Do you find Oskar sympathetic or annoying? Or both?
Oskar "plays Yorick" (the long dead jester whose skull
Hamlet holds in his hand!) in a school production. What is the significance of
that role?
Jonathan Safran Foer has said that he writes about characters
and their miscommunications: some characters think they're saying a lot but say
nothing; others say nothing but end up saying a lot. Which characters fall into
which category in Extremely Loud? What might Foer be saying about our ability
to communicate deep-seated emotions?
Do you see this book as a work of realism (in which case the
mother's role would matter) ... or as more of a fable? If the latter, what is
Extremely Loud a fable of?
Do you find the illustrations, scribblings, over-written texts,
etc. a meaningful, integral part of the work? Or do you find them distracting
and gimmicky? Why are they there?
How do both main plot and subplot (Oskar's grandfather and the
bombing of Dresden) interweave with one another?
(Source: http://www.litlovers.com)
What do you think is the significance of the novel's title?
Who was your favorite character? Why?
Were there any passages or scenes that you remember well or
particularly liked?
Any comments about the way the book ended?
(Source: http://www.galesburglibrary.org)
Which Beatles reference makes the greatest impact in the novel?
How would you explain their centrality in the Schell household?
How does Mr. A. R. Black's deafness contribute to the storyline?
Which of Oskar Schell's inventions would you most like to see
implemented and how would it work?
Which of Oskar Schell's phobias seems the most debilitating and
how?
What do Dresden, Hiroshima, and 9/11 share in common? How do
they differ?
(Source: http://www.bookrags.com)
10 comments:
I find Oskar both sympathetic and annoying. I understand his desperate need to find out what the key is withholding, but the need can be too much sometime. There comes a point in life when enough becomes enough. I get that he wants to find out what it unlocks. Also, he believes that his father would want him to do that for him, but his father would also want him to be happy and carry on with his life. He doesn't want Oskar worrying about his death for entire life, but more of to remember the times he had with him and hold him in a special place in his heart. Secondly, I think that the writings and pictures help give a visual to readers to understand the context better and get a deeper meaning of the story. The written context of the story doesn't always have to hold important information, but sometimes the visual content can hold much more. Lastly, my favorite passage/chapter was heavier boots. This chapter really left an emotional impact on me. Everyone has something weighing them down, but not everyone can always see that. I like how the context could relate to actual world problems. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the messages that it prevailed.
I found Oskar to be both sympathetic and annoying. I admire his curiosity and love for learning new things, but I also think he can be a little overbearing. Which, is understandable with everything he's been through, he has a right to be. He does, however, not have the right to undermine other's losses just because he feels they aren't as great as his own. He's still young and his loss is fresh but it's rude either way.
My favorite character was actually, Oskar's grandfather. I found him infinitely sad but intriguing. Each character in the book portrays the different ways people can handle significant trauma and/or loss. Oskar's grandfather ran from his problems, as often people do but he also lost everything, his words. He struggled tirelessly his entire life. he could have had a break if he had just stayed but he ran. He was infinitely sad and scared. His letters were also my favorite to read.
Heavier Boots was my favorite chapter. Towards the end of the chapter when Oskar fights with his mother, that part was hard to read. I felt so badly for the both of them but his mom especially. Overall, this book was extremely interesting and incredibly written.
I think that extremely loud and incredibly close was meant to hint at Abby Black being the proxy to Oskar finding the meaning of the key. In that chapter it mentioned Oskar getting "incredibly close" to Abby Black and her husband yelling in the other room "extremely loud." He was also "incredibly close" to finding the meaning of the key early on but never did which is tragic.
My favorite reference to the Beatles was the "Hey Jude" reference near the end of the book because as I read it I sand the song in my head at the exact time Oskar was saying that he wanted to "take his sad song and make it better," and it lined up with my brain and it blew my mind since it was later at night while I was falling asleep and I didn't expect it. Honestly I thought the book was reading me and I loved that little experience so much.
