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Where does Oskar think Mr. Black is? Why is this significant? Where do you think Mr. Black is?
Why doesn't Oskar's mother care about Oskar going all over New York city at night? If his mother knew what he was doing all this time, what is her motivation for not talking about it with Oskar? What is significant about her involvement in contacting everyone before Oskar even arrived?
The phrase "incredibly close" shows up twice in this chapter...the phrase "extremely loud" shows up once...
Why is the picture of the back of a man's head included in the chapter?
William Black's father wrote letters before he died -- a lot of them. Letters show up a lot in this novel -- some sent, some not sent. Why do you think the author uses letters so much in the novel? What do they represent?
Why do you think Oskar didn't want to go to the bank with William? Why do you think he told William the story about the last message? Why is it so critical that he finally told someone?
What is significant and powerful about Stephen Hawking's letter and the timing with which Oskar receives it?
39 comments:
When Oskar goes to see Mr. Black the day after digging up his father’s grave and finds he no longer lives there, he says, “I never went to find him on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, because I was happier believing he was there than finding out for sure”(pg 286). I think Oskar never went looking for him because thinking Mr. Black is happy and out in the world now is better than finding out he has passed away or something of that matter. If he would have hung on Mr. Black’s disappearance, it would have been a mystery just like the key and his father’s death. Oskar’s mother knows her son has to deal with his dad’s death on his own, and she gives him the privacy of doing so. She didn’t say anything to Oskar about the key because it was a project between him and his father and a way for Oskar to feel closer to him.
Receiving Stephen Hawking's message when he did was very important. In the message Stephen wrote, "What if you never stop inventing? Maybe you're not inventing at all." Those two lines needed to be thought about by Oskar. It came from one of the smartest men alive and it was to an 8 year old boy. "What if you never stop inventing." What if he never does? He probably won't. I think Oskar finally realizes this and stops searching for why his father died.
I think Oskar's mom lets him travel around New York at night because she trusts him and she knows he's not like most kids. She probably also knows that no matter what she did or said to him he'd still find a way to go because that's how he is. She called all the people Oskar would visit because it was her was of being able to protect him.
The things revealed in this chapter make almost everything Oskar's done pointless. Oskar's spent the last eight months searching New York for an answer that was on his answering machine. The Black he's been looking for was with the second person he talked to. Also, Oskar's been criticizing his mother's lack of worry, when she's known about his quest the entire time.
Oskar's been hiding the messages from his mother, not knowing she got a call too.
Oskar's been keeping his meeting with the "renter" secret, though his grandmother knows they've met.
Oskar's entire quest was about a key that didn't even belong to his father.
At first it seems as if the entire story resolved nothing and was without meaning. However, Oskar is now closer to and more understanding of his mother. His grandfather is back in his life. His grandmother and grandfather are together again. Oskar allowed William Black to end his search. And most importantly, he's learned how to deal with his father's death, even with some questions unanswered.
He's also touched and possibly changed the lives of several people across New York. Even though his journey may seem as insignificant as moving a single grain of sand, he's made a difference.
Oskar's mother doesn't mind when Oskar says he's going somewhere and doesn't say where he's going or when he's going to back because she already knows about his search. She even calls the Blacks before hand to tell them Oskar is on his way. I think she leaves him alone because she wants him to figure it out on his own, and she knows it was Oskar's and his fathers thing to do these adventures. What is significant about the timing of Stephen Hawking's letter is that it's towards the end of the book where Oskar is still looking for how his father passed, but after he receives the letter he stops.
I believe Oskar thinks Mr.Black went back to the Empire State building to see Ruth. He said he would and that's where Oskar wants to believe he went. I honestly think that maybe he died? People are selling his stuff or they're getting rid of it. No one really knows what happened fl Mr.Black but ive come to the conclusion that he did in fact die.
Oskars mother doesn't care because she knows what Oskar is doing now. I guess she trusts him to be safe enough. Maybe she isn't talking about it with Oskar because she wants him to find out what hes looking for if it means hes close to his father. Also I think she doesn't talk about it with him because Oskar never said a word about what he was doing to her. She could just be keeping it that way so he doesn't know she knows.
I think all the letters- sent and unsent give the novel more of a personal feel. All the letters have certain emotions towards the reader of the letter. The letters make the reader feel more involved in the novel.
