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1932 -Tabbitha Wheelwright is born Boston and Main trip that results with tabby being pregnant with Johnny 1942 -Spring Owen Meany is born -Summer, Johnny is born 1945 -Dan Needham graduates from Harvard 1948 -Tabby Meets Dan Needham on the Boston and Main. She then brings him home to meet The Wheelwrights. -Johnny gets the "prop" armadillo from Dan. It becomes Johnny and Owens favorite thing to play with this armadillo. Despite its ugliness, Johnny and Owen share a special attachment to it. -Play with the dressmakers dummy, undressing it and dressing it. Owen puts together outfits for tabby, but can never make her were that red dress from the place that burnt to the ground. -Owen sees an angel beside Tabby's bed one night when spending the night at 80 Ft. Street. -Noah, Simon, and Hester visit Gravesend over thanks giving. After much anxiety, it is the first time that Owen meets Johnny's Cousins. They play games and Owen pees his pants when he is tickled by Hester in the closet. He changes and keeps playing games with the Eastmans. There appears to be a connection between Hester and Owen. 1952 -After four years, Tabby and Dan finally get married in July. -Sagamore, Mr. Fishes dog is killed by the diaper truck. Owen is the reason. 1953 -In a little league baseball game, Tabby Wheelwright is struck in the left temple when a ball hit by Owen Meany is struck a little too early. She has no idea the baseball is coming as she is waving at someone when she is hit. -Owen takes the baseball, or it is assumed that he does -Around this time, Owen is told by his parents that he is a virgin Birth -After the death of Tabbitha Wheelwright an exchange of Owen's and Johnny's most valued possessions takes place, demonstrating the bond Johnny and Owen share. First Johnny receives Owens baseball cards, then Johnny returns the baseball cards to Owen along with giving him the armadillo. When Johnny receives his armadillo back, its front two claws are missing. By this Owen means: "God has taken your mother, There is a strong demonstration of friendship here. And by these exchanges, Owen is saying everything he has is Johnny's and vise versa for Johnny. -Tabby's Funeral. Owen doesn't throw dirt on Tabby's coffin. The phrase "I'm sorry" -Johnny and Hester take walk in the evening to the graveyard (after the funeral). They discover Owen there. Owen mistakes them for the Angel of death. They go get the dummy, and then go to Little Boars Head. -It is Johnny's first Christmas in Gravesend. He doesn't go to Sawyer Depot. It is his first Christmas Pageant. -Owen takes control in the casting of the Christmas Pageant. -Owens parents are surprised to discover that Owen is not playing the announcing angel this year. -Johnny and Owen go on their adventures in the dorm rooms of Gravesend Academy. They discover the Brinker-Smiths secret. -Owen plays the baby Jesus in the Christmas Pageant, he is no longer the announcing angel. Johnny is Joseph. Owen turns the pageant into a disaster. Not only does the friction between Barb and Owen provide for fuel to the downfall of the pageant, but when Owen stands up and yells at his parent for being there, telling them it is a "sacrilege" for them showing up. -Barb Wiggin tells Owen he is no longer welcome at the church, where Dan chews her out. -Owen takes the place of Mr. Morrison, the mailman, as the ghost of the future in the Gravesend Players production of A Christmas Carol. Owen brings new life to the pageant in his "huge presence onstage." -Johnny sits back stage trying to piece together the crowd at the baseball game to possibly find out who his father is. -Owen sees his date of death on Scrooge's tombstone, in effect ruining the production. -Lydia dies on December 24, 1953, the night Christmas Carol is playing. It is thought that Owens scream (when he sees his date of his death on the tombstone) was the cause of her death -Owens parents didn't stay up for him on Christmas Eve. -When Johnny calls Owen to tell him about the events of the night (Lydia's death etc.), Owen lies to Johnny for the first time in their friendship. He lies about his date of death on the gravestone. -Germane laves 1954 -Harriet Wheelwright gives in to the trend of Television and gets one at 80 Front St. -Harriet becomes a slave to television. She becomes engulfed in it. Commentary about the sow on becomes her "job." -Owen And Harriet bond together over Liberace -Noah stars school at the academy -The Eastmans go to the Caribbean to give Noah a brake from the academy. Don't go to sawyer depot as a result. 