Notice the parallel between Oskar's thoughts on not knowing
when the "last time" would be and the thoughts on this in the
previous chapter. What is significant about this?
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?
32 comments:
At the very beginning of the chapter, Oskar goes to see Mr. Black, only to find that his apartment is for sale. The realtor says, “‘They’re coming by sometime this morning to take everything away.’” When Oskar asks who “they” are, “they” aren’t moving men. I think he realizes that Mr. Black probably died. Oskar then goes on to say he’s happier believing that Mr. Black is on the observation deck of the Empire State Building but doesn’t go to find out for sure. I think he prefers to believe this for a couple of reasons. First, he knew that Mr. Black liked Ruth Black. So Oskar would like to think that he would be happy with her. Second, another person that Oskar looked up to has died. Oskar probably wouldn’t know how to cope with that, so he was happier lying to himself than facing the truth.
I feel that Oskar's mom didn't stop him because this was the last way for Oskar to connect with his father. Plus this has been one of the first things Oskar has been interested in since his father's death. His mother is probably contacting the people to make sure they are willing to let Oskar in and let him explain his story about the key. Letters are a key piece of the novel. Many different characters write letter some addressed to people others not. Letters represent everything you want to tell a person but can't say. It is easier to write out everything you are feeling than to try to explain it. Also it is a way to express oneself.
Oskar's mom knew what he was doing but did not stop or question him about it because she knew that her son needed closure. If he did not find what the key was for he would never give up trying to find what it was for. If indeed Oskar does have some form of autism, then this would make sense, autistic people have a special way to work through things and his mom knew that he needed to work through this on his own. Oskar's mom contacted everyone before he wen,t to simply protect him. That is one of the many jobs of a mom, to protect their child from harms way. By contacting these people she had an opportunity to explain the situation and ask them to give Oskar a chance and help him work through this.
Oskar's mom didn't talk to Oskar about his secret adventures just as a parent doesn't take away the magic of Christmas by saying that Santa isn't real. Oskar's mom realized that this was important for Oskar, and that it would be better for them both for her not to interfere. She knew that Oskar's search would eventually lead him to the right place, and that unfortunately this had to be a journey he had to take alone. This was the only way he was going to be able to find proper closure, and his mother knew that. This, along with general fear for his safety, is why his mom called everyone ahead of time to let them know he would be coming. She knew that Oskar would face problems on his journey and that the last thing he needed was some stranger rudely slamming a door in his face after he worked so hard to get where he was. This would only further Oskar's suffering. During this whole ordeal Oskar's mother knew that she needed to take a step back from Oskar's personal affairs and start to let him make his own decisions in order to heal the way Oskar needed to.
Oskar's mother knows he is going all over New York City. She has met with all the people he is going to see and has made sure it is safe for him. She doesn't talk to him about it because she knows how important it is for him. She realizes it is a journey of closure for Oskar and respects his need to figure out what the key is for on his own. This action shows how good of a mother she is and how much she loves Oskar. Oskar doesn't think of his mother in high regard a lot of the time, and this part of the story showed her true intentions and character. She went out of her way to make sure Oskar was safe and let him go off on his own adventure.
Oskar gets a letter from Stephen Hawking. This letter isn't like the other letters Oskar has gotten, it is a personal letter that Mr Hawking has been promising. This letter comes soon after Oskar learns about the key, and he is given some form of closure. The letters Oskar receives represent denial and acceptance. Throughout the book, Oskar faces "heavy boots" and typically when Oskar goes through a really bad time, he receives an impersonal promise, something saying that Oskar isn't important. However, when Oskar achieves his goal and learns about the key, he gets a personal letter, he gets acceptance from someone he looks up to.
I believe Oskar didn't want to go to the bank because if Oskar saw what was in the deposit box the key would no longer be about his dad, but about a complete stranger. Oskar wishes to keep as much memory about his dad alive, so he doesn't go to the bank. Oskar told William about the messages because there is a possibility that Oskar feels like William wont be upset with him like his mother or grandmother will be. It's important for Oskar to tell someone because he needs to get his emotions out and not keep them secret like he normally does.
The author uses letters so often in the book because they represent everything the characters cannot or will not say. Often, all of the have pent up emotions or lie and say something to keep control the situation better. Oskar's Grandfather uses letters the most in the book to say things he cannot (no pun intended) say. He tells his life story with letters, because it is difficult for him to explain with his day books. Also, It would probably be very detrimental to have the story of Dresden constantly near him and where he can constantly see. So to resolve this he writes letters, and in the end he buries them to give himself a shot at closure.
