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How does the story of Buckminster fit in on a deeper level?
Why do you think Stan pulls his hand back from Mr. Black when they are introduced?
There are some good sections that highlight the generation gap between Mr. Black and Oskar. Which ones did you notice, and how do they help build the characters or the story?
Why does Oskar insist on finding out if Agnes Black had any kids? Is Mr. Black lying about the answer? If he is, why would he do that?
What do the letters from Gary Franklin and Jane Goodall tell us about Oskar? What does this second response from Stephen Hawking tell us?
Oskar states that he sometimes thinks that the key opens everything. What has it opened so far?
What do you learn about Oskar from his session with the therapist? What do you learn about his mother from the choppy conversation that Oskar eavesdrops on?
Why does he listen to his father's message when he gets home from his therapy session?
The chapter is titled "Happiness, Happiness." Why?
69 comments:
Oskar shares this first-hand account of the bombing at Hiroshima to his class, but the class seems to see Oskar of nothing short of a joke. The story Oskar shares resembles the bombing that happened to his grandparents in Dresden, Germany. In both situations, hundreds of citizens were hurt and killed by bombs that altered their lives forever. It’s strange that Oskar chose to tell about the bombing of Hiroshima when his own grandma, who he sees almost everyday, was in a similar bombing that happened just months before in February.
Stan the doorman has probably heard the stories of nobody going in or out of the apartment 6A. Stan is probably surprised and alarmed that the mysterious man who he hears about is out and about, let alone hanging around with someone as young as Oskar. I am offended for Mr. Black because of the rumors that have most likely been spread and have scared everyone of someone they never knew anything about. A the same time, I am happy that Mr. Black is getting back out into the world.
Oskar tells his class about the bombing in Hiroshima,which resembles what happened to his grandparents in Dresden, but I feel on an even deeper level it resembles what his dad might have felt in his last moments of life. Not knowing what his dad really went through seems to tear at Oskar from the inside, leaving his mind left to wonder endlessly about the ways in which he could've died.
Oskar's choice shows the agony of someone losing a loved one. He probably shares the same feeling as the guy who lost his daughter in the description. The interesting part of the description was when he explained why the white chess pieces survived. I think Oskar hoped that his dad had the ability to turn himself into a parachute just like Buckminster to survive falling from the WTC. The chapter is titled "Happiness, Happiness" because that is all that Oskar is trying to think about. He told the therapist that he will bury his emotions and not talk about it because it will make other people's life worse. Oskar wanted to be happier, but he didn't know how.
You could tell that there is a generation gap between Mr. Black and Oskar because many times with Mr. Black mentions something, Oskar does not know what he is talking about. Instead of seeming stupid, Oskar goes along with it and researches it later.
Oskar wanted to know if Agnes Black had any kids because he fantasized that Agnes and his father died together during 9/11. If she had children, Oskar would be able to ask what happened to her, and he would be closer to solving the mystery with the key. Mr. Black yelled that she didn't have any kids because he did not want Oskar’s visions to get crushed again; he thought it would be good just to let it go.
By writing the letters to the famous people, Oskar shows that he wants to be accepted. If they see that he is important, then he would feel significant himself. By not getting the response back from Stephen Hawking, it made Oskar unhappy. Even though this is the second time that this has happened, he did not fail to keep sending him letters.
I think Stan pulled his hand back after being introduced to Mr. Black because he already had an opinion of him. With all the rumors circulating and the fact that Mr. Black didn't exactly make himself accessible to other people, Stan automatically assumed the worst of him and probably was a bit afraid. It didn't make Mr. Black look good either because when he finally did enter the world, he was constantly at Oskar's side and those who didn't know him could think he was following
Oskar. Although Mr. Black's reclusiveness caused people to think bad things about him, I felt bad for him because he seems like a genuinely good person in a bad situation.
As for Oskar's key, although it did not technically open anything yet, I belive it has opened a door of healing for him. By going on this journey, he feels closer to his dad and he has learned to manage his feelings a bit better.
During Oskar's therapy session, I learned that he is constantly emotional and that he just honestly doesn't know how to control them all. He also likes to ask rhetorical questions in response to the therapist's questions. He also previously stated that he didn't understand WHY he had to go to a therapist and that it should be okay to be upset that your father died. I believe that he thinks people should mourn over his father's death forever and not be able to get over it as fast as they did.
While Oskar was eavesdropping, I learned a lot about his mother. I learned that she cares a lot about her son and was actually quite offended when the therapist recommended him going to a hospital. She says there is absolutely no way she would do that to her son. You can tell she loves Oskar with all her heart and is trying to defend him and be supportive of her son.
The letters from Gary Franklin and Jane Goodall in this chapter show the reader how smart Oskar is. Gary Franklin writes a letter back to Oskar on behalf of Dr. Kaley. Dr. Kaley works with elephants; while reading this it took me back to when Oskar met Abby Black and they talked about the elephant painting she had. Also, the letter that Gary Franklin sent asked for Oskar’s resume and such because Oskar wanted to work with Dr. Kaley. Oskar must have written a very prestigious letter that made him seem much older. I thought it was funny that Oskar asked Jane Goodall for a recommendation letter, and that she actually wrote back. It shows how interested in sciences Oskar is and that he has a bright future. The second letter from Stephens Hawking, a physicist, tells the reader that Oskar really wants a response back from him because he looks up to this scientist. So far, the key has allowed Oskar to meet new people and hear different life stories. He has been all over New York as he tries to become closer with his father.
