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What did you make of the way this chapter was started?
What is different about this door knob?
Why does Oskar's grandmother allow Thomas back into her life?
The code using telephone pad numbers may have thrown you. Here is a comment I found on the internet concerning this code:
“On behalf of my English classes, I wrote to Mr. Foer’s agent several years ago, asking about the number code in ELIC. He was kind enough to respond personally; regretting the time my students had spent decoding, and admitting that the numbers can’t be deciphered. He did say that in a way, this is consistent with the theme of people trying to communicate and failing, but the numbers themselves are more or less random, with a few exceptions. I hope this helps.”
If you do a search for this decoding, you will find that many have tried and have only been able to decode bits and pieces. I think the explanation above will suffice, so don't kill yourself trying to decode it. If, however, you do find a way to decode it, by all means share what you decoded.
What do you find interesting/confusing/disturbing about Oskar's grandmother's behavior towards "the renter"?
It makes sense that Thomas (Oskar's father) wanted to meet his own father...but why did he see him only once after he had found him? And why is Thomas' father still writing letters to him?
If it was Simon Goldberg in the bookstore, why would he simply hug Oskar's grandfather and then run away?
Why do you think Mr. Black never told Oskar about his grandfather?
What do you think about those last few pages that get more and more dense with typing?
28 comments:
I believe that Oskar's dad only saw his dad once because he wasn't who he was expecting. Oskar's father was probably expecting a great man with lots of stories to tell and having a great job and such. He found out that he just didn't speak and just really wasn't who he was hoping for. I think that he got his hopes up and because of that, he only visited his father just once. He also might have wanted to just get a grasp of who he really was and where he actually came from. He might of also been upset with his father for walking out on him. I think Thomas' dad kept writing him because he was trying to say all the things he never got a chance to say. He had to make up for all the years and years of not talking and never knowing who he was.
The beginning of this chapter is awesome. I loved how you had an idea as to what the pages might have been used for in conversation but did not understand completely until later. I really enjoyed this chapter.
The door knob is different because it looks like it could be a replaced door handle from the same apartment he used to live in.
Also, I was planning on trying to decode that because I have nothing better to do, but seeing as most of it is jibberish, I'll stick to googling it.
The way I see it, Thomas the grandfather is still writing Thomas the father letters because Thomas Sr. never actually met or sent letters to him son, so over the years, writing letters, sent or not, became real for Thomas, he actually felt like he was talking to his son. So if he never sent the letters anyway, then why should he stop now even if his son is dead? Because he was more or less writing to the spirit of his son, which is still there. The last few pages are more dense with typing because it shows that he was running out of room him his day book.
The numbers really interested me. Oskar's grandfather tried to use the numbers to communicate to his wife. I think maybe he used the numbers as a sound that he was trying to speak to her because when you press different numbers, they make different sounds. It could have also been something like a Morse Code because he used the same numbers over and over. Lastly, he could have used it like a text on older cell phones. You have to press the number a certain amount of times to get the letter that you want, so maybe that is what he was trying to do. The last few pages that get so dense with typing may portray his thoughts. He was saying how he was always running out of room and he could write smaller. It also could mean that his brain was just working so fast that his hands couldn't keep up so he was just typing as fast as he could to get everything down on paper because new changes were happening in his life. I find the grandmother's behavior towards the renter as strange. Earlier in the book, it seems as if she has met someone new and maybe she was sleeping with him and keeping it a secret from Oskar because he is so young.It turns out that she never wants the grandfather to see Oskar because he was never there for him. Also, it is strange because they are sleeping together, so the grandmother has many different reasons for hiding the renter from Oskar. It is so strange that she is keeping him from everyone.
Oskars grandmother allows Thomas back in her life because he comes back right after her son has died. She needs something else that she can hold on to again. She never really did let go of Thomas in the first place though.
I believe Thomas only saw his father once because the man that opened the door that day wasn't the man he was expecting to meet. He was expecting to meet the guy who could talk to animals and the guy who could sculpt life-like things. Instead who stood in that mans place, was the shell of man who used to be able to do those things. A man who wasn't able to talk anymore. I think Thomas only saw his father once because he wasn't the guy Thomas was hoping for.