Oskars mother doesn't seem to care about Oskar going all around New York City at night because she knows everything that he is up to. I believe her motivation for not talking to Oskar about it was letting Oskar come to closure about his father and the key itself. She knows that Oskars racing mind will not calm and rest until he has personal closure about what the key opens. Throughout the story Oskar doubts that his mother loves him, and cares about him. By his mother calling everyone and letting them know that he is coming, proves that his mother indeed loves and cares for him.
Many people have commented that Oskar's mother does not talk to him about his mission because she knows that he needs the satisfaction of completing it on his own. But why would secrecy provide more satisfaction than a special connection with Mom? I think that, in a way, Oskar's mother is keeping a family tradition. She knows that Oskar has felt a very special love for his father since he knew how to feel love; many things in Oskar's life are just between him and his father. Now the person that Oskar loves more than anyone or anything else in the world is gone, and Oskar desperately misses him. His mother hopes to ease that desperation by allowing Oskar to once again experience something that he shares only with his father. She recognizes that Oskar feels closer to his father than he does to her, and she feels that she will be intruding if she reveals her knowledge about Oskar's supposedly "secret" mission. Earlier in the book, Oskar says that his father was the only person who could make his brain quiet; Oskar's mother is now acting on that fact, allowing her deceased husband to once again work his magic on her troubled son. She willingly takes the backseat to Oskar's father so that Oskar may be able to solve the key's mystery with the added pleasure of feeling connected to his father one last time.
I think the letters have to do with not being able to express deeper feelings. Many of the people who were writing these letters were expressing inner feelings. Oskar's grandfather had to talk by writing because he would not speak. Thats how he told people how he felt. The novel also talks about people writing before they died. They wrote many letters to many people. Sometimes people don't know how to express their feelings through words. Sometimes words aren't enough, so they write. I think they wrote letters to people becuase they didn't know how to tell them. I think Oskar wrote letters for a response. He needed to feel important, he wanted that feeling from someone who is well known. Thats why when Stephen Hawkings wrote him a personal letter it was very important at the end. Oskar finally got a perosnal letter and felt that importantce.
Even though it wasn't said until this chapter that Oskar's mother knew what was going on while he was exploring the streets of New York looking for the home of this key, you could infer early on that it would be illogical for his mom to not know. I think the reason she never said anything to him about it for multiple reasons. One being that she kept in touch with whoever he was visiting next. His mom was following in his footsteps making sure that he was safe. I also think she chose not to say anything because she didn't want to make Oskar upset or angry that he had been caught, I think he would have lost motivation and not carried on with his search. His mother knew how fragile Oskar's emotions are and made the right choice to follow behind without him knowing.
Oskar thinks Mr. Black went to the Empire State Building to be with Ruth Black. This is Oskar being optimistic for one of the first times. Every other time Oskar would have assumed the worst case scenario but this time he wanted to be happy without knowing. As for me I think that Mr. Black is at the Empire State Building because he didn't have many years left and he clearly wanted to move on and spend it with someone he could care about.
Oskar thinks that Mr. Black went to the Empire State Building to be with Ruth. When Oskar goes up to Mr. Black's room and meets the realtor, Mr. Black took nothing with him when he left. This is how Ruth is living with no furniture except a bed in a supply closet. Also, Mr. Black is getting old. He would like to meet new people before he dies. It has been 25 years since his wife died and wants to move on with his life. I think Mr. Black is at the Empire State Building to be with Ruth. The letter that Oskar receives from Stephen Hawking is significant because it is a true letter addressed to Oskar himself. All the letters that he gets are generic ones that everyone gets. It is also important because Stephen Hawking has been promising Oskar for a personal letter. This letter lets Oskar have a chance to be with Stephen Hawking and his colleagues.
Oskar’s mother doesn’t appear to care about Oskar going all over New York City at night but deep down she does care. She doesn’t appear to care because she wants to give Oskar some space to get over his father’s death in his own way. If she is hovering over Oskar, he cannot get over his dad’s death properly. She cares in her own why by telling the Black when Oskar was coming in order to make sure that Oskar would be safe. This was significant because it showed that deep down Oskar’s mother does care.
Oskar's mother does care about Oskar traveling across New York City. She cares enough to make sure he is safe, but still allow him to get the closure he longs for. She realizes that Oskar needs to do this on his own in order to properly get closure. She wants to maintain a strong relationship with Oskar, but she wants to make sure Oskar can stay connected with his father. She doesn't tell Oskar that she knows because he would just get frustrated. Oskar is so determined to find an answer and she didn't want to hold him back. She did the right thing by calling everyone to warn them that Oskar was coming. It proved that she could still be a caring mom, but allow Oskar to find closure independently.
