Major Rawls Character Analysis in A Prayer for Owen Meany

A ROTC professor in Arizona who serves as the Army’s liaison to the family of Frank Jarvits, a fallen soldier. Even after fighting in Korea and Vietnam, he was never promoted to lieutenant colonel. Major Rawls kills Dick Jarvits after Dick kills Owen Meany with a grenade at the airport.

Major Rawls Character Timeline in A Prayer for Owen Meany

The timeline below shows where the character Major Rawls appears in A Prayer for Owen Meany. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...major’s car, John and Owen can finally greet each other. The major, whose name is Rawls, explains that the family of the dead soldier is a mess. Rawls had earned a... (full context)

Rawls offers to find John and Owen dates or show them where to buy porn while... (full context)

Owen, John, and Rawls head to the family’s ongoing wake, which Rawls treats like a spectacle. Unexpectedly, Owen says... (full context)

...name is, so he can speak to him. She tells Owen his name is Dick. Rawls tells Owen that the police at the airport never take their eyes off this kid.... (full context)

Rawls tells Dick he had better not bring the rifle or the grenades to the airport.... (full context)

Rawls drives John and Owen to the airport in the morning. He waits with them for... (full context)

A nun who was waiting outside the bathroom ran to get Rawls, who caught Dick running away from the men’s room. Dick draws his bayonet, but Rawls... (full context)