In this chapter, Oskar states that the key opens everything, despite it not having opened one single lock yet. By this, I think he means that it unlocks the inventive part of his imagination- even though the key really doesn't open anything yet, in his mind every lock he passes on the street is the right lock, the lock he has waited for all this time. Instead of thinking it opens nothing until proved otherwise, he instead wishes to think in a sense that it opens all the locks in New York until proven otherwise. On a figurative level, the key also opens doors of spiritual healing for Oskar, as this journey is everything he needed to come to terms with the death of his father.
The chapter is called "Happiness, Happiness" because Oskar is searching for happiness as if it were a lost item. Much like someone would mutter "keys, keys" as they rummage through drawers, Oskar is muttering "Happiness, Happiness" as he travels throughout the five boroughs meeting the Blacks and going to his therapy sessions.
I think Oskar shares the story of the bombing in Hiroshima because it is relating the bombing in Dresdin and also because he was showing his class what is was like for the man trying to find his daughter. What he saw, what he was feeling. I think he was in his own way relating it to his father. What his father saw when the building was hit. What he was feeling.
In my opinion, stan pulls his hand back from Mr. Black because of all hes heard about the mysterious person who lives on 6A. He already has his opinion of him.
Oskar probably shares the interview because he is very interested in terrorist attacks since his father and grandparents went through one. He probably wants to believe that the way the mother in the interview acted was the way his father acted right before he died. Oskar seems to want to know everything about what his father was doing that day and how he was acting, which explains why he listened/listens to those messages so much, and also why he wanted to know if Agnes Black had kids. Also, not sure if this is important or not, but I found it interesting when he shared the knowledge about all the darker things disintegrating and the white things staying safe. It kind of explains why he only wears white.
The bombing in Hiroshima can be related to the bombing Oskar's grandparents encountered in Dresden, Germany. I also believe that the story itself can be related to Oskar's journey. In the story, Tomoyasu was searching for her daughter Masako. She, refusing to give up, eventually found her on the bank of the Ota River. She held her and helped her until she died. Oskar, like Tomoyasu, is on a search for something. Oskar, however, is searching for the lock that his key belongs to. I believe that Stan pulls his hand back because he already has a set opinion of Mr. Black. When Oskar first tells Stan that he's going to that room, Stan tells him that he believes it's haunted. When Stan meets Mr. Black and finds out that he is the one that lives in apartment 6A, I believe that he is shocked. He pulls his hand away out of fear as well as disbelief and confusion.
What I have learned about Oskar from these therapy sessions is that he really doesn't want help from anyone on coping with the death of his father. He thinks that you are supposed to be sad all the time when somebody close to you dies, and if you are ever happy then you don't really miss them. He gets really upset when the therapist asks him if he thinks anything good could come of his father's death, which I completely understand. If one of my parents ever died, I don't think that I could ever get over it. He doesn't respect the therapist at all and he doesn't want to be there, he's just doing it for his mother.
From the choppy conversation that Oskar over hears between his mom and the therapist, I see how much his mom really does care for him. She doesn't think that he needs to go to a hospital, she just wants someone to help him cope with his father's death. Actually, she comes off as quite offended when the therapist mentions that he needs hospital treatment. As a mother, she doesn't want to believe that her child needs some serious help, she wants to be able to help him on her own.
Oskar's choice by choosing to talk about the bombing in Japan is significant because it is so similar to the bombing that happened to his grandparents in Dresden. So much pain and loses happened in both places. Also I feel as if it is also connected to how his father died. Oskar is a young boy. When he represents this to the class most kids turn it into a joke and make fun of him. Oskar knows this stuff first-hand how bad it affects people. He knows that bombings and wars are going on all the time somewhere in the world. Lives being lost every day. Just how that Japanese man said in his interview, if everyone in the world had seen what he had saw, maybe there would never be another war.
I feel as though Oskar asks if Agnes has any kids because he wants to see them, talk to them, ask them questions about themselves and his father and the key. Mr. Black could possibly be lying about the kids to protect them. He knows that talking to Oskar will be hard for them, if they are real. Oskar seems to have an emotional affect on everyone he meets.
I think Oskar decided to share this story because it reminds him of his dad. Stan probably pulled his hand back because he had never seen who lived in the apartment. When Oskar asked Mr.Black if he was gay, I think Mr.Black thought he was asking if he was happy. The only think the key has opened up is Oskar's imagination. The chapter is called "happiness, happiness" because Oskar is looking for happiness.
