Owen Meany

What is the significance of the title of the chapter "The Dream"? How does Irving build up to the significance of this title with details from the chapter?

In the book, Prayers for Owen Meany, the significance of the title “The Dream” is that to show the event of Owen going to University of New Hampshire with a scholarship ending up being kicked out of the academy. The title of the chapter is “The Dream” because it is like at the very beginning of a dream where good things happen mostly beneficial to the person, but at the very end, it just went away and the person have to face the somewhat harsh reality. From the beginning of the book, Owen was having a good time with John and everyone he knows. Even Owen killed John’s mother, Tabitha, no one blamed him. Everyone still think highly of him as a Instrument of God, good actor of both Little Jesus and The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come, and a student with intellect. He was the top of Gravesend Academy and accepted the University of New Hampshire's scholarship."University of New Hampshire never imagine that..."(338) would happen, since Owen could have chosen a more higher ranked school. It was because Owen want to be with Hester. It all ends when Larry Lish accused him of reproducing "fake identification cards"(398), so that Owen can profit off of them. He got expelled from school./ It ended his term of being the top of the "Gravesend Academy graduating class " (338). He would not be able to go to the college he wants. It is like a dream for Owen Irving use this way to show it. Irving created a situation for Owen where everything goes well and then end in a catastrophe. It is like a rising action and the climax of the story. It is like the turning point of Owen's life. It is also the end of his happy dream. Owen also envision his downfall, his death at the end.

What is the significance of the title of the chapter "The Shot"? How does Irving build up to the significance of this title with details from the chapter?

The significance of "The Shot" is that death that Owen was talking about . Two chapters before the current chapter, Owen foresee his death as a hero. Irving build it by having him be in a war and its end that "would not come soon enough to save Owen." It shows the sad memorys of Owen and his terrible downfall of his successful dream.