Oskar "plays Yorick" (the long dead jester whose skull Hamlet holds in his hand!) in a school production. What is the significance of that role? Oskar playing Yorick is actually quite ironic to me for one reason, that Oskar is emotionally dead. After his father's tragic death, Oskar technically died inside as his father, his biggest role model, died. Oskar, to me, is lost. Oskar is lost on how he should feel about his father's death. He's seen people mourn to the days end, and he has seen people brush it off like dirt. I also feel that Oskar doesn't know when to stop in certain situations. For example, when Oskar told his mom he rather have her be dead than his dad, that went WAY to far, and Oskar didn't realize until is was too late.
Oskar playing Yorick is extremely ironic to me, as Yorick is a bit obsessed with death (seeing how he has been dead for a long time) and so is Oskar in a fashion, as he is emotionally dead due to the death of his fathet and is captivated on unraveling the mystery behind the 9/11 attacks. My favorite Beatles reference in the novel was probably the "Yellow Submarine" allusion in the beginning. The reason it's my favorite doesn't really have much to do with the book, and more to do with me, as it's just one of my favorite Beatles songs and definitely made me smile while reading.
I think Oskar can be both sympathetic and annoying. Personally I find him to be more on the sympathetic side, but it’s obvious that he’s not perceived that way by everyone he comes across. I know he can come on quite strong and overbearing, but I think that’s what makes him sympathetic in a way. I think all the photos and written over texts add an element that enhances the general effect of the story as a whole. Not only did they enhance the story, but I’m already a very visual learner and I appreciated that added element throughout the book. For example, the part where we got to see some pictures from Oskar’s “stuff that happened to me” collection and we were able to get a glimpse into his life and all the things he has been through in his life. There is one scene in particular that stuck with me, and it was in the beginning when Oskar was speaking to the limo driver and trying to make him laugh. Oskar told the driver a French joke, and I just really appreciated his sense of humor in that moment.
I feel like Extremely Loud is more fable than fiction. I think in many places it definitely grounds in reality- with the descriptions of Hiroshima, 9/11, and Dresden. It touches on a lot of things that do happen and the realistic reactions people have to loss and grief. However, I think that some characters do act a little too out of the ordinary to be considered realistic, though I must admit that there are a lot of strange people in the world. However, I think it is more of a fable because it holds a clear message- that we should always make the effort to communicate with those we love and to make sure they know how we feel, because you never know when you won't be able to say it again. I do really like the message of this book, and I think it definitely sheds light on the way people do hesitate to speak clearly. Many people beat around the bush, or try to leave hints or imply things, but the only sure way for the other person to understand you is to clearly say what you mean.
I think that Oskar comes across as being annoying but he is just misunderstood and has communication issues. He really is incredibly thoughtful but is kind of stuck in a shell of despair since he thinks he shouldn't be happy without his dad being alive. I think that my favorite character would have to be either Stan or Mr Black. The way they go along with Oskar and treat him as an equal instead of a kid seems to mean a lot to him, even if he doesn't know it. I thought that the end of the book was definitely unsatisfying. Oskar's grandfather never really proved that he had changed for the better, but it seemed like he still had trouble settling down and being happy. Some books are better with open endings, but I think this one really should have finished with a definite end, happy or sad.
I find all of the illustrations in the book meaningful to the story of the book. Throughout the book, we are always being told that Oskar takes pictures on his grandfather's old camera. It shows us the different things that Oskar finds important in his life. He wouldn't be taking the pictures unless the meant something to him, whatever that is. The scribbles and writing over text also gives the book its own character and its own style. Not many books that are meant for this reading level have pictures or writings to help tell the story. Overall, I think the pictures not only allowed me to understand more of what Oskar is seeing through his eyes, but it also helped move the story along throughout the whole book.
I think Oskar is more annoying than sympathetic. I find the way he treats his mother at parts in the book to be extremely rude and impersonal. Perhaps the role that Oskar has in the play is a symbol of the his father's memory and how Oskar talks to his father just like Hamlet talks to the skull. my favorite character was Oskar's grandfather because I felt like he could be a real person and I had empathy for everything that he went through.
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