The recording of the interview with the atomic bombing victim fits in with Oskar in a number if ways. The interview is of a mother losing her daughter. This is very relevant to Oskar because he also lost a loved one. His father. It fits in because his grandparents went through a bombing in Dresden. Although I think it fits in best with his intellectual level and that he is desensitized to disturbing things. He takes interest in paper that has the ink burnt out of it rather than being disturbed by the graphic details of skin melting off. He knows way too much of the disturbing things for being so young, like decapitation.
Even though Oskar has not opened a single lock with the key, he does believe that every lock in the city has a chance of being opened with this key. It has endless opportunity of locks that it could open. He is maintaining a positive frame of mind in believing that the next lock could be the lock that he has been looking for ever since he found his special key.
Stan pulls his hand back when meeting Mr. Black because the image that Stan had made for Mr. Black through all of the rumors of him was greatly different from the actual Mr. Black. It goes to show that you can't trust everything people say, sometimes you have to experience it yourself and form your own opinion.
When Oskar talks about the bombing in Japan to his class, I think that in his mind he is thinking about how it would feel for his dad to be up in those towers in those last moments knowing that he was going to die. I find it desperate that Oskar does believe that even though he has yet to find the lock that the key he possess opens that he can still find the lock it opens in the entire City of New York. After awhile I would've given up and moved on to something else in my life. But with Oskar I can't tell if he is going to move on or not because he feels so determined with what he is doing. He might not ever give up because it was something that his father left behind and he feels connected to it.
I think Stan pulls his hand back from Mr. Black because he is scared or shocked. Stan told Oskar that he never sees anyone come in or out of Mr. Black's apartment, he just notices a lot of trash from Mr. Black's apartment and a lot of deliveries. Because of this Stan thinks Mr. Black's apartment, 6A, is haunted. When Stan sees Mr. Black is probably taken back by the fact that an actual person lives in 6A.
When Oskar says that the key opens everything I think he means that it just excites him, makes him happy, and is a connection between him and his dad, what his dad left, or something with his dad. The key hasn't opened any locks; but Oskar likes looking for what it opens; so, it makes him happy.
Also, I think when Oskar asks if Mr. Black is gay and he responds 'yes', Mr. Black takes the meaning of gay as happy. As I was thinking about it, I think this is what he's getting at. This may be an example of generation difference.
Oskar's presentation of the atomic bomb on Japan was very graphic. It is significant because it relates to an attack that nobody could stop- just like 9/11. It relates to his life, and his father. The messages on the phone are almost like when the person was trying to save the girl, but she couldn't, and the girl died in the person's arms. It was a very sad and tragic moment, and it does relate to the messages because the girl was talking to the person, just like Oskar's father was leaving messages for his family. Oskar wanted to know if Agnes Black had any kids, so he asked Mr. Black to speak Spanish, and ask Mrs. Black. Mr. Black is lying about the answer because he talked to her for a long time, rather than her just saying no. He did it to protect Oskar, because maybe something tragic happened to the kids, such as they died in the Twin Towers, or something along those lines. He didn't want Oskar to be exposed to more than what he already was.
Oskar's description of the attack on Japan was very descriptive. Many innocent lives were taken by the bombings. The situation of the little girl who is looking for her mom relates to two other parts of the story.It relates to when Oskar's dad calls the house hoping that someone would answer. Like the little girl, it was a plea for help, but nothing could be done but stand by and watch and listen as they died.It also relates to when the grandmother's dad is trapped under the ceiling. He says everything will be okay and he just needs his glasses, but all the grandmother can do is stand and watch as another innocent person dies. The key hasn't opened anything yet, but it has also opened so many things in Oskar's mind. He keeps inventing and meeting new people while he tries to find out the real meaning of the key. Stan may be somewhat surprised that someone actually live in apartment 6A, so when he actually meets Mr. Black he was expecting someone different.
What I learned from Oskar's therapy session was that he doesn't respect the therapist much. Oskar tells the reader how much he hates going to the therapist and how much he doesn't want to be there. Oskar also doesn't like how the therapist asks almost rhetorical questions about how he feels about his fathers death. What I learned about his mother was that she cares for him deeply, she cares enough to send him to a therapist to help him talk out his problems, and she cares enough to say that her child should not be put in a hospital for help.
Oskar insists on knowing if Agnes Black has any kids; he wants to ask them if they know anything about the key. Oskar wants to go out and ask everyone who could possibly have answers about the key. Mr. Black lies about Agnes Black not having kids because he does not want Oskar to become disappointed when the kids do not know anything about it. Also, Agnes Black’s kids could live far away or even in a foreign country; Mr. Black knows Oskar will want to talk to them no matter where they are. Mr. Black simply does not want to spend the time and money to visit them.
Oskar states that sometimes he thinks the key opens everything because it has opened up many new opportunities for him and others. By looking for the lock Oskar, unlocks many friendships, including his friendship with Mr. Black. The key opens up the opportunity for Mr. Black to leave his house and explore the world again. Looking for the lock begins to lead Mr. Black and Oskar to happiness, which is why this chapter is titled "Happiness, Happiness."