Oskar's mother lets him go all over New York City because she knows that if she tries to stop him it'll only make things harder for him. Oskar would have asked for help if he needed it and his mother made sure to tell all of the Blacks that he was coming so she that she would know that he was okay. When Oskar goes to Mr. Black's apartment and he isn't there I think Oskar's first thoughts were that he passed away or was hurt. I was talking to Taylor Duslak about where Mr. Black could be and she suggested that he was at the Empire State Building. Once she said that it made sense to me, he needed someone and Ruth was there. I think the significance of the timing of Stephen Hawking's letter is that Oskar needed something to make his boots lighter. After discovering what the key is really for he was disappointed, and that letter really helped him.
Oskar thinks Mr. Black has gone to live with Ruth. I'm not really sure where he's gone because Oskar's idea seems very realistic, but I think Mr. Black died. Oskar's mom doesn't care about him going all over the city because she knew he was going to do it. She called all the Black families in the city to tell them the story. That's why people always seemed to expect him and sometimes they would have things for him like cookies. She didn't talk to Oskar about the key because she knew he needed something for himself. That Oskar had to figure out on his own, just like all the hunts with his dad before.
Oskar’s mom doesn't care because she knows it is Oskar’s way of coping with the loss of his father. She knew what he was doing and had trust in her son to be safe. She never asked Oskar about it because she was trying to respect his space. Oskar never told her so she figured he didn't want her to know about it. I think the significance of Oskar’s mom contacting all of the people beforehand is that it showed she supported him in finding the lock. She was always there for him in the end.
Oskar thinks Mr.Black is at the Empire State Building. He thinks he is there living a happy life with Ruth. He decided to have Mr.Black’s life end happily rather than sadly. Oskar chose to believe in a happy ending because he couldn't handle losing someone else who was important to him. I think Mr.Black passed away. It is the most logical thinking because of how old Mr.Black was.
Oskar's mother doesn't care because she knows what Oskar's doing. She knows about the key and his journey to find the lock that it belongs to. Because of this knowledge, she doesn't have to worry about where he is. I believe she doesn't talk about it with Oskar because she knows if he wanted to tell her about the key that he would. I also believe she doesn't tell him to show him that she trusts him. If Oskar knew that she knew, then it might upset him and have a negative effect on their relationship. She knows and respects that it's Oskar's way of being close to his dad and dealing with his loss. Oskar's mom contacting everyone before Oskar meets the Blacks shows that she cares about him. She calls them to make sure Oskar will be safe and won't run into any problems or danger. It is her way of being involved with Oskar’s mission without him knowing and getting upset. While Oskar thinks that she doesn't care, she actually cares immensely.
I think Oskar's mom lets him go around New York by himself because she felt like he needed to do this. he invested months into trying to find which Black knew something about the key. She called ahead to many of the Blacks as well, telling them he was coming. He would wonder why his mother didn't ask where he was or why he was leaving, but she didn't ask because she already knew. Oskar would have told his mom about what he was doing if he wanted to. His mom realized this too, so she kept it to herself.
When Oskar found that Mr.Black was gone he believes that he went to the empire state building. I'm not sure where he went, but I think he left because he knew that if he wouldn't help Oskar,his grandfather would. Oskar realizes that his mom knew the whole eight months he was searching. She never asked because she knew where he was going. I think that she never said anything because she felt it was something that Oskar had to do himself. When Oskar realized that she called all of the Blacks I could only think about her telling them exactly what to tell Oskar. Oskar found out that the key was to William Black's deposit box. He didn't want to see it though. I know if I was Oskar, I would go see it. He said to his grandfather that he didn't want to stop searching. Maybe that's why he didn't go with William Black. Before he left William's apartment, he told him something he had never told anyone. He told him about Thomas's last message. I think he told William because he felt guilty and need to get it off his chest.
Oskar thinks Mr. Black is with Ruth in the Empire State Building. Ironic how he has never left his apartment for years and years after his wife's death and then finally does and finds a women who has never left this building since her husbands death. I like to think this is where he is, on the other hand though, the real reality could be that he has died. But Oskar doesn't like to think that, we can tell this because he doesn't go to check to see if he really is with Ruth he just likes to think he is.
