Sunday, March 20, 2011

A Prayer for Owen Meany - Discussion Posting #2


Your assignment for today is to answer the following question.  You are to thoughtfully respond to the question and then respond to at least two of your classmates.   Make sure that you include your name in your posting.

Would you be able to forgive Owen for what happens at the baseball game if you were John? Why might it be important that John forgive Owen?  Please make sure that you use specific examples from the novel. 
 

98 comments:

  1. I wouldn't know if I'd be able tp forgive owen because once that person dies, you can never get them back, but since it was an accident, i'd try to find a way to forgive them. i think it was important for John to forgive owen because owen truly felt sorry for what he did and he didn't mean to do it. It probably hurt him more than it hurt John because Tabitha was like a mother to him also and he probably felt really guilty that he killed his best friend's mom and it'd be something he'd have to live with for the rest of his life.

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  2. Hmm... Well I don't think that i could forgive him right away, because i would be in shock from the whole situation. I DEFINETLY would be very very very upset with Owen at first but then after some time I would realize that things happen for a reason and Owen couldnt control that ball. After some heavy thinking and some alone time, I would forgive Owen. It is important to forgive because if you dont, you will always have that grudge resting on your heart. Just forgive and forget!

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  3. i would be able to forgive him for what happened but i would not be able to be around him ever just becasue he was the one that took someone that means alot to me away

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  4. I would be able to forgive Owen for what happened, because it was not his fault, he didn't mean to hit john's mother.

    I think it is very important that John forgives Owen, because like I siad it was not his fault, and Owen felt really bad about killing John's mothr. It would help Owen out if John was to forgivve him.

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  5. I really dont know if i could or couldnt forgive him. i think of it as id have to be litteraly put in that situation to even understand the fact that my mom was just killed by a foul ball and a kid like owen was the one to hit the ball. We take into consideration that owen did not do this purposly, hit intetions where not to kill someones mom. however that fact is that johns mom is gone, and he will never see her as long as she is alive. the way john handled it says alot about is charaacter though.

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  6. @Ashlee Morgan: I totally agree with you because it falls in line what i said abouyt not being able to forgive him right away and it's right that we do need to forgive, not only for the otjer's person's sake, but for ours as well. We will feel better once we do.

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  7. Yes, I Would Be Able To Forgive Owen, Because it Was An Accident. It Would Of Been Defferent If He Did It On Purpose. It Is Important To Forgive Owen, Because Owen Was A Good Friend To Him And Never Judged Him. Owen Never Got Upset With Him Even When They Were Lifting Him Up In Sunday School.

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  8. Yes I would be abke to forgive Own because it was an accident! They talk about how small Owen is and how timid he is so I don't think he'd just purposely kills somebodies mother. It's important for John to forgive Owen b/c he didn't purposely do it, and he was truelly sorry. Like who in their right mind is okay w/ killing someone's mother?

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  9. I think I would be able to forgive Owen. I dont think that I would be able to instantly forgive him, but it will be a process of forgiveness. I also think that I could forgive him because it was a mistake and mistakes do happen. Owen did not purposely mean to hit the mother in the head. Owen was hurt about the situation and the last thing he would need is for someone to judge him for the terrible mistake he made. John needs to forgive Owen because he cant walk around with that anger towards Owen in his heart. It will damage John mentally for not being able to forgive Owen. He also needs to forgive him because Owen already feels bad for the accident. I think the last thing Owen needs is to be judged by John, and knowing that John is furious with Owen and cant forgive him over killing his mother. It would be the best thing coming if John can forgive Owen and they both be comfort for one another.

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  10. Would I be able to forgive Owen for what happend at the baseball game if I were John?
    Yes, I would. Is not like he intentionally meant to kill his mom. It was an accident. Everyone makes them. It would be wrong to hold that against him.

    Why would it be important for John to forgive Owen?
    It would be important for John to forgive Owen because Owen is John's bestfriend. I get that he killed his mother, but it was by accident. It wouldn't be right to hold a grudge against Owen for something that wasn't intended.