When I read about what Oskar heard by eavesdropping on his mother, I realized his mother really does care about him. Throughout the book, I found Oskar’s mother to be a very complicated person who was having trouble dealing with her husband’s death. I used to think Oskar’s mother tried to pawn him off, hoping he would go on another one of his adventures. When the therapist advises Oskar’s mom to take him to the hospital, she refuses and sounds quite offended when he recommends it. I think that Oskar’s mom found it insulting because she feels that as his mother, she should be the one helping him through his problems. Since her husband died, I think Oskar’s mother is afraid that if he goes to a mental hospital, she would lose Oskar just like she lost her husband.
I think this chapter is called “Happiness, Happiness” because Oskar is searching for happiness. Just like Oskar is looking for the object the key opens, he is also trying to find something that makes him happy. He is still in a lot of pain since his father died and I think that he won’t be completely happy until he finds out how to complete the last scavenger hunt.
Oskar has opened nothing tangible with the key. However, he has opened something far more amazing. He's opened an adventure. With each person he meets he's opened a door to a new life and a new story that he can marvel at and be fascinated by because of this key. He's come across new knowledge and new feelings. He's found inspiration and new friends. He's been given the opportunity to explore and learn on his own. The key has opened the hearts of strangers. You can see that when a lot of the Black's he has visited show up to his Hamlet play. They've been touched by him.
Oskar wanted to know if Agnes had any kids because he wanted to know if anyone else was suffering like he was. Oskar knows how it feels to lose a parent in the way he did, and he wants to be sure that no one is suffering like he is. He doesn't want anyone else to feel what he feels; but, on the other hand, i feel like it would almost be comforting for him to find out Agnes had a child... Then he would have someone to relate to, and maybe he wouldn't feel so alone in the world; Either way, Oskar refused to let the subject go until he found out. I think Mr. Black may have been lying to Oskar, but only to protect him. Mr. Black understands the pain Oskar is in, and wouldn't want to add to it by telling him that someone else is suffering as well.
I think that Stan pulled his hand back because he is surprised that Old Mr. Black is nothing like the rumors that he has heard. If I was Mr. Black, I would feel quite offended because everyone knows that it is custom to shake hands with someone that you just met. What I learned from Oskar's therapy session is that he doesn't like the therapist very much. As for the conversation that Oskar overhears, I learned that his mother cares for him greatly, although I think that it would be better that she talks to Oskar rather than send him to a therapist so that he can talk with someone that he hardly knows.
From Oscars session with his therapist you get a peak just a little bit of how his father's death has truly affected him he doesn't feel comfortable with talking about it because of the guilt of having hid his fathers messages from everyone. As a result his behavior's seem very out of place making the therapist think Oscar has some mental illness's in which he doesn't. From what's shown its very hard for him to understand what exactly is being discussed between his Therapist and his mother.
I think he choose to do his project on the atomic bomb attack in Japan because of the similarities between 9/11 and the attack. It was something that he could relate too, and he wanted to show how it affected people in Japan just as it affected people in new York.
What is significant about Oskar's choice is that the bombing is similar to what happened with his grandparents in Dresden, Germany. That connects Oskar to his grandparents. Oskar's choice was also similar with his dad, connecting to him too. In all three of these situations, a lot of innocent people were killed. The mother in the video was also looking for her daughter, which is kind of like how Oskar is looking for answers with his dad with the key. What I learned from the therapy session with Oskar's therapist is that he tries to keep all of his emotions inside, and won't show them. I also learn how angry and upset Oskar still is about his father's death. This chapter is titled "Happiness, Happiness," because Oskar should try to get to happiness, since he really hasn't been purely happy. Also how he couldn't say a word that comes to his mind when Dr. Fein said "Happiness."
I think Oskar made the class listen to his graphic description of the atomic bombs on Japan because of what happened on 8/11 to his father. Throughout the novel Oskar has being trying to find closure and the exact way his father dies; i believe Oskar thinks ge will get closer to that realization by ahowing the class this tragedy. Before Oskar went up to old Mr. blacks apt, Stan said it was haunted- thats why he pulls his hand back.
From Oskar’s session with the therapist, we learn that he is a very introverted character and has a hard time opening up to others. When he first walks into the office, the Dr. Fein tries to make Oskar feel more comfortable and the appointment more kid-friendly by asking him if he wants to toss a ball outside and by calling him “buddy”, but Oskar doesn’t take this very well and rejects it. Also, when Dr. Fein asks Oskar how he can better himself and how he can accomplish the tasks he listed, Oskar responds with “’I’m gonna bury my feelings deep inside me’” (203). We learn that Oskar’s mother is very protective of Oskar and is going to stand up for her son no matter what. When Dr. Fein suggests putting Oskar in a hospital, because it is a “safer environment”, his mother reacts very emotionally and denies it saying that home is a safe environment and that Oskar isn’t like other kids, and she is okay with that.
I think that the chapter is entitled “Happiness, Happiness” because when Dr. Fein told Oskar to say the first word that comes to mind when he says a word. When Dr. Fein says the word happiness, Oskar can’t seem to come up with a word that comes to mind when he hears that particular word. Dr. Fein tells him to try harder, and Oskar responds by saying that he is feeling self-conscious again. Oskar can’t truly find happiness.
