The relationship between the two Characters
             A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is a novel in which religion is of great importance. One of the main themes in this novel is faith in God and oneself, and even more, the conflict between belief and doubt. It is this need for religion, and importance of faith that brings the two main characters, John and Owen, together. John and Owen seem to need each other. There is an un-ordinary connection between the two characters, which 'dooms' them to eternal friendship and dependence on one another. There could be many reasons why these two seem to fit together, but few stand out as primary. These are lack of guidance, absence of matter, and religion and faith.
             Throughout the story, John and Owen have to rely on each other for leadership, advice and guidance. This is primarily because the have nobody else to turn to. Owen's parents did not care for him, and therefore could never be the parents that a boy requires. At the beginning of the story, when John's mother is still alive, both John and Owen look to her as a mother, and it seems that they both get the love that they need, which gives evidence that their reliance on each other is minimal. However, at the point where John's mother dies, the friendship between the two boys blossoms because they now have more need for each other. From that point on in the story, the boys have nobody to go to besides themselves and each other. Dan Needham could be considered a father figure for John, but John never turned to him without consulting Owen first. At the age of eleven, the only parents that either of them had were each other. An example is when Owen insists that John enroll in literature in university. He gives him the right advice and it works out in John's favor.
             The theme of absence of matter, or armlessness/amputation, in the story seems to draw the two characters together on several oc
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