--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Owen Meany had believed that his death…" description: "\"“Owen Meany had believed that his death was necessary if others were to be saved from a stupidity and hatred that was destroying him. In that belief, s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/john-irving-337_death_owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-w_1655165.jpg" --- # Owen Meany had believed that his death was necessary if… ![“Owen Meany had believed that his death was necessary if others were to be saved from a stupidity and hatred that was destroying him. In that belief, surely he was not so unfamiliar a hero.” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/john-irving-337_death_owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-w_1655165.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/john-irving-337_death_owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-w_1655165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/john-irving-337_death_owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-w_1655165.jpg) > ““Owen Meany had believed that his death was necessary if others were to be saved from a stupidity and hatred that was destroying him. In that belief, surely he was not so unfamiliar a hero.”” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on Owen Meany’s self‑sacrifice, suggesting that his willingness to die for others makes him an unfamiliar kind of hero, blending martyrdom with personal struggle. **In simple terms:** Owen Meany sees his death as necessary to save others, becoming a unique hero. Key Takeaway Consider how personal sacrifice can redefine heroism. Themes sacrifice heroism mortality faith identity Mood somber reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - war trauma - personal crisis - ethical dilemmas - family conflict Key Concepts existentialism literature psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does true heroism require? - Can self‑sacrifice ever be justified? A Different Perspective Heroic sacrifice can be romanticized, ignoring real costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believed Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believed-death-697514/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-necessary-587613/) [Meany Believed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meany-believed-697513/) [Owen Meany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owen-meany/) [Unfamiliar Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfamiliar-hero-697515/) ## Related quotes > [Owen Meany believed that “coincidence” was a stupid, shallow refuge sought by stupid, shallow people who were unable to accept the fact that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/owen-meany-believed-that-coincidence-was-a-stupid-shallow-refuge/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I can remember how when I was young I believed death to be a phenomenon of the body; now I know it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-can-remember-how-when-i-was-young-i-believed-death-to-be-a/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [You know, I've never actually really believed that death is inevitable. I just think it's a rumor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/you-know-i-ve-never-actually-really-believed-that-death-is-inevitable/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [“She will not come back, but her beauty, her voice, will echo until the end of time. She believed in something beyond herself, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/she-will-not-come-back-but-her-beauty-her-voice-will-echo-until-the/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [“JUST THINK OF THIS AS MY LITTLE GIFT TO YOU," says Owen Meany”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-think-of-this-as-my-little-gift-to-you-says-owen-meany/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“will tell you what is my overriding perception of the last twenty years: that we are a civilization careening toward a succession of anticlimaxes—toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/will-tell-you-what-is-my-overriding-perception-of-the-last-twenty/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“who are always right, and are given to reminding us of it, are irritating; prophets are irritating, and Owen Meany is decidedly a prophet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/who-are-always-right-and-are-given-to-reminding-us-of-it-are/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“he had seen his share of heroes, too. Major Rawls never knew everything that Owen had known; the major knew only that Owen had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-had-seen-his-share-of-heroes-too-major-rawls-never-knew-everything/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is amazing to me, now, how such wild imaginings and philosophies - inspired by a night charged with frights and calamities - made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-amazing-to-me-now-how-such-wild-imaginings-and-philosophies/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“But the penultimate paragraph of the novel is naturally the passage I wrote first. “When we held Owen Meany above our heads, when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/but-the-penultimate-paragraph-of-the-novel-is-naturally-the-passage-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“while we waited to see what God would do. I heard a tear fall—it was one of my grandmother’s tears, and I heard it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/while-we-waited-to-see-what-god-would-do-i-heard-a-tear-fall-it-was/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Of course I knew then where Hester had hidden Owen Meany; he’d been under the couch cushions—and under her!—all the while we were searching.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/of-course-i-knew-then-where-hester-had-hidden-owen-meany-he-d-been/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think that was when the headmaster realized he had lost; he realized then that he was finished. Because, what could he do? Was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-think-that-was-when-the-headmaster-realized-he-had-lost-he-realized/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Owen Meany had believed that his death was necessary if others were to be saved from a stupidity and hatred that was destroying him. In that belief, surely he was not so unfamiliar a hero.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Irving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-was-necessary-if-others-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-was-necessary-if-others-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/john-irving-337_death_owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-w_1655165.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/john-irving-337_death_owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-w_1655165.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/396/john-irving-337_death_owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-w_1655165.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Owen Meany had believed that his death was necessary if others were to be saved from a stupidity and hatred…” — John Irving", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Irving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Owen Meany had believed that his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-was-necessary-if-others-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-was-necessary-if-others-were/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```