Oedipus Rex was different from other plays I've read; for one, it was actually easy to read and understand! But I walked away with more than just this satisfaction. Oedipus Rex really caused me to look at the concept of fate. It enforced the point that no matter what you do, you can never change your fate. I didn't ever think of myself as having a fate, but I started thinking about that -- does everything actually happen for a reason, because I am fated to follow a certain path? Do I fail at certain things because I'm fated to fail? Do I succeed because I'm fated to succeed? If I do have a fate, as Oedipus did, I certainly wouldn't want to know what it is. I'd rather just see it unfold as my life continues so I wouldn't have to worry about everything I did.
Since Oedipus Rex got me thinking about fate, I also thought about how this concept played a role in A Prayer for Owen Meany. Owen knew his fate because God told him, and he didn't try to change it. That, to me, would be one of the hardest things to do; if I knew I was going to die, I'd probably want to find a way to avoid it. I think that that, for the most part, is human nature, and it illustrates exactly why I wouldn't want to know my fate. Just let me experience life as it happens; that's enough for me.
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