Why does Abby love Owen?

[Casper]

Ok, so to ask "why does Abby love Owen" is agreeably problematic, as love has no solid, universal definition, yes. But what about a collective series of more specific questions that are broken down in to some mosaic of what Abby's "love" is, as understood by the individuals here. To answer the question, for example, I would venture to rephrase it in a couple questions that are relevant to my own concept of love:

1. Why is Abby emotionally attached to Owen? She needs him. He is the only one who is willing to try and understand her / is interested in who she is / finds her very fun to be around / understand what she feels.

2. Why can't she stand to be apart from him? Because the feeling of being completely and utterly alone is indescribably hellish, and being with him is , to the same degree, desirable (for reasons listed in 1.)

[Angelalex242]

Why? Asking 'why' about love is...a difficult proposition. Perhaps she found him cute. Perhaps her soul just leapt out to meet his. Perhaps his gift of the cube warmed her heart. Why is always the hardest thing to answer.

[Wolfchild]

Why does Abby love Owen?

Is not because everyone realizes that it is time for her to have another? Certainly she herself does. By the end, even Owen comes to realize this.

[gymmy64]

Why does Abby love Owen?

Is not because everyone realizes that it is time for her to have another? Certainly she herself does. By the end, even Owen comes to realize this.

Your comments make me wonder: What if Thomas had not died in the film? Would Abby have eventually left with the man, leaving Owen behind? Or would she have taken him along anyway? Or perhaps traded in her old dog for a new puppy?

[sauvin]

Why does Abby love Owen?

Is not because everyone realizes that it is time for her to have another? Certainly she herself does. By the end, even Owen comes to realize this.

Your comments make me wonder: What if Thomas had not died in the film? Would Abby have eventually left with the man, leaving Owen behind? Or would she have taken him along anyway? Or perhaps traded in her old dog for a new puppy?

Mm, this is a delicious question. The lady or the tigre?

Abby doesn't seem to be a creature ruled entirely either by her beast or by cold pragmatism. The two scenes where she shows genuine tenderness towards Thomas (in the kitchen, at the hospital) lead me to believe that she might have considered leaving him behind for the sake of her new love, but it's a decision she'd have to struggle with. The few fragments of their relationship we're shown overall further lead me to believe she'd allow him to continue trying to help her while she juggles her time and affections between the two.

How it might play out in the long term is tough to imagine. Had this ever happened in a previous Thomas cycle? Hrm... could it be an idea for new fanfic is trying to take shape?

[cmfireflies]

Maybe I'm biased against Abby, but I think one of her main characteristics is weakness (if we don't go down the evil route). She wasn't strong enough to break off the relationship with Thomas even though the strain of the relationship is clearly taking a toll on him and she clearly prefers someone her own age at the time of the movie. Given this, I would imagine that had Thomas not died, but had say, screwed up so badly that they needed to get away, Abby would go with him and leave Owen, just because it's the easier thing to do. However, she would probably come back to Owen if Thomas dies later, or maybe when Thomas leaves her, because let's face it: the "please don't see that boy again" was their breakup. How long can you continue to kill for someone who made it clear that they don't want to do anything for you?

If Abby had come back a few years later and Owen's circumstances have still not improved, I think he would still go with her.

[DavidZahir]

I agree that seeing Abby as just a predator/manipulator simply doesn't match the story as we see it. She shows tenderness to Thomas, for example, more than once and not in a particularly simple manner. When by herself she seems sad and lonely. Her gazing toward Owen, when no one is watching (like when he's playing Pacman), is exactly that of a budding teenage girl with a crush.

So to return to my original question--why does Abby love Owen? A lot of that rather depends on how one defines "love." In this case, I'll define it as a combination of attraction, affection and fascination that is more intense by about an order of magnitude than mere friendship. I think she sees Owen as cute, and it helps that in some ways he is her opposite. She's a strong, athletic blond. He's a somewhat frail, skinny brunette. In fact, methinks together they make up a polarity of opposites that makes them fit together, even at times start to blend. Each wants in some sense to be what the other already is--stronger, older, kinder, more "human." Both are lonely enough to recognize it in others, and to feel the sense that here is a soul in sympathy with their own. Abby clearly feels herself still a child, or at least holds on to that self-image. Through Owen's eyes that is precisely what she is.