What i understood from the Oskar's therapy session is that he does not like the therapist or even going to to therapy. During Oskar's mother's therapy session he listens to, I understand that she does care for her son.
When Oskar states that the key has opened everything, he is talking about the world. The key in reality has opened nothing, but for Oskar it has led him to met some pretty amazing people, and stories. From these people he has found encouragement to learn about new things. The key has made Oskar many new friends, because they showed for his Hamlet play, so in some way he has opened their adventurous side.
The atomic bomb attack on Japan is similar to the bomb attack on Dresden. In both cases, one person is trying to find the person that they love and hope that they're still alive. They go through various obstacles to find that person.
The key hasn't opened any physical object yet but it has opened many opportunities for Oskar. Oskar now has a new friend from 6A. Not only that, but Oskar has made many new friends and gone on many adventures. He had used the subway to get to Bronx, which he hated. I just think that the key has opened his eyes to the real world..
When Oskar plays the recording of the man telling his horrible experience from the Hiroshima bombing, he was connecting the incident from Dresden and 9/11 to Hiroshima. Oskar's grandmother lost her entire family to the bomb in Germany, Oskar lost his father from the terrorist attack of 9/11, and many people lost their loved ones from Hiroshima. I think sharing the story to his class was a way for him to open up but the kids ended up making fun of him for it. While Oskar is listening to his mothers therapy session you find out that Dr. Fein thinks Oskar is a danger to himself and thinks he should be hospitalized. Oskar wants to make things better for everyone, but doesn't know how.
The description of the atomic bomb strike in Hiroshima bears many disturbing similarities to the bombings described later in the novel in Dresden. Connections to the 9/11 attack could also be made. I find it interesting that Oskar shares this information with his class, and even more interesting that he actually seems quite fascinated by the scientific aspects of an atomic strike. Personally, I would have thought that Oskar would completely avoid talking or hearing about bombings because of what happened to his father.
From Oskar’s visit with his therapist, readers learn more about Oskar’s often chaotic emotional tendencies. In addition, Oskar states that he is unable to move past his father’s death, and he is convinced that he also has no reason to. When Oskar eavesdrops in on his mother and the doctor, he learns that the doctor believes that hospitalization might be useful for treating Oskar. Oskar’s mother is opposed to the idea.
Oskar shares the story about the atomic bomb attack on Japan because he can relate to it because his father died in 9/11, just like the man in the story lost his daughter to the bomb. Even though the story is very graphic, Oskar still feels the need to share it with his class because it is important to him because of how it is connected to his fathers death. In Oskar's session with the therapist, he is largely uncooperative with the therapist and they have a long back-and-forth when they're playing the game where the therapist says one thing and Oskar has to say the first thing that comes to mind. On multiple occasions during this game, Oskar accidentally says the same word the therapist says, and when the therapist says the word "happiness", Oskar can't think of anything. When Oskar eavesdrops on his mother talking to the therapist, he hears parts of a conversation where the therapist suggests hospitalizing Oskar, but his mother refuses.
Oscar tells a story about cats reaching terminal velocity by forming little parachutes and surviving after falling from twenty floors. Knowing that his father may have fallen to his death was inconceivable. Oscar tells this story to convince himself that there is a possibility that his father survived the fall like a cat and died in a less horrific way.
Oskar insist on finding out if Agnes had any kids because he probably would want to find them and question them about Agnes. Mr.Black is more than likely lying about the answer being no. I feel he would do that because Mr.Black wouldn't want the children to be consumed with sadness at the memory of their dead mother, so he decides to spare them the pain by lying to Oskar. Oskar's key has opened nothing literal so far. Because it hasn't actually opened anything yet, it has the possibility of opening almost everything.
Oskar's storytelling of the Hiroshima bombing make him out to be nothing but an obsessive, tormented victim. These attacks relate to what happened to his grandmother and great-grandfather back in Dresden, Germany, and are also synonymous with the 9/11 attacks that killed his father. Stories of helplessness from terror and war leave Oskar's imagination stricken as his mind is repeatedly stuck on the topic.
Oskar's visit to Dr. Fein is fruitless to Oskar, but shows us readers about Oskar's inner gloominess. He has been traumatized, and his head is a globe full of many wild winds of emotion. This journey of his to uncover the lock stacks stress on him, but will ultimately clear the dark trenches of his conscious.
Oskar says that he believes that the key opens everything, which in reality it has not physically opened anything. However, this key has opened many doorways for Oskar as a person. It has opened the doorway for him to start healing from the loss of his father. It has also opened many people to letting him enter their lives and to hear his story and for them to share with him. It has opened these people into feeling differently about life in some way or another. The key so far is not a physical key, but an emotional key.
Oskar playing the Hiroshima tape is a very odd thing, but it is also quite interesting. It is odd because those victims had families and similar to those Oskar they were torn apart by the tragedy. On the other side of that it is interesting that Oskar would even want to play that clip because it probably brings back feeling about his father. He misses his dad so much so why would he play that tape and bring memories back.