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  11. and i do think it will be important for john to forgive owen because owen is very influential in johns life

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  12. I kinda agree with you Tristen, but at some point I would be able to look at that person, but only if it was an accident.

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  13. Tristen: I agree when you say it like that. the right thing would be to forgive him. But just say away from him because just him being present would bring back the memories.

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  14. Would you be able to forgive Owen for what happens at the baseball game if you were John?
    yes i would because its not like he intended to kill his mother. It was an accident.

    Why might it be important that John forgive Owen?
    Because john & owen are friends. i understand he killed her but it was un-intentionally. Also if he didnt then that would probably make owen feel guilty about it.

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  15. i mean, you have to forgive and forget. so yes, i'd forgive owen but i think it'd be a little hard to forget.. it's not like owen did it on purpose though, so John should understand.

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  16. @Geraldine
    I agree alot with what you're saying. John and Owen both lost some one important. So if I was John I wouldn't hold something like this against him!

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  17. @tristenmathis..... ;Dominique(:March 21, 2011 at 6:15 AM

    I Agree On The Part, But I Disagree On The Part That Says You Couldnt Be Around Him. It Was Just An Accident. He Didnt Mean To Kill John's Mother!

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  18. Shedrick D. Williams JR.March 21, 2011 at 6:15 AM

    I will forgive Owen Meany. Come you guys be real now. He couldn't just kill her on purpose, i mean she was just at the wrong spot at the wrong time. I ain't gone lie, i would have been very mad at him but, it is always a time for something. Its important that he forgive owen because owen might feel very bad inside and thinking that he's the one that mad John mother life shorter. Things happen for a reason. Owen already have many disadvantages. So thats how i feel.(LOok At mE NoW)

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  19. i agree with hope becasue i do not believe i would forgive him right away

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  20. I wouldn't be able to forgive him for killing someone who was like a mother to me. Me being me I would probably beat Owen up if I was John.

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  21. @Dominique Bass, I Agree because since John and Owen were such goods friends, it would be easy to forgive him.

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  22. @Geraldine: You made some really good points. His mother was like a mom to Owen and they were bestfriends, so I think it would make it all the more easier to forgive Owen.

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  23. @Rayne
    Yeah, I wouldn't be able to forget, but I'd definitely try my hardest to forgive!

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  24. Honestly, I think that I would forgive him, I mean accidents happen, Owen did not mean too hit John's mother with a ball. I mean, it was a foul ball and it was his first time ever playing. Also the Bible does say to forgive. For istance, God forgives us for all of the sins we commit and the things that we do, so I think that it would be best to forgive him. But yet, it would take me a while to get over the fact that happened. It would be very painful, but you know maybe it was her time to go. God has a plan for everything. Plus, John and Owen were like bestfriends, and Owen was the reason that John's faith was so strong, and he was the reason that John believes in God. Owen has been there for John for a lot, and I think that he needs to forgive Owen.

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  25. Hope,
    I agree with you on the process of forgiveness. I mean its alot to just lose your mom. It wouldn't just be an instant thing, it would take time.

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  26. I agree with HOPE. i wouldnt beable to forgive him instantly, but eventually it would happen. and i also agree with the part that mistakes do happen. that's what makes us human.

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  27. @Rayneeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!: Yeah man I feel you forgive and forget. I mean no one is going to forget that thier mom died, but somethings you just gotta over!

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  28. @ tristian: I agree I would forgive Owen,but to not be around him because of that, might hurt his feelings because he might think you don't truly forgive himn, if you did you can just forget about it. But i do understanbd that it might be hurtful to be around that person when you know they made you lose someone that was important to you.

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  29. @ Hope
    i agree with you because its not like he wanted to kill Johns mom && plus Owen already felt bad about killing him. . .

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  30. @Desmond, I disagree with that... John and Owen were such good friends so John knew Owen woudlnt and didnt mean to kill his mother.

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  31. Hope: You made a good point when you talk about them judgeing one another. i do believe that over time it ould help. how could you carry that hate around for ever. and know that that person struggles everday knowing the fact that they killed someones mother.

