Since Owen's parents owned the granite quarry where Johnny worked, it was relatively simple to arrange an "accident." Even though Johnny seldom worked with the engraver, Owen could, almost effortlessly, cut off one of John's fingers. So John, now lacking a right index finger, was waived from service. This kind of dedication goes far beyond what is normally considered friendship. In a way, Owen was also sacrificing himself so that his friend wouldn't have to go.
The most powerful event that got across his message was near the end of the book. At the airport in Arizona, Owen and Johnny spotted a group of Vietnamese children being led by a nun. After somehow procuring a grenade, a madman tries to kill the children with it. Owen grabs the grenade and attempts the "shot" with Johnny; thereby killing himself, but saving the children. This occurrence is very symbolic of Jesus giving his life to save the sinful people that comprise Christianity. Perhaps the most shocking moment of the book is when it is revealed to Johnny, and the readers, that Mrs. Meany is a virgin. That means that Owen was born precisely the same way as the son of God. It is then clear why Owen has acted as he has in past sections of the book. He realizes he is but a hand of God, and one who knows what his fate will be. .
Owen Meany is a person who is unbelievably complex. He does not have a massive inferiority complex; it is the opposite, Owen thinks of him as the smartest and the best. He is the smartest. Owen also believes that it is his responsibility to be a hero, the war in Vietnam is giving him the perfect chance. Owen Meany's secret self may be inhibited more by the larger conditions of U.S. society than by a deficiency originating in his own personality. Inside Owen, there is a motivation that comes from many different sources. The first source that comes to mind is Owen's constant drive to overachieve. If not for a crude slip of the tongue in defense of the President of the USA Owen would have graduated from Gravesend Academy as the Valedictorian.
