen Meany.

Answer: Simon Birch

Director Mark Steven Johnson wanted to make a film from the novel, but John Irving, the author, declined to part with the naming rights for the characters or the title. Irving felt the adapted film's story was too different from the novel in two major aspects: it did not have the Vietnam War driving the events in the background, and it softened the miraculous nature of Owen Meany.