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  32. i agree with desmond because if you kill someones mom they arent going to like you and idk if i would beat owen meany up bc he is to weird

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  33. @Kay Cavender, I agree with Kay. I think I would have to be put into that type of situation to throughly understand the feeling that John had towards Owen after that day. You also have to understand that everyone makes mistakes and that you have to forgive people. I also agree with how John went about forgiving Owen. He befriended Owen and I think that most people in the world wouldn't be able to do what John did and that is forgive John.

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  34. @Rayne I agree it would take some time to forgive him, because my first thought would be to be upset with him, but then I would realize that it was not his fault.

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  35. SIERRAAAAAAA-
    i agree with you, yeah it's his mommy, but he didnt do it on purpose so its understandable

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  36. Rayne, You make good point on the forgetting thing. It's not something that you'll just be able to be erase out of your mind.

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  37. Hope;
    I completly agree. The forgiveness stage will take a while, and i also agree with how you said they could get through it together, because Owen loved John's mom like his own. He never meant to kill her. It was an accident.

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  38. @RaynePilgrim....;Dominique(:March 21, 2011 at 6:19 AM

    I Agree With Everything You Said, John Should Be Very Understanding About It!

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  39. I wouldn't be able to forgive Owen for that.True it was an accident and sure he felt horrible, but that is unforgivable. To take away the person who gave me life, that's just something i couldn't forgive.

    However I do think that it is important for John to forgive Owen. Yes Owen took away his mother, but Owen was his friend and John knew that it was an accident and Im sure that he knew that Owen felt horrible, so I do think that it is important for John to forgive him.

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  40. @Shedrick I would probably forgave him after a while because I looked back on it like that wasn't really his fault it just would have took some time.

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  41. Shedrick Demond Williams JR.March 21, 2011 at 6:20 AM

    This my other side of the situation. Man I probably would have fought Owen forreal. Dog that is harsh man i love my mommy(tab). On the real though I couldn't forgive him.

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  42. i would be able to forgive him cause it really wasnt his fault he hit it and it went astray its not like he intentionally tried to kill her it was a total accident.i think its important to forgive owen meany because it would be foolish to break up ur friendship because of tht and john probably will not meet a more special person than owen he's a one of a kind

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  43. If I were John it might take me a while to forgive him. Even though he didn't mean to kill her I would have to deal with all the pain before I can begin to talk with him. In the end I believe that I would be ok with it.

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  44. Megan: i think its good that you related john forgiving owen to god forgiving us. it just shows what a good person john is for truely forgiving owen

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  45. I would not be able to completely forgive Owen for killing my mom even if it was an accident, because I love my mom and she can never be replaced. Eventually I would be his friend again once I considered how I would feel if I was in Owen's situation. It is important for John to forgive Owen though, because Owen teaches John about God.

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  46. Honestly i don't believe that I could ever forgive Owen for what he had done. I know he was probably very sorry but still I would never be able to look at him the same after he killed my mother. I mean that is the woman who gave birth to me and raised me and then for someone to come and take her away from me would be unforgivable. I do think it was important for John to forgive Owen because it brought them closer together than they had ever been before and showed how Owen really could be a tool of God. i think when Owen killed John's mom and John forgave him it was the turning point in John's religious journey because it made him think of what happened and where his mother would be at now.

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  47. @anna i totally agree with ur resoning

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  48. @ Geraldine:
    i completely agree about the forgiveness part. It would be really hard for me to be able to forgive something like that.
    and I also agree with the importance of John's forgiveness. I think that it is very important for John to forgive Owen because Owen was his friend and he knew that Owen felt horrible for what he did.

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  49. @ TIFFANY,, i kinda disagree with you... "everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days, everybodys knows what, what im talking bout everybody gets that way." - hannah montanna... its so true though. people are going to make mistakes but still

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  50. I dont think i would be able to forgive him. One reason is because i wouldnt be able to bring my mother back. I would most likely lead to violence b/c of this accedent. And another reason is because, i dont think i could look at a "bestfriend" the same knowing that it is also the killer of my mother.