Oskar's presentation of the bombing in Hiroshima is very odd in that earlier in the novel he talks about packing iodine pills in his day kit. Oskar says that he packed the pills in case another bomb hit, this implies that he is somewhat afraid of a bombing. However, when Oskar presents this information with his class about Hiroshima he seems fascinated and intrigued by what happened. I feel that Oskar is contradictory of himself at this point due to he mixed actions and emotions toward bombs. The bombing is also connected to other aspects of the story such as the bombing in Dresden and the 9/11 attacks. The story told about someone trying to find their daughter relates to Oskar's search to find out more about his father's death as well. I find it weird that Oskar doesn't feel a connection between his father's death in 9/11 and the bombing in Hiroshima.
I feel that Oskar shared the story to the class about the atomic attack on Japan because he truly can relate. He can relate because he had lost his father in the 9/11 attack just like that man had lost his daughter in almost the same way. Even though this story may be too much to handle for the class because of how violent and graphic it is, he still felt the need to share it because it was so important to him, and this is what explains the bond between father and son.
When Oskar went to therapy he was so uncooperative and you could tell he obviously did not want to be there and when the therapist suggested hospitalization to his mother, she refused and I believe that made their relationship stronger, because the mother is looking out for the well being of her son.
In this chapter Oskar gives a presentation to his class about the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima in which he shows a documentary of a mother who describes her search for her missing daughter. The class thinks Oskar is weird and laugh at him. Its connection is a horrible attack on a country, loss of life, and an ongoing search for loved ones lost. Oskar attempts to convey a deeper message to his classmates, but it falls on deaf ears.
I think that Oskar used the first-hand account of the bombing of Japan because it reminds him of the attack on the Twin Towers where his father died. Oskar is constantly trying to find out how his father died and the person giving the first-hand account of the bombing gives Oksar hope that he can find out how his father died so he no longer has to invent the ways his father died. The plane attack on the Twin Towers was one of the most devastating attacks on America much like the bombing of Japan was one of the most devastating attacks on Japan.
Oskar shares his presentation of the bombing of Hiroshima to his class because he feels he can relate it to what happened on 9/11. Much like the woman's daughter that died in her arms, Oskar lost his father. The woman heard her daughters last words and Oskar heard some of his father's last words on the messages he left. From Oskar's therapy sessions you find out that he is guilting himself into a depression because he feels if he is happy he does not miss his father. He listens to his fathers messages when he gets back from therapy because he wants to remember his father and never forget him.
When Oskar states the key has opened everything, it means that without it he would never had all these experiences that he now has. Without the key, Oskar would not have ever met any of the Blacks. The key has actually opened many doors for Oskar, while at the same time, not opening a single one.
Oskar just wants to be accepted by the world that’s why he writes the letters to the famous people. If they view him as important, then he would feel significant himself, and then think that the world would think he is important. By not getting the response back from Stephen Hawking, it made Oskar unhappy, even though he didn’t get a response for the second time, he did not give up and continued sending Stephen Hawking letters.
The chapter is called "Happiness, Happiness" because Oskar is searching for happiness as if it were an physical item that could be found. Just like someone looking for the remote in a couch, Oskar is muttering "Happiness, Happiness" as he travels throughout the five boroughs meeting the Blacks and going to his therapy sessions and trying to find the happiness that he lost when he lost his father.
I think Stan pulls his hand back from Mr. Black because Mr. Black is the man in the apartment that no one ever saw. Mr. Black probably had many rumors spread about him and Stan was shocked and surprised to be meeting the unknown man.
I think Oskar is so interested in knowing if Agnes Black has kids because it would bring him closer to solving the mystery. He believe Agnes and his father died together and through her kids he would have more inside on her death and his fathers. I am not sure if Mr. Black is lying to Oskar. It could be possible that he did lie to him because the conversation with the lady was much longer than it needed to be. Maybe he was doing it to protect him or maybe it was the truth.
Even though the key has not open one lock yet, I do believe it opened up something. I think the key opened up many new friendships for Oskar. I believe it opened the doors to healing him and giving him new role models in his life.
Oskar gives a report on the Hiroshima because it relates to what his Grandparents went through in Dresden, Germany. In both bombings hundreds of innocent people were killed and the survivors lives were altered forever, but Oskar's classmates see this as a joke and the message of the way humans can be malicious towards each other is ignored and thrown away.
I think Stan pulled his hand back from Mr. Black when they were introduced because Stan has heard countless rumors about Mr. Black and he was taken back by who he was really meeting. Stan himself asked Oskar if he believed in ghosts when he brought up Mr. Black's apartment. He was probably startled when he met him because it was like meeting a ghost. If I was Mr. Black I would be a little hurt by this. It's extremely rude to spread such a preposterous rumor about such a genuine old man who has gone through so much in his life.
I think that what Oskar means when he says the key opens everything is that it has the possibility to open everything. It hasn't yet opened any real locks but it has unlocked Oskar in a sense. Instead of keeping to himself and not talking to anyone, he has blossomed into a social child trying to figure out the last mystery his father left him. It has given Oskar a reason to explore the world and meet new people and create relationships with strangers, making him feel like he isn't alone anymore.