I think Thomas's father continued to write the letters because it was almost like it was the only thing he knew anymore. He wrote letters to his son right from the start. He never sent them. But it was his way of talking to his son and trying to tell him his life if he couldn't do it in person.
Despite everything Oskar's grandfather had done, Grandma likes his company. She never wanted him to leave in the first place. She has missed him. He is and will always be a part of her life.
I feel Oskar's grandmother is stronger now. She makes her own rules. She doesn't want Thomas to let Oskar know he is his grandfather. I feel as if she has a right to order that. Also, when Thomas tries to say "our son" she corrects him and says "my son." She did raise him by herself, with no one to help. He left and gave no help. Yet, I feel sorry for him. He's a lost confused man. I feel like she should let him and Oskar get to know each other. They're an odd and confusing family, but Oskar already lost his father, I wish Grandma would let them meet so Oskar can know who his grandfather is, even if he's not the best "grandfather." Maybe along the way they can help each other in some ways.
I believe at the end of this chapter the words get more and more blurred together because there is too much in his mind that he wants to get out there. Too much to explain, too much to apologize for, too much "nothings" and "somethings." Earlier in the book he had said that there wasn't enough room on the pages to get all that he wants to say out there. He said he would run out of room and start to write over words he had already written. They would all become blurred and unreadable. I think that's what this is representing. Too much he has to say but not enough room or time.
Oskar’s grandmother allows Thomas back into her life because she doesn't want to be lonely. She would rather struggle to live with someone who makes her life complicated than be alone. Oskar’s grandmother does not feel love for the grandfather but she wants him to be around for company. No one wants to grow old alone.
I think Mr.Black did not tell Oskar about his grandfather because he felt it wasn't his place. He knew that if the grandfather wanted to tell Oskar he would have. Mr.Black also may have thought Oskar would figure it out. He knew Oskar was a curious child and figured he would decode that the renter was in fact his grandfather sooner or later.
Before this chapter, the doorknob looks like it is on the inside of a room, but in this chapter it resembles a lock on the outside of a room. This symbolizes how before Thomas, Oskar’s grandfather, locked everyone out of his life. It was his decision to leave his wife and unborn son. Later on, Oskar’s grandfather returns to his wife and wants to come back into her life. The doorknob in this chapter resembles how Oskar’s grandfather is now locked out. Oskar’s grandmother tells Thomas that he is not allowed to meet Oskar. Oskar’s grandmother lets Thomas back in because deep down she still loves and cares for him. She tries her hardest to keep him out of Oskar’s life because she feels he does not deserve to meet Oskar.
The lock on this doorknob is on the top. I believe that Oskar's dad only saw his grandfather once because he was mad at him for leaving his mom. Mr.Black is a nice person and respects others. So, even though he thought Oskar should know his grandfather he never told him. When the writing got more dense it reminded me of earlier in the chapter when Oskar's grandfather said he would write over words because he was running out of room.
Oskar's grandmother allowed Thomas back into her life because although she was devastated when left, she never really understood why he had left. She regretted not trying harder to make him stay, so him being back can almost make it feel like he never left. By thinking that way her feeling of regret could fade. I feel that she also wants company so she doesn't have to feel lonely anymore.
I believe the last few pages get more dense with typing because he was running out of room to write so he started to write over his own writing.
I think that Oskar's grandma let Thomas back into her life is because she recently lost her son. The two were tightly bound with each other and losing him brought her pain that only Thomas could try to help relieve. Bringing him back into her life was a plea of help to try and bring things back to normal again even if he gave her problems.
Thomas only met his father once, not because he ended up hating or anything, but because he wasn't the man he was expecting. Thomas was expecting a great man with a great name. He wanted a father who had many life accomplishments and amazing stories to tell him. Instead, he found himself a meager man who barely had the ability to speak on his own without the aide of a notepad.