1955 -Johnny and Owens interaction with the statue Mary Magdalene and the Penguins -Simon begins attending Gravesend Academy 1956 -Christmas in Caribbean again, don't go to Sawyer Depot. -Noah repeats and Hester skips ahead so Noah, Simon, and Hester are all set to graduate in 1959. 1957 -Owen decides without hesitation to go to public school with Johnny before being admitted to the academy. -Owen and Johnny once again are denied their trip to sawyer depot. 1958 -Owen And Johnny get their drivers licenses. -Owen gets the little red pickup -Owen gets new flashy clothes from Harriet. -Owen and Johnny are freshman at Gravesend High (one year behind). -Owen smokes a pack a day -Owen becomes THE VOICE. In this he creates a powerful position for himself. 1959 -Noah, Simon, and Hester Graduate -Owen and Johnny pick up girls at the boardwalk at Little Boars Head -Owen gains a reputation as a "mean fucker" -Noah and Simon attend college at the West Coast, while Hester attends college at the University of New Hampshire. -Owen and Johnny attend Gravesend academy -Hester goes with Owen to the senior dance -It is the first time Owen can't remember the movie on the late show, suggesting intercourse (pg.249) -Johnny and Owen don't go to Sawyer Depot. They are sure it is because The Eastmans want to discourage Hester and Owens Relationship. (Pg. 304) 1960; The decade that would defeat Owen and Johnny -Owen and Johnny turn 18. They register for the draft, a normal thing, just like getting your drivers license when you are 16. -Randy White visits Gravesend Academy for the first time, where Owen is denied a private audience with Randy White. -Rev. Merrill becomes the school minister. -Old Archie Thorndike is replaced Randy White -As the new headmaster, White is a decision-maker, and he certainly starts this roll right away. -Owen begins making fake draft cards, it is the first time, with the exception of the statue that he breaks the law. Owen doesn't use a fake draft card to buy beer, he doesn't drink. -Johnny begins to see Dr. Dolder because of the gap between his homework and tests, schoolwork etc. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy becomes president -Owen Idolizes JFK, even though he is Catholic, think about this relationship. 1961 -Owen takes Johnny to Jerold's, the store where Tabby's red dress was purchased. -They find out they don't know who Tabbitha Wheelwright was. -Lady in red at Orange Grove Supper Club; be wholly out of character one day a week. -Owen and Johnny meet Graham McSwiney, Tabby's singing teacher -Owen learns that his Adams apple is permanently fixed to a scream, and will never change. -Owen stops making draft cards under Kennedy's influence to do good for nation 1962 -First summer Owen and Johnny are apart. -Owen is working in the quarries while Johnny is working at the Eastman Lumber Company with Noah and Simon. He is unsuccessful with the ladies despite Noah and Simon's efforts. -When Owen and Johnny are apart, Owen thinks about the shot, standing alone at the foot of the basket holding the basketball in the gym. -Owen and Johnny are seniors at the academy -Owen is told that J.F.K. is didling Marilyn Monroe. -Owen propositions Mitzy Lish -Thinking he is "worthy" of protecting JFK, he won't tell White what Mitzy said. -Owen is put on disciplinary probation -Owen talks to Dr. Dolder and Rev. Merrill. He tells them the truth -Owen gets the Idea, and tells the basketball team to move Dr. Dolders VW bug onto the stage in the great hall. -Owen finds out who Johnny's dad is -Owen is caught for making fake draft cards because of Larry Lish. -Marilyn Monroe dies, referred to as "like our country" -JFK turns out to be a bluff, "a snow job." What effect does this have on Owen? -Owen is expelled from Gravesend Academy -Owen disappears -Owen welds the statue of Mary Magdalene to the stage for morning meeting. Her head and arms are missing -Owen joins the army to help pay for his college education after making the decision to turn down scholarships to Harvard and other prestigious schools so he can attend UNH with Johnny -In the fall Owen and Johnny become freshman at the University of New Hampshire. -Owen is lazy at UNH, getting good grades only in his ROTC classes. -Owen is no loner revered at UNH. He no longer gets special treatment or special rights. 