The graphic description of the atomic bomb attack on Japan is significant because it was a U.S. retaliation from the terrorist attack on Pearl harbor. Technically though to the Japanese, our attack must have been considered a terrorist attack as well. So this relates to his father's death from a terrorist attack. It shoes a personal side to how affected the mother was from her daughter's death. This relates to how Oskar was affected by his dad's death.
I think Stan pulls his hand away from Mr. Black when they are introduced because Stan realized he lived in that mysterious, so called "haunted", apartment and was taken aback. I don't think he meant any disrespect or offense towards Mr. Black. He was just surprised that someone did actually live there.
The generation gap between Mr. Black and Oskar is shown when Oskar asks Mr. Black what clotheslines are.
When Oskar says the key opens everything, he meant he key has opened himself up to many new people and experiences along the way. It has opened the door to therapy, to Mr, Black's life, & to new people named Black.
I believe he listens to his fathers message after the session because he is debating what the doctor told him: "Do you think anything good could come from you father's death?"
Throughout the conversation with the therapist, it is clear that Oskar doesn't like or respect him. He hates how he asks questions, how he talks to him and how he talks about his father's death as if it is a sad but not totally devastating thing. The conversation between his mom and the therapist, although the reader doesn't hear all of it, shows that she does care how Oskar feels and is sensitive to how his grief is handled. This is the first time in the book that her feelings are shown, she has been somewhat indifferent towards his grief up until this point.
Oskar wants to find out if Agnus Black had any kids so he can question them and find out more about Agnus herself. I think Mr. Black is lying about the answer because he is trying to protect whatever secrets that Agnus's kids may have. When Mr. Black gets introduced to Stan, Stan pulls his hand back because he is shocked. Mr. Black could have been the man that no one saw and who knows what kind of rumors had been spread about him. The title is "Happiness, Happiness" because that's what Oskar is searching for. If he keeps it in his mind throughout his travels, someday he will eventually find it.
Oskar is so persistent with finding out if Agnes Black had kids because part of him believes she died with his father. If he can find her kids he could see what happened to his dad and maybe even solve the mystery of the key. I'm not really sure if Mr. Black is lying or not. It seems kind of suspicious that he can't remember what she said, yet he can remember all those facts about war and different famous people. If he is lying i would say he is doing it to protect Oskar.
You can see there is a big gap between the two generations just by their interactions. When Oskar was first talking to Mr. Black there was a lot of things he said that Oskar had no clue about and decided to google the later. Another difference is when they are first going to leave together and Mr. Black asks if they are going on the IRT train and Oskar tells him there isn't one.
The key hasn't opened anything physical as of yet. He is still searching though. Oskar states though that he thinks that the key opens everything. In some ways it has. It has opened many metaphorical doors for Oskar. It opened a way for him to be close to his dad even though his dad is gone. It has opened the door to happiness because Oskar states that all the days of the week are boring, except the weekend, when he gets to search for answer to the keys mystery. The key has opened a door for Oskar to come out of his shell some. It has even gotten him a new friend. It has also opened a door for Mr. Black to be brought back into the real world.The title of te chapter is Happiness, Happiness. I think it's called this because he is searching for some sort of happiness throughout the chapter and even the book.
Oskar's project on the atomic bomb is connected by the fact that both he and the woman giving the testimony lost a loved one in a horrible disaster. He wanted the class to know what it was like, but didn't want to talk about his story, so he used someone else's. The letters from famous scientists show us that Oskar may, in fact, be an optimist. He needed recommendations to join Gary Franklin on a future project. He sent letters to Stephen Hawking and Jane Goodall to acquire these recommendations despite his lack of experience; he actually believed he could work on Gary's project, and didn't give up. Hawking's second letter tells us that Oskar's work does pay off, and foreshadows that the same will happen with the key.
Oskar's project is very significant in many ways. Not only does it tie in with what his grandparents went through in Dresden, but it also shows the class how tragic and terrible the loss of a loved one is. In a way, he is sharing his story with the class but using the interview of the distressed mother to convey it.
The letters from Gary Franklin and Jane Goodall tell us that Oskar still has some optimism left despite all of the let downs he has gone throughout this journey. Their responses show that Oskar still has hopes and dreams about his future despite the struggles he endures. The second response from Stephen Hawking tells us that Oskar refuses to give up on something no matter how many things may tell him to do so. Just like refusing to stop sending letters until he gets a personal response from Mr. Hawking, he refuses to give up looking for whatever the key opens.
I think Stan pulls his hand back from Mr.Black because he is taken by surprise. Stan knows the stories of how no one ever comes out of 6A. I'm sure there are many rumors surrounding Mr.Black, and that keeps Stan from shaking his hand. I feel sorry for Mr.Black because it is very disrespectful and probably hurt his feelings, but I understand why Stan wouldn't want to shake his hand. I think it is good that Mr.Black is getting out of the apartment for a change, because it is not healthy for someone to cooped up all day everyday - you have to get out into the world.