I think Mr. Black never told Oskar about his grandfather to protect him, in a strange way. It was requested by his grandfather that Mr. Black not tell Oskar, and I suppose Mr. Black was just respecting his plea. Perhaps he didn’t want Oskar to know he was his grandfather because that wouldn’t help him, but maybe hurt him more, possibly confuse him. And their relationship as Oskar and the renter would be ruined because Oskar might only look at his grandfather as the man who left his grandmother, a cowardly man.
When I saw those last few pages chockfull of words upon words, I immediately thought, that’s what frustration looks like. Whether Oskar’s grandfather was feeling frustrated or not, I’m unsure. Perhaps he was, in a calm way. Maybe he was frustrated that he had no more room to tell his son about the rest of his life, but he still tried, though it’s impossible to read. I give him credit for everything he’s done to tell his son about his life, even if he originally didn’t try hard enough to be there. I think that’s what those pages are supposed to show. They’re supposed to show how much he actually wanted him to know about him, how much he actually wanted his son, how hard he tried to make up for lost time. As if he was trying to tell him so many different things all at once.
I feel that Oskar's grandmother allowed the grandfather back into her life because, although she was angry with him, she needed some security in her life after the death of her son. Also, she was hurt his leaving, and missed him every day.
What I find interesting about the grandparents' new relationship is that Thomas Sr. is strictly forbidden from contacting Oskar. I believe that the grandmother sees Oskar as her grandchild alone, as the grandfather left before Thomas Jr. was born, and had no part in raising either Thomas Jr. or Oskar.
Oskar's grandmother allowed Thomas back into her life because she understands why he left. She knew they weren't living the right way wither. But she wishes she would have fought harder and she does feel like she needs him and he needs her. She lets him back into her life to make things right again.
The last few pages get more and more dense because Oskar's grandfathers has so much to tell his son. He has so mush still to talk about but he's just running about of room, which symbolizes time in a way, so he has to keep cramming the words together until you cant even read the text anymore.
I find the relationship between Oskar's grandma and the "renter" not only confusing but also a little disturbing because in a way, she was holding Thomas Sr. hostage. I also find it interesting that she allows Thomas Sr. back into her life and then keeps him in a spare bedroom to live his life. I think that Oskar's grandmother should've allowed Thomas Sr. to meet his grandson so they could help each other with their loss of Thomas Jr.
The letter was a part of his daybook that he used when he introduced himself to Oskar for the first time. The difference between this doorknob and the others is that this one appears to have a more modern look and has a completely different knob; maybe it’s an opening to something else in Oskar’s life. I have no idea why Oskar’s grandmother would let Thomas back into her life other than the fact that either she no longer had a “living” son and wanted support, she saw he felt guilty and decided to come back to heal what he left broken, or she just felt sorry for him. The most disturbing thing I found in this chapter is how no matter how much he tortures her, that she won’t grasp the fact that he initially liked her because of Anne and never had a stable relationship until they realized what they had to offer each other. I think that Mr. Black never told Oskar the truth because he understood the situation and realized his fragile disposition considering family relations. Thomas was gradually running out of space to tell his story but continued typing until it was past the point of it being legible.
For Oskar's father, I believe it was out of curiousity to find his family it's perfectly normally for a person to want to find out about their biological parents. As for only seeing his father once sometimes what you're searching for isn't what you really need. Oskar's father figured out that his mother was all he needed for since she was both his mother and his father. I found this very interesting personally because my mother was adopted and recently found her family.
In this chapter, Oskar's grandfather tells his grandmother that his dad had come to find him once. I think that the reason he had only contacted him once was because he understood why he didn't want to have kids from the only letter he sent him. I also thought that he could have been disappointed in hi father because he didn't speak and had left them so he never saw him again.
In the last few pages Oskar's grandfather mentions that he doesn't have enough room to write and that why the typing gets denser. I think that after all the years of not talking he finally feels the need to tell everything and just writes if all on the space he has to get it out.