Oskar's mother had found out about his plans. She had always known where Oskar was heading. Oskar wondered why she lacked restriction and never worried about where he was going. That's because she already knew where he was heading. She had gone ahead before he even started and talked to each Black before Oskar had got to them. She was a part off his plan and he didn't even know it. She knows this journey is important to Oskar because he thinks he's getting closer to his father some how. She doesn't want to ruin that for him. This is a way for her to get close to Oskar even if Oskar himself doesn't know it. They are taking this journey together. Meeting the same people and leaving a mark on them as much as they leave a mark on Oskar and his mother themselves.
Letters are a huge part of this book. I feel as if the letters represent everything. They are unspoken truths, secretes, confessions, things we don't think about saying until it's too late. These letters give us background information on certain characters and let us get a deeper look into their lives and who they really are. These letters hold so much more meaning than we know.
Oskar’s mother isn’t curious about Oskar going out for long periods of time because she knew what he was doing all along. She knew that he was going to look for what the key went to. She didn’t want to tell him that she knew because she knew how important it was to Oskar to find out for himself. It was a way for Oskar to still be close to his father even after he is gone. Oskar believed it was another one of his father’s games for him, and his mother didn’t want to interfere between it, because it was just between Oskar and his father. She contacted everyone that Oskar was going to be visiting to ensure that he would be safe. Oskar always thought that his mother didn’t care about his safety while he was gone, when in reality she was extremely cautious about it.
Oskar's mom doesn't care about Oskar traveling all over New York city at night because she knows what he is doing. She didn't talk to Oskar about the key because she knew two things; first that he didn't know that she knew what he was doing, and second because she knew that he needed something to find by himself. She also called all the Black families and told them the story and that he would be coming. That's why so many families seemed happy when he came and had things like cookies ready when he got there.
I think the author uses letters a lot in this novel because of what they represent. They symbolize the words and feelings and expressions someone just can’t say or doesn’t know how to convey whatever it is they need to convey. Letters are, in my opinion, cherished treasures. They are much more than pen on paper and scribbled words. They’re a part of whoever wrote it, almost as if the person took a piece of themselves and sprinkled it on the paper, so their recipient could have them and know them and cherish them when they’re not there to be had, to be known, to be cherished.
People don’t generally think about when the “last time” will be, because they think it won’t ever arrive. They think everything will last for eternity exactly how it is. They think everything will simply be the same as it was the day before, the second before the “last time” actually comes knocking on their door. Oskar remembers never thinking it’ll be the last time he sees his father, and when he thinks about shaking Mr. Black’s hand for the last time, he remembers thinking that it wasn’t going to be the last time, that nothing is ever the last time. In the previous chapter, his grandfather stated that nothing ever felt like the last time, that he never learned the treat everything like the last time, that his greatest regret was how much he believed in the future, therefore leaving no room to think of any last times. The parallel between Oskar’s thoughts and his grandfather’s are nearly the same. It’s all so significant because I think the novel is based off “last times.” Oskar’s father dying; his grandfather never seeing Anna again, never kissing her again, never seeing his family again. I think it’s meant to be important because nobody ever treats anything as if it’s the last time, when we really should.
Oskar's mother doesn't care about him going all over New York City at night because she already knew his intentions. She had no worries because she knew exactly where he was going and when he was going. She also felt that maybe this was what he needed to sort of move on from his fathers death, maybe by getting the answers he was searching for, it would help him to cope with the loss of his father. One could tell she cared because she took the time to call ahead to numerous black to inform them of his arrival.
Oskar thinks his mother doesn't care about him going all over New York, but actually does care. She only seems like she doesn't because she already knows what he's going to be doing. In efforts to help him, she calls people ahead to tell him he's coming. She keeps it to herself so Oskar can learn on his own as she respects his hard work to know more about his father and mourn his loss personally.
The letters themselves involve many emotions in the story. They help pull the story together as tthey are included in almost every part. They show communication or the lack thereof, love, loss, happiness, sadness...and so on. The letters express the characters and who they truley are on the inside. It reveals their secrets and fears and generally bring in a deeper understanding of the novel as a whole. Without the letters there would be a huge chuck of the storyline missing.