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  51. @Desmond I would NOT beat Owen up becuase something he did on an accident! I could understand if he tried to kill her, but he didn't. He was upset as well as John was about the whole situation.

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  52. Shedrick Demond Williams JR.March 21, 2011 at 6:23 AM

    @ Megan. You said it's in the bible but, man its his mother. It would be hard to take that in.

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  53. @jc ur resoning is totally understood

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  54. I don't think that I couldn't forgive someone who killed my mother but then John knew it was a freak accident. It was his first time hitting he never meant for the foul ball to hit her she was just there to pick them up after the game. And that Owen thinks that it was god that used him to kill her. do to his strong faith in god.

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  55. If I were John i would have been able to forgive OWen because he was my friend and it was an accident. Accidents happen all of the time. It took a lot to forgive him.

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  56. @ Tristen
    well if you truly did forgive him, you would be able to face him. && if you said you forgave him yet didnt talk anymore or anything, that would hurt owen && make him feel even more gulity about the accident.

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  57. Sierra;

    I agree. It was not his fault. It was his first time ever hitting a ball. How was he suposed to know where it was gonna go? I also think that it would help too if John forgave him.

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  58. Ashlee
    I agree at the beginning it would be hard but ii would eventually let it go

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  59. Even though it is very important to forgive people i do not know if i would forgive owen if I was john. He killed his mother and that was the most important thing to John. Everyone loved johnys mom and Owen must have felt awful. If someone killed my mom i could never forgive them no matter what they did to try and get me to like them. I know that owen did not meant to do what he did but just because I could not forgive him. later on in the book like the time owen saved everyone in the airport will be a time to forgive Owen for his sacrifice. if it wasnt for John forgiving owen the amazing story of thei times together and the events in the book could have never happened and the story would not have been as interesting.

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  60. I agree with you rayne you should forgive and forget. It would be hard to forget but it is the right thing to do.

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  61. @ Tiffany
    i agree with you that I could never forgive Owen I mean yeah it may be the right thing to do but how could i ever look the person who killed my mother in the face with no contempt.

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  62. @Kailyn....;Dominique(:March 21, 2011 at 6:26 AM

    I Strongly Disagree With What You Said, Because You Have To Forgive Him, But You Dont Have To Forget. He Didnt Do It On Purpose. You Dont Have To Talk To Him Afterwards, But You Have To Find It In Your Hearyt To Forgive Him!

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  63. J.C -> I understand where your comming from, however you make it seem like howene purposly took the life of johns mother. yes it would be hard to look at him. but if your a religous person you know that forgivness is key. and tonot forgive him would be one more burden to carry with you.

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  64. @ JC:
    I agree with what you said about bot forgiving Owen. Yes it was an accident but it would be very hard for me to forgive something like that.
    And I also agree with John's forgiveness. It is important that John forgave Owen because Owen was his friend and he knew that it was an accident so I feel that it is important that John forgive Owen.

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  65. @Anna Vojacek, I agree with everything you said Anna. John is Owen best friend and he has to forgive him. John is doing a great thing with forgive Owen. I think that is a very responsible and mature action for John

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  66. @J.C I agree, nobody in this class is going to be cool with the fact that someone killed their mother and thats just being real. Its probably some of you that don't like your mom but if someone killed her you can't honestly say that you would be cool with that

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  67. If you forgive owen put a smiley face. If you wouldn't put a frowny face.

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  68. I agree with you Geraldine, because like you said she cannot be replaced.

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  69. Nick-Jc
    I agree with you, I could have never been able to forgive him even though it was an accident. That would be unforgivable and i could never forgive him.

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  70. @ Dominique; if you were to kill my mother, i dont think i could forgive you . . . sorry.

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  71. and it has to be hard for God to take that in.

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  72. Kailyn: I don't agree with you because violence would not have been neccisary. Forgiving him was the right thing to do, beating him up was not. It was just an accident. They were best frineds and best friends are always there for each other.

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  73. Meagan
    I agree accidents do happen

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  74. I agree with Kay, it is right to forgive Owen, it would help John, and it did help him in his religion.

