A Prayer for Owen Meany red dress?

Answer 1

The Red Dress is symbolic of the fallen woman, and hence America. It brings to mind The Scarlett Letter, the red A, for adultery of past New England. Owen Meany, as a Christ figure, recognizes the good in Tabby, the wearer of the Red Dress, as Christ recognized the good in the prostitute who washed his feet. Tabby adored Owen, and gave him a ride home on her wedding night. In other words she received a blessing from Christ to go forth and sin no more. Tabby is a reference to America, and although with faults and mistakes, America is good and worth "saving" as is Tabby.

Note that the red dress was for the one night a week in Boston in which tabby wore it for a singing gig. She was know as the Lady in Red. She wore it in one play, but put it away after meeting Dan. Owen certainly saw it as a reminder of the will to change, his role as a change agent, and his destiny to die young, as did Tabitha, as will America, the adulteress in Vietnam and world politics who has lost it's way. Death and rebirth resides in the meaning of the red dress.

Answer 2

In "A Prayer for Owen Meany," the red dress represents a pivotal moment in the story where Owen Meany has a vision of his own death. The red dress is worn by Tabitha Wheelwright, Owen's best friend's mother, who is killed in a tragic accident. The dress symbolizes loss, fate, and the interconnectedness of the characters' lives.