Oskar's mother doesn't mind Oskar going around New York city all night because she trusts that he will make smart decisions, and she already knows what he intends to do and where he intends to go. I think the mother also knew that by letting her son do this it was his way of grieving and he needed to find something. Oskar's mother also even took the time to call ahead and by doing this we know she cared. I think the author uses letters so much in the novel to relate to the readers and make the book more personal and unique.
Although it appears that Oscar’s mother had no idea of where Oscar was, she was clearly aware of his comings and goings. Toward the end of the novel, the author gave the reader clues revealing that the people Oscar visited knew about his mission before meeting him. His mother contacted all of the people on Oscar’s list prior to his visits in order to enlist their help on his mission.
Oskar's mom doesn't care that he goes all over New York because she knows what he's doing and where he's going and she has already been there so she knows he'll be okay. She doesn't talk about with Oskar because she's letting him feel like he can do it on his own and he is solving the mystery of his father. The significance of her contacting all the people before Oskar is showing how much she cares. These people then treat Oskar differently and that is why some know his name and personal information which confused Oskar from time to time.
Oskar's mom doesn't ask Oskar where he is going not only because she already knows, but wants him to find out for himself. Oskar is an extremely bright kid and prefers to figure things out for himself. I think that she thought he would be more satisfied with the result of the search if he experienced it himself and on his own terms.
The significance in Oskar's mother going to all the blacks before Oskar did is that she still cares about him even though she is still grieving, and she still wants to protect him while letting him feel independent. She lets him believe he is on his own because she knows that it's something he needs to do to deal with/cope with his fathers death. I think Oskar didn't go with William Black to the bank because he was disappointed that what the key went to had little to do with him and his father, and Oskar felt it was William's secret to unlock, not both of theirs.
Stephen Hawking's letter comes to Oskar at a terrible breaking point at his life after his father's death.Oskar has hit a cross roads at his father's death torn between what his next step will be. The letter from stephen hawking is almost like a booster to keep oskar going on with his mission to figure out the meaning of the key. I believe that Oskar needed the boost from such a simple letter to keep his spirits up at such a dire time of his life.
It is not that Oskar's mother doesn't care it's that she understands Oskar's inner struggle. Oskar and his father had something special and she understands that Oskar wisshes to unlock the "Black-Key Mystery" alone because it is for the purpose of Oskar's private struggle to find closure. Of course she makes sure Oskar will be safe by calling each Black before Oskar visits. In addition, Oskar ends up recruiting Mr.Black from the upstairs apartment as his accomplice, but he is still the hero of his mission while Mr.Black is only the sidekick.
Incredibly close shows up twice and extremely loud shows up once because it foreshadows how Oskar is getting closer and closer to finding closure but then the truth of the matter explodes in his face like something "extremely loud". It is also meant to be be symbolic of Mr.Black from the upper apartmend because Mr.Black has to look at things incredibly close seeing as he cannot hear, but when he turns on the hearing aid everything is extremely loud. The phrase seems to represent everyone in the book. Each character feels they are getting closer and closer to what they want/need/etc. but when they find the "solution" the truth of the matter hits them in an extremely loud fashion. Thus, the phrase "incredibly close" represents the long struggle to find a resolution and the phrase "extremely loud" represents the single hard-hitting resolution of reality hitting the character.
Oskar's mother did not care about Oskar going all over New York because she knew what he was doing. I believe she did not tell him she knew because she wanted him to figure things out on his own. She wanted to let him be independent, and let him become closer to his father like he believed he was doing. She knew that he wanted to do this by himself and she did not want to ruin it. It is significant that she contacts everyone before he arrives because she knows his next move. This is her way of helping him without Oskar knowing.
I believe the author uses letters so much because it is a way of showing exactly what a character is thinking and feeling, even if their letters are not sent. Letters are a way of putting what you are thinking into words. They show the readers information that the characters in the book don't even know.
Oskar’s mom trusts him. She trusts that he knows exactly what he is doing and she isn’t going to question him about it. She knows about the key and how important it is for him to find the lock for it, and she knows he won’t stop until he finds it. I think that Oskar is trying to hid it from his mom, and I feel that if he wanted her to know about the key then he would tell her, and having her pry in his life about something like that could backfire in her face. It would upset Oskar if she knew, so he was trying to keep it a secret from her, because this was one of the only ways that Oskar actually felt close to his dad. Even though Oskar doesn’t think she cares at all, she is giving him so much freedom and space because she actually does care.
