Places in Owen Meany: Real and Imagined
Here are some of
the landmarks, locations and places that provide the setting for many of the
scenes in the novel. I have tried to describe the general location for some of
them.
Real Places
Rye, NH-
The place where Archibald Thorndike went to live after his retirement, about 10
miles from the supposed location of Gravesend. Also, the place where the Meany
Granite Quarry dumped their slag. The breakwater was a favorite place of Johnny
and Owen where they liked to sit and look at the ocean. Since the breakwater was
made with broken slabs from the quarry, Owen felt he had a "right" to sit there.
Johnny returns here for the last time after he discovers the identity of his
biological father, Pastor Merril.
Squamscott River- The river that runs
through Gravesend. It is where Johnny breaks his wrist when he slips on some
rocks, it is also the subject of a heated debate between Mr. Meany and the town
concerning the desire of the town to remove some of the mud in the river to made
room for the Academy rowing team. The Squamscott River is one of two rivers
flowing through Exeter. Thanks to those who brought it to my attention.
Hampton Beach, NH- Another beach near the Atlantic that Owen and Johnny
frequent. This beach is south of the beach at Rye.
Lake Ossipee, NH-
This is a lake in the north of the state of New Hampshire. It can be found at
the intersection of State Highways 16 and 25.
Mount Chocorua, NH- This
mountain is located in the north of the state of New Hampshire. It is part of
White Mountains which is protected as part of the White Mountains National
Forest. The mountain is approximately 3,475 ft tall and is almost due north of
Lake Ossipee.
Durham, NH- Durham is north of Portsmouth and is the home
of the main campus of the University of New Hampshire. It is a town of
approximately 10,000 (I don't know if that is with or without students). Durham
can be found at the intersection of US Highway 4 and State Highway 108. Johnny
and Owen attend the University of New Hampshire when they graduate from the
Gravesend Academy.
Boston, MA- The town where both Johnny and Owen
discover the secret life of Tabitha Wheelwright. Newbury Street (where Jerrold's
is located) is a real street. It has some very nice stores. It is located in
downtown. I have been there and have walked up and down the most populated part
of the street (populated in terms of stores) and there is not any Jerrold's or
Jerrold's-like stores, unfortunately.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, AZ- This is actually the
name of the international airport in Phoenix! (I was surprised) It is located
almost in downtown Phoenix, near US Highway 60 which cuts through the town East
/ West.
Fort Huachuca, AZ- Fort Huachuca is located in the extreme
southeast corner of the state. It is near a town named Huachuca City, a very
small town of less than 2,000 people. The fort is actually west of the town. The
nearest large city is Tuscon.
For these
Canadian places, I am trying to find a map to put up.
Bishop Strachen,
ON- The private, all girls school where Johnny teaches in Canada. Visit their webpage to learn more about them in the
present day!
Grace-Church-On-The-Hill, ON- The church that is affiliated
with Bishop Strachen in Toronto.
Georgian Bay, ON- This is the place
where Johnny visits with his friend, Katherine Keeling, and her family. There
actually is a Georgian Bay, it is in northern Ontario and it has many islands.
The actual island is not important, and it's identity is never given.
Made Up Places
Gravesend, NH- The hometown of
both Johnny and Owen. It is an imagined small town in New Hampshire. It has been
speculated that Gravesend is based on John Irvings own home town of Exeter. From
the evidence at hand, this seems most likely to be true. First, Exeter was
founded by the Rev. John Wheelwright after he was banished from the
Massachusetts Bay Colony along with Anne Hutchison. Also, there is a private
school, the Phillips Exeter Academy in the town. Plus, the town is in the
perfect location, being seemingly the right distance from Rye, Hampton Beach and
Durham.
Sawyer Depot, NH- The hometown of Johnny's aunt, uncle and
cousins. Sawyer Depot is supposed to be in the "north country" and very small. I
cannot find it on the map, therefore I assume it is not real, but it could be so
small it does not appear on the map, but I think that is unlikely. In any case,
the town is father north than Lake Ossipee or Mount Chocorua.
Gravesend
Academy, NH- The private school and Johnny and Owen attend after they spend one
year at Gravesend High School. The Academy (I believe) is based on the Phillips
Exeter Academy. Whether any of the faculty or description of the school
parallels the real school is unknown to me.
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