I'm not claiming this an entire answer, but it does strike me as a major part of what sparked the feelings she has for him (and vice versa).

[ColBlair]

First of all, start with the premise that Abby does indeed love Owen. Methinks the vast majority of audience members walk away with that feeling, at least from comments in about a dozen forums I visit, as well as televised reactions, words from viewers known to me personally, the general nature of LMI fanfic, etc.

But why?

I have my own theories, but I'd love to read others' ideas. But I do think another aspect of it is in what way does she love him? As a friend? As a boyfriend (whatever that means)? As a brother?

Personally, in my opinion and I'm going to bring in the book as well when I say this, I believe Abby/Eli came back for Owen/Oskar cause they found their soulmate. In the commentary, Reeves states that he saw the ending to the LTROI novel and LMI like the ending to The Graduate. Interesting how I think it over and hear about Let the Old Dreams Die cause we never know what Oskar and Eli feel about one another. I mean think about it too, how did each person interpret the ending to The Graduate? Are the two characters going to be together, or fall apart?

In LTODD, we are hearing about Oskar and Eli thru different people and at the end they are vampires. So, since I'm going on the vampire route for Owen, I'm going to say that Abby never wanted to be alone. Someone said this and I can see where he is getting at with this, "Why is Abby getting boys her age as caretakers?" The answer he came up with is that she wanted a companion. I have to agree with that too. Think about it, Abby never wanted to be alone before she met Owen. Think about that hospital scene, it's set in stone. Personally, for me, Thomas was the first and he probably didn't want to be a vampire in the first place and he just wanted to take care of her. Jenkins stated in an interview that he devoted his life for her and in another his character thought he was being used by her, but he realized later on that he wasn't being used and that she still cared for him.

Do I believe Abby was manipulating Thomas, yeah, but not for killing, mainly cause she had her own loneliness, while Thomas had his. So basically it wasn't about food, it was about being with someone. If you read the part where Eli asks Oskar if he wanted to be infected like her, he answers, "I want to be with you." So, my opinion is that Thomas was Oskar, and Owen is just well Owen.

[ColBlair]

I agree that seeing Abby as just a predator/manipulator simply doesn't match the story as we see it. She shows tenderness to Thomas, for example, more than once and not in a particularly simple manner. When by herself she seems sad and lonely. Her gazing toward Owen, when no one is watching (like when he's playing Pacman), is exactly that of a budding teenage girl with a crush.

So to return to my original question--why does Abby love Owen? A lot of that rather depends on how one defines "love." In this case, I'll define it as a combination of attraction, affection and fascination that is more intense by about an order of magnitude than mere friendship. I think she sees Owen as cute, and it helps that in some ways he is her opposite. She's a strong, athletic blond. He's a somewhat frail, skinny brunette. In fact, methinks together they make up a polarity of opposites that makes them fit together, even at times start to blend. Each wants in some sense to be what the other already is--stronger, older, kinder, more "human." Both are lonely enough to recognize it in others, and to feel the sense that here is a soul in sympathy with their own. Abby clearly feels herself still a child, or at least holds on to that self-image. Through Owen's eyes that is precisely what she is.

I'm not claiming this an entire answer, but it does strike me as a major part of what sparked the feelings she has for him (and vice versa).

Well said there Dave. I believe that's what JAL wanted to show when he did the novel Let the Right One In.

[DarkGuyver]

Do I believe Abby was manipulating Thomas, yeah, but not for killing, mainly cause she had her own loneliness, while Thomas had his. So basically it wasn't about food, it was about being with someone. If you read the part where Eli asks Oskar if he wanted to be infected like her, he answers, "I want to be with you." So, my opinion is that Thomas was Oskar, and Owen is just well Owen.

I partically agree with what you have said about Abby on this. But I personally don't think that Abby was manipulating Thomas in anyway. It's obvious that Abby and Thomas's relationship started off like Abby and Owen's but as Thomas got older Abby's feeling for Thomas may have changed due to their mental "age" difference. Remember Abby does have the mentality of a 12 year old girl, while Thomas's mentality has matured over the ages but his feeling for Abby still stays the same. Thomas loves Abby and wants to stay by her side, this is evident in the comic (Let Me In: Crossroads) when Abby and Thomas are arguing and when Thomas attacks Jon with the tire iron "I won't let you take her from me!".