The Armadillo

In the book A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving, Owen is really tiny and has a strange voice. One day Own hits a baseball that changes his life forever. That's because the ball hit's his best friend's mother in the head and she ends up dying. I would assume this would change his relationship with his best friend, Johnny, although it appeared not too. Instead, Owen gave Johnny his favorite baseball cards. Johnny returned the baseball cards, then gave Own his stuffed armadillo. Owen gave Johnny back the armadillo, but, he cut off the claws first. I think this symbolizes their relationship.

The armadillo symbolizes Johnny and Owen's relationship. For example, they always used to play with the armadillo. The two boys cherished it. They played with it, and when Johnny went away to visit his cousins, Owen would watch it. When Johnny and Owen got a long, the armadillo was always there. When Johnny's mother died, he stopped playing with it all together. It just sat there, he wouldn't play with Owen for a little bit either. When Johnny gave the armadillo to Owen, I think it symbolized Owen and Johnny trying to repair their relationship. When Owen cut off the claws, it symbolized how there is a part of Johnny and Owen's relationship that will never be repaired. That something will always be missing. It symbolizes how it used to be complete but now it is not. But it also symbolizes how although there is a part that can never be repaired, there is a bigger part that can. It just will no longer be perfect.

In conclusion the armadillo symbolizes Owen and Johnny's relationship. When the relationship is good, the armadillo is frequently played with, the relationship is well. When the armadillo is neglected it's going badly. The claws being cut off symbolizes how a part of their relationship can never be repaired, but it will still work.