Oskar’s mother lets him go off on his own knowing where he was going so that he could cope with his father’s death. Had his mother stopped him, he would be angry and hate her. Oskar had weird way of coping but it’s what worked for him. It’s cool how she called each person before he went but now that I think about it, it’s strange that none of the adults asked why he was out in New York all on his own. I think his mother allowed him to go out because she knows how smart and capable he is. Even if he were to get in some sort of trouble he would be able to get himself out of it. He is a smart kid; he knows a lot more than most kids his age and likes to share is knowledge with others.
I totally understand why Oskar didn’t want to go to the bank with William. Oskar thought the key would lead to something about his father Thomas, but instead it was about Williams’s father. It was upsetting for Oskar to know that he still didn’t have any answers. Going to the bank with William would have meant he was going to watch him be happy while Oskar was still disappointed. It would have been cool for Oskar to go so we would find out what Williams father left him but it was in the best interest for Oskar to go home.
Oskar's mother does care that Oskar is going around the entire city, but she leaves him alone because it is something that Oskar has to do, it will give Oskar a certain amount of closure.
Letters are brought up in almost every chapter. Oskar writes them to celebrities such as Stephen Hawking and Jane Goodall. Oskar’s grandfather writes them to his dead son. Oskar’s grandmother writes them to Oskar. Oskar’s grandmother asks her friends, family, and other people to write her letters so she can compare them. Some of these letters are sent and shared, but many are never seen by the person they are written to. The letters are conversations, advice, and stories. Many of the letters show more about the person writing them than any conversation with that person will. The letters Oskar’s grandfather writes show his regret. Oskar’s letters to his idols shows that he needs a replacement for his father, whether he realizes this or not.
Oskar didn’t want to go to the bank with William because it wouldn’t help him understand his father more. Oskar’s central goal wasn’t to find what the key opened or find the key’s owner. Oskar’s goal was to learn more about his father. Once he learned that the key had nothing to do with his father, Oskar knew his mission with the key was over. Going to the bank would be pointless for Oskar since the contents of the safe deposit box wouldn’t help him learn anything more about his father. The key was nothing more than an excuse for Oskar to learn everything he could about his father.
Oskar's mother doesn't care about him going all over New York city at night because it is something Oskar needs to do. She knows that she can not stop him from doing this so she lets him go and that he is smart and clever so he wouldn't get into much trouble. She doesn't push him into talking about the loss of his father, she leaves him to grow from it.
Oskar's mother lets him go off on his own because she knows that Oskar needs closure for what happened to his father. When Oskar goes out and looks for information about the key he is coming closer and closer to finding out the truth. I feel that this is a way for him to get closure and know that he doesn't have to wonder about one of the Blacks after he has visited them.
Oskar writes to famous people in hope for a response because he is looking for a figure that he can look up to since he no longer has his father. Oskar has a hard time looking to his mother so I feel that he looks for attention from people he admires.
I think Oskar's mother let's him go on his quest because she realizes that Oskar needs it. After all he invested months into trying to find which Black knew something about the key. She also called the Blacks ahead of time telling them he was coming. He would wonder why his mother didn't ask where he was or why he was leaving, but she didn't ask because she already knew. Oskar would have told his mom about what he was doing if he wanted to. His mom realized this too, so she kept it to herself. It showed that Oskar's mother was actually an observant mother and cared deeply for her son but also understood him on a deeper level.
I feel as if the author uses letters a lot in this novel to express people feelings. The letter expressed the feelings of the people writing them in a way that only the reader and the writer would know about the feelings. It showed that the characters did not share feelings between one another. It also was a way to show the different sides of an event in each person's point of view. The letters represent, in my opinion, how each person expressed themselves and how important writing things down was to Oskar and to Mr. Black. It characterized the characters by what they wrote and how they wrote it. It showed what type of personality the character had and what was important to them.
Oskar's mom shows little concern because, she already knows everything there is to know. I think she keeps her knowing a secret because she wants him to feel like he's doing it all himself. I feel that if Oskar knew that his mom was always a step ahead of him, that everything he found out about his father wouldn't mean as much to him. the closure he craves, wouldn't be as significant.
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