Red Dress Motif
Tabby has a red dress that she dislikes but keeps because of a lie she tells that she can’t return it because the store burned down. She replicates the dress in both black and white to wear during her normal life, but it is later discovered that she used to wear the red dress during her "secret life" singing at a club, and is affectionately known there as "The Lady in Red". Red symbolizes lies, the devil, and impurity.
Death Motif
Many mentions of graves and gravestones (they live in Gravesend, Owen’s father makes gravestones). Lydia and Grandma die, all the boys that used to play baseball with Owen and Johnny die, Owen kills Tabby at the baseball game, this eventually concludes in Owen's much anticipated death.
Voice Motif
Owen’s high pitched voice, his newspaper column is called “The Voice”, his voice is not only significant because its unusual but because at many points he represents the voice of his peers (meaning opinion), Tabby's voice is also a subject of attention - her being a singer.
The Shot Motif
Practiced several times throughout the novel, Owen always wants to get a faster time on this trick, culminated when Owen and Johnny needed to make one final shot placing the grenade on the window sill.
Miracles Motif
Owen was a very tiny person so when he had enough strength to kill Tabby by hitting her with a baseball it was a miracle, when Owen stopped Johnny from falling down the stairs that was also a miracle of strength showing that Owen himself is a miracle, at the end it is revealed that Owen’s mother had Owen through a “virgin birth” which would be a religious miracle comparable to that of Jesus.
Church/Faith Motif
Death and marriage take place at churches, Owen changes faith because of “an incident” that drove him from his first church, and Johnny’s father turns out to be Pastor Merrill. The book is about having faith because of Owen Meany; the title of the book involves prayer.
Dismemberment Motif
We see the removing of the claws of the armadillo, the armless figure of the dressmaker’s dummy, the beheading and removing of the arms of the Mary Magdalene statue, removing Johnny's finger, and the eventual removal of Owen's arms via bomb in the conclusion.
Doubles Motif
Many characters in the book have a “foil”- Lydia & Grandmother, Owen & Armadillo, Johnny & Joseph (of the Christmas pageant), Tabby & Her dressmakers dummy
Angel/Devil Motif and Symbolism
Owen is described many times as an angel, angel of death, Jesus, or the devil. Occasionally, someone will make a common-place exclamation like "Oh Jesus!", or "speak of the devil", which out of context has little meaning, but these phrases are often directed specifically at Owen, so it could be taken also as if the speaker was literally addressing Owen as Jesus or the Devil.
Armadillo Motif and Symbolism
The armadillo is mentioned several times and serves to represent both Johnny and Owen in different ways. Armadillo in Latin means "little armored one" which could be taken to represent Owen being little yet armored with his special abilities. It also represents Owen when Owen removes its claws and gives it back to Johnny- Dan explains to Johnny that this is because Owen feels his hands have been taken by God, or also as if a piece of himself has been removed, and he represents this visually by mutilating the prized armadillo.
Owen's Voice Symbolism
Symbolizes special “powers”, otherworldliness and commanding presence and the fact that he is different in all aspects of the word, his strange voice is a physical manifestation of this unique being.
Water
Hail, rain, snow, symbolize bad omens of a sort. When there is hail at Tabby's wedding reception, it could symbolize her death, and the fact that Owen cannot be hit by the hail symbolizes the Godly powers of Owen.
Chapter Title Symbolism
Each chapter title symbolizes the theme or message of the chapter, and sometimes it’s hidden meaning
Chapter1: The Foul Ball
Chapter 2: The Armadillo
Chapter 3: The Angel
Chapter 4: The Little Lord Jesus
Chapter 5: The Ghost of the Future
Chapter 6: The Voice
Chapter 7: The Dream
Chapter 8: The Finger
Chapter 9: The Shot
Jesus Allegory & Symbolism
The first time Owen is likened to Jesus is during the Christmas Pageant where Owen absolutely insists on being able to play the role of baby Jesus, and from this moment on- begins to take on a commanding attitude. Owen is similar to Jesus at home, telling his parents what to do; it reminds us of the instances in the Bible where Jesus is this precocious kid teaching other adults about faith and God while his parents cheer him on from the background. Owen feels uncomfortable with his parents watching him play Jesus, and it becomes clear later on when it is revealed that Owen was a virgin birth he feels uncomfortable with his parents watching him play Jesus, because he basically is Jesus. Owen, like Jesus, also knows about his death ahead of time and dies a hero.