Oskars class doesn't take him seriously during his graphic report on the bombing of Hiroshima. This story is very relatable for Oskar. It's similar to the bombing his grandparents went through in Dresden, Germany. It's also relatable to him personally because of his father. Although his father did not die of a bombing, hundreds of people were still killed and it was considered a terrorist attack.
I believe Oskar listened to the message partly because he missed his father and partly because he believes he has to keep mourning him or he might forget him. He doesn't understand why everyone else isn't trying as hard as him to keep the memory of his father alive.
Oskar's therapy sessions really frustrate him because Oskar feels the meeting are pointless and that he doesn't need to talk about his feelings. Oskar doesn't respect Dr. Fein and really find some of his questions inappropriate and irrelevant. This includes when Oskar's doctor asks him about whether he's going through puberty and the brain teaser game that they played. Oskar becomes especially angry when Dr. Fein asks if "any good" came out of Oskar's father dying. Oskar finds that ridiculous and wants to let out his emotions and yell at the doctor, but instead he just shrugs his shoulders. Oskar is against showing his emotions and bottles them up whether it is sadness or anger like yelling at the doctor or beating up Jimmy Snyder in the middle of the play because he was making fun of Oskar's grandmother.
Oskar does however, learn that his mother does care about him and that she still want the best for Oskar.
Oskar shares a very detailed description of the atomic bomb attack on Japan because it is similar to the crash of the Twin Towers. Oskar is always talking about his dad and trying to figure out exactly what happened. This helps him connect to his dad. Although the key has never realistically opened anything yet, Oskar states that the key opens everything. He says this because it has opened doors to his dad, and has made him recover from the loss easier. It also has opened doors to him becoming braver.
I think Stan pulled his hand back from Mr. Black because he was so shocked that he really exists. He didn't think anyone lived there and was caught off guard when Oskar introduced Mr. Black as living in apartment 6A.
There was a long list of things that Mr. Black discussed that Oskar didn't understand. This not only told me about the generation gap, but also revealed things about each character. The fact the Oskar didn't ask questions but decided later to research them showed me that Oskar likes to be independent. It also showed me how out of touch Mr. Black was with the current culture. I don't think he realized that because Oskar was so young he had no clue what he was talking about.
The letter from Gary Franklin told me that Oskar must have sent a very professional letter if he was interested in his résumé. I think that Oskar was able to do some research and send a well written letter all on his own.
Stan pulls his hand back from Mr. Black when they are introduced because he is shocked he is out of his apartment. I believe the key has opened the door to new experiences for Oskar. He doesn't realize it yet, but he is meeting so many people and hearing their stories. He is seeing how other people live, and becoming more social.
From Oskar's session with the therapist, I learned how he thinks he knows so much, and he can't tell when people are trying to help him. I learned just how much he buries his feelings and how detrimental it is to him.
Although the key has yet to open any physical objects that Oskar seems to be looking for, it still has opened many things for him. The key unlocked a door that is keeping him connected to his father and his memory. Oskar claims that the weekend is the most exciting part of his week because he goes out searching for what the key opens, so the key has unlocked a new feeling of excitement and gives Oskar something to look forward to. The key has also helped Oskar to become more brave and go out and meet new people to see if they know anything about the key. Lastly, the key has opened up a way for Oskar to heal and accept his father's death. I think that the chapter is titled "Happiness, happiness " because along with searching for what the key opens, Oskar is also trying to find his happiness again.
Stan pulls his hand back from Mr. Black when they are introduced because soon before that Stan was telling Oskar about how he thought the apartment Mr. Black lived in was haunted. Stan never saw anyone come in or out of that apartment so he assumed no one lived there. To find out someone does was a shock to him.
The key that Oskar found opens everything in a way because in his journey to find the actual lock it opens he has met really interesting people. Oskar has made new friends and learned so much. Without the key, the door to the new people in his life would have never opened.
I think Stan pulls back from Mr. Black because he has never seen the guy in 6A only heard stories about him. I think Oskar goes home and listens to his father's messages after therapy because that's the only thing that makes him feel better. And he misses his father's voice and its the only thing he has left of his father.
Oskar's statement about the key might very well be its purpose. So far, Oskar's key has "opened up" himself to an entire world of fascinating worldly knowledge and individuals he has never the likes of encountered. For example, he learned a wealth of knowledge and wisdom from the 101-year-old man in apartment 6A, and he only accomplished this through leaving his comfort zone in pursuit of someone who knows of the key. Leaving his comefort zone is something an Asperger's child like Oskar would never do without some sort of "mission" (and I can attest to that). This leads me to a hypothesis that the purpose of the key is not to open a physical lock, but open Oskar up to the world of knowledge, love, friendship and fellowship, and wisdom that he can experience by simply venturing out into the world.
The story of Buckminster fits on a deeper level because the higher he falls the more likely he has to survive and I think the longer it takes Oskar to figure things out the more he gets it. The key has opened a lot of new questions and relationships. The therapist wants Oskar to go to a clinic and get treatment but she wont allow it
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