1963 -Johnny and Owen are the legal drinking age; they are still freshman at UNH. -J.F.K. is assassinated on November 22 -Hester gets involved with the anti-war protests. -Johnny begins to work in the monument shop. 1964 -Johnny works half the summer in the monument shop and the other half in the quarries. -Owen and Johnny turn 22 -Owen is involved in replacing the statue of Mary Magdalene at St. Michael's parish. (Pg. 445) -The statue looks like it is coming out of it's grave. -Owen appears to have a relationship with the Catholics -Owen makes the shot in less than 3 seconds 1965 -He stops smoking, and starts running. He also starts drinking against his old policy of not liking to loose control. He drinks now because who doesn't in the army? -Owen wants to go to war. -He is called crazy because he wants to go to war -He doesn't want to be a hero he has to be a hero -In the spring Owen goes to Basic Training -Owen receives the high rank in leadership, academics, but second in physical because of the war, thus his chance at war becomes less likely. 1966 -Owen and Johnny's senior year at UNH -Owen explains the dream to Johnny -Owen, just barely getting by, except for in his ROTC courses, barely graduates, while Johnny graduates with good grades. -Owen and Johnny plan their trip. -They go to Sawyer depot, Where Owen makes a good impression for the Eastmans. Then they head off to Lake Francis. Then go to border of Canada then home. -Johnny is accepted to graduate school -Owen take Hester and Johnny to closet in attic at 80 Front St. at his going away party, where they hold hands and he tells them "Don't be afraid" -Owen goes to Ft. Huachuca in Arizona -Johnny moves in with Hester -Plans for Johnny, Harriet, and Dan to go to Sawyer Depot like use to fall through because of train. -Owen talks to Johnny about taking action towards the war. 1967 -Johnny is drafted into the war -Owen tells Johnny he needs to make a decision about the war and to have courage. -Owen is promoted to first lieutenant -Owen cuts off the first two joints of Johnny's right index finger in the monument shop with the diamond wheel to avoid the draft -Owen won't marry Hester so she makes the decision to not attend Owens funeral (when it happens) -Owen makes Hester fall out of love with him (though not entirely) -Last Christmas that Owen and Johnny spend together -Owen makes his tombstone 1968 -Owen invites Johnny to Arizona -Meet Major Rawls and dysfunctional family of warrant officer; Dick Jarvets -"Catholics do it best" is what Owen says referring to funerals -Picnic Wake -Owen and Johnny's last few days together at hotel. Don't go to Warrant officers funeral: "family raising hell about military" -Owen wishes he were a star in the sky -Owen dies on July 8,1968 saving the Vietnamese children from death at Sky Harbor airport in Arizona, when Dick throws the grenade at Johnny in the makeshift bathroom, they do the shot and Owen dies soon after -Dick gets his neck broken by Rawls -Johnny unpacks Owens duffel. Takes Owen's diary, his bible, and writings from St. Thomas Aquinas. -Owen never unpacked baseball cards -Johnny finds the claws -Owen talks to Johnny through Rev. Merrill. He tells Johnny that Rev. Merrill is his father. Disappointed, not someone extraordinary like JFK -Why Dan and Tabby waited four years to get married. -Tabby lied about switching churches -Tabby never intended for Dan or Johnny to find out who Johnny's father was. -Johnny decides not to tell Dan who his father is -Gets dummy from Owen's room -Does evil by dressing up the dummy and posing it as Tabby; Rev. Merrill regains his faith. -Johnny finds out that Owen was a virgin birth -Find out what unspeakable outrage is -Owen's Funeral. Merrill shows his faith -Wiggins not in attendance -Last time Johnny hears Reverend Merrill -Johnny runs into Mary Beth Barid; he doesn't want to hear anyone's voice but -Owen's, knows Owen is really gone. -Johnny just keeps driving till he reaches Toronto (in July) -Meets Canon and becomes Anglican -Harriet leaves 80 Front. street to many ghosts -Mrs. Meany dies shortly after Owen -Harriet dies 2 weeks before 100, in nursing home, flipping channels -Mr. Meany puts the Granite Company up for sale and gets a part time job as a meter reader. Wears Owens Medal 1987 -The second time Owen speaks to Johnny (In August). Owen saves Johnny from falling down the stairs in the secret passage and tells him "Don't be afraid." Johnny's hair turns white as a result. -Georgian bay with Katherine Keeling -Larry Lish is a journalist-moralist -Hester the molester rock star -Johnny is a teacher -Johnny is a virgin -Visits Dan every now and then Last Updated: Monday, December 13, 1999 http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/villiers/1100/ |
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