What is different about this door knob? The first door knob looks completely different from the second. As if it was replaced or from another side of the door. The first one also appears locked where as the second one has an empty key hole. This could mean many different things like allowing someone into their life like unlocking the door.
I believe that Oskar’s grandmother allowed Thomas to come back into her life because even though she may not like it, she understands why he left to begin with. She could be as angry with him as she wanted but in all retrospect she truly needed him in her life. He was like her security blanket, especially after the death of her son, there was so much pain and troubling that only Thomas could seem to cease the pain. From the very beginning she never wanted him to leave, and in reality, she was relieved when he returned.
The door knobs are different because one has a key hole and is what Oskar is looking for and one does not have a key hole and it is the door knob that represents what his grandfather was looking for and the door knob that he burned his hand on. One door knob represents the journey that Oskar is on for his father and one door knob represents the journey that his grandfather was on trying to find the courage to face his son.
Oskar's grandfather came back into his grandmother's life shortly after the death of Oskar's father. Oskar's grandmother was in a fragile state after losing her son and so when her estranged husband waltzed back into her life, she clung onto him and let him back into her life. It seemed to be a role reversal: Oskar's grandmother was the strong one early on in the marriage, but after the tragic death of her son, she was the one who needed support, and she sought that from Oskar's grandfather. I think Mr. Black didn't tell Oskar about his grandfather because of how fragile of a person Oskar is and didn't want to raise any questions or say anything about the situation that would give Oskar "heavy boots".
I like how different chapters are from different point of views; this chapter is from the grandfather's, and starts with his first encounter with Oskar. Oskar remembers him flipping through the book between those pages, mentioning the doorknob as well. Also, i feel that Oskar's grandmother let Thomas back into her live because she is lonely. when she goes to clean his room, she would sometimes say things, and would stay longer each time. she may have been mad at him, but she was still lonely. she also might have felt bad for him. He was also alone, but that's just a hunch.
I think Mr. Black kept Oskar's grandfather a secret because he felt that having both of them in Oskar's life could cause problems, as Mr. Black was acting as Oskar's grandfather, and even went as far as to consider Oskar his "son." He decided that Thomas had the right to take over this role, so he left the apartment. the dense pages at the end of the chapter show that Thomas has a lot to say, but couldn't tell anyone else. He must not have cared if anyone could read it because it was illegible, which leads me to believe that he writes for his own sake, perhaps to sort his thoughts or clear his mind.
Oskar's grandmother allows her husband back into her life because after raising her son and now Oskar, she is stronger and hardened and knows more. I think that she needed to ask all of her questions and be a little mean to Thomas before she could befriend him again.
For me, all of the doorknobs in the story represent Thomas Sr.'s character and Oskar has the key. They are all different because Thomas keeps changing and we keep unlocking more and more of his secrets. This doorknob must be the final one.
Oskar's grandmother lets Thomas back into her life. When you are that old it is easy to get lonely with death right around the corner. And with the passing of her son she need something to hold on to. I think the doorknobs could represent progression through the story. As Oskar continues his journey with his key, he keeps coming into contact with many different doorknobs as a sign of change and advancement.
The reason I feel that Oskar's grandmother let the renter come back to stay with her is because she has forgiven him of his past with her because it can't be changed. Although she has forgiven him, She isn't going to forget what happened.
I believe the reason Thomas only saw his father once is due to the fact that he had a lot of expectations and he didn't fit any of them.
writing letters is a way to release thoughts that you can't express outwardly, and put them on paper. The fact that Oskar's grandfather can't talk yet he writes letters, tells me that he needed to project some of his thoughts in a way that he wouldn't need to speak.
Oskar’s grandmother allows Thomas back into her life because she is lonely. When she lived with Thomas, she grew fond of him. Though she learns to live without him after he leaves, the fact that Oskar’s grandmother saves every envelope from him proves that she still misses him.
The older Thomas continued to write letters to his son because it is how he expresses himself. He cannot talk and has nobody to talk to, so instead he writes letters. The last few pages, where the writing gets more and more dense, make it appear like Thomas has too many things to say and not enough space.
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