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  75. Megan
    I do not fully disagree with you but i think that if it happened to you, you would not be so forgiving to the person that killed your mom.

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  76. DeAnndra
    i do agree with you that you would not forgive right away but would at some point because you would have to put yourself in his shoes. And knowing that he feels just as bad as you do.

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  77. @ Shedrick
    i disagree with you i don't believe i could forgive Owen i mean freak accident or not he still took the only thing John ever had. Tell me if someone killed your mother accident or not could you shake his hand and smile and not have the thought to take his life for what he did to your mother?

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  78. Forgivness is a strong word, A word that I try to do but don't think I could in this case. I mean if someone killed your mom and you had as strong of a connection to your mom like Jonny did im not sure if I could forgive someone. I mean honestly I think Owen Meany is having trouble forgiving his self to because in the book it says Jonny's mom was more of a mother then Owen's mother. Im not saying you shouldnt forgive im saying that forgiving that person would probably be to hard to handle. The connection Jonny had to his mom was the strongest connection he had to anyone. I dont believe I could forgive someone for killing my mom, weather it be accident or not.

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  79. Kay;

    Yeah, I think that it does show how good of a person John is.

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  80. Desmond: I understand what your saying but take to fact that johns mother was not killed by drunk driving or armed robbery. this was not planned or premeditated! it was a foul ball!

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  81. @Dominique, it was an "Accident" remember?

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  82. Devonta, I aree with you. What is beating up Owen going to do? Violence doesn't solve anything. If anything it makes it worse.

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  83. I see what you mean Kailyn, but when I remember how much Owen loved my mother also I would eventually forgive him.

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  84. If you forgive owen put a smiley face. If you wouldn't put a frowny face.

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  85. i mean, you have to forgive and forget. so yes, it's not like owen did it on purpose though, so John should understand.

    To Rayne,

    I honestly disagree with what your sayong. Your saying Jonny should just forgive Owen like its nothing. Like he killed his dog or cat. If you would have actually read the book would understand the connection that Jonny had to his mother. His mother was the only one there for him other then his grandmother. Jonny and Owen had such a connection with Jonny's mom. If someone killed your mom, dad, sister, grandmother, who ever it weather it be accident or not it would bother you and it would kill you inside. I mean when you have such a strong connection to someone you cant just past it off as nothing. Yes, Jonny might forgivr Oen but will it be easy for him? No.

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  86. Nick;

    If it was like my bestfriend, and my mom was just as much of a mother too me and she was to my friend, I think i could forgive. Yeah i understand where you are coming from. But c'mon it was an accident, it's not like he meant too.
    and just like I said to shedrick, God forgives us for everything. he even forgives the murderes that kill his people.

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  87. @Kay I don't think you understand where i'm coming from if someone that has been with you for all the 14-15-16 years of your life accidently or not got killed you can honestly tell me you would still be cool with them

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  88. If you forgive owen put a smiley face. If you wouldn't put a frowny face.

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  89. Desmond: No, it not like oh hey you killed my mom, but its cool. No its ganna take take to get over the fact that your mom is dead. but like i said earlyer are you really going ot carry around that burden orever hatting that person because of an accedent?

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  90. To Geraldine


    I completly agree with what your saying. Forgiving someone for killing someone in your life is ahrd to do. You cant get that person back. Once there gone there gone. I know Owen didnt mean to and I know he was hurt by the fact that he did that but it still hard to forgive someone who kills someone in your family. I do understand how Owen felt he was guilty and did feel bad because Jonnys mother was a mother to him, but it would still be hard to forgive.

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  91. Geraldine i
    would have to agree with you because Owen must
    feel worse than john because she was like a mother to him and he feels bad because he just killed a women that was a mother to him. and he is must feel bad that God used him to kill John's mother.

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  92. @Kay Man stop putting on! Intentinally or not and yes you are going to take that to the grave.

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  93. i agree with jc chapman. But i am really with both ways i will forgive him but yet again no. My Mommy is fye, so i dont know.

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  94. Nope I Would be to upset to forgive OWen. So i wouldn't.

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