Oscars mom didn't care about him leaving at night to go out into the city because she already knew in the first place why he was going out so much. But also she knew that he need to do this on his own for his sake. Oscar's dad would always send him out on quest he had to do alone and would get very little too no help from his father. It was Oscar's final mission from his father and his mother knew he needed to do this on his own and not to interfere with it. It made Oscar happy and that is all she wanted for him
Oskars mother allows Oskar to travel all over the city, because she is aware of his plans. She has already spoken to everyone he is about to vist to make sure its safe and they will be friendly when he comes to their door. By doing this it shows that even though she isn't Oskars father, she can be just as understanding and smart about figuring things out. She discovered Oskars whole plan and was sneaky about not letting him know about it. Oskar never thought his mom was capable of that... he just thought she no longer cared for him. Oskar cares a lot about "last times" because he is very scared of death and never knows when exactly your last time with someone is. Just like when his dad had called him for the last time and Oskar was too scared to answer the phone, he knew that it was going to be the last time speaking with his father, and that was something that was too hard for him to handle.
The letters used throughout the novel help people share their deeper thoughts that they are not willing to tell others face to face. This is illustrated with Thomas' letters to his son and the multi-page letters that William Black's father wrote to people he knew from many years prior without any talk between the two within that time. Oskar didn't want to go to the bank with William because he was already disappointed with the outcome of what the key went to. Not having his question answered left an open end for him to live with, there was no reason for him to know what was left for William regardless of how long he searched since it wasn't what he was looking for.
Oskar thinks that Mr. Black is at the top of the Empire State building with Ruth, but I think it makes more sense that he passed away due to his age. Oskar’s mother trusts Oskar in what he is doing, knows of his plans, and allows him to continue, to stay closer to his father. Oskar told William about the last message because he was distant and understood, due to issues with his own father. It is critical that Oskar told someone this to get it off of his chest.
Oskar was only allowed to travel through the city because his mom knew exactly what he was doing, not because she didn't care what he did. She knew exactly where he was going every day and allowed him to do this because she knew what it meant to him. she knew that the only way Oskar would ever move on from his father's death was if he did what he could to find out more about how and why he died. She knows how Oskar has a hard time accepting things and knew that the only way he would move on was to let him do what he needed to get closure. Even if it meant Oskar thinking she didn't care about him, she knew she had to let him go without questioning him. Oskar's mom turns out to be a great mom who really does care about Oskar.
Oskar thinks Mr. Black is on the top of the Empire State building spending his last few years with ruth Black. This is significant because Oskar is a very smart kid and I think he wants to believe this to picture Mr. Black in a happier place than in a hospital or a mortuary. I think Mr. Black has passed due to his old age. Oskar's mother has known since the beginning of his adventures all over New York. Oskar's mom wanted him to find out for himself and to try and connect with his father. The significant of her involvement in contacting everyone is just a mothering instinct. She wanted to know her child was safe in the big city.
I couldn't help but smile when Oskar received the letter from Stephen Hawking. I think that the timing was perfect because it seemed like literally everything was falling apart. I was feeling for Oskar like every step of the way. But when Oskar got the letter I instantly got happier, and I think that he too, at least a little bit. I was also not expecting it whatsoever. It really is the small things like that that keep people moving forward in life.
Oskar thinks Mr. Black is at the top of the Empire State building with Ruth Black. Oskar always thinks of the worst scenarios, this is one of the first times that he thinks of some less than the worse. Mr. Black is most likely dead. Trying to find what the key opened was Oskar's last was of connecting to his father. Oskar's mother contacts all of the Blacks before Oskar goes and sees them so they will let him in and explain the key to them. His mother doesn't worry but she at least knows her son is safe.
Although it wasn't specifically a question I would like to comment on it. I believe that the reason that the phrase "incredibly close" shows up twice in this chapter as where the phrase "extremely loud" only shows up once is because the last few chapters of the book highlights that fact that Oskar is beginning to heal and let go. Oskar switches from being pessimistic, saying only, “Extremely loud,” to describe his emotions, to using the terms “extremely loud” and “incredibly close” equally more often. This reveals that Oskar is beginning to view his life situation more optimistically.
I agree with Logan that Oskar believing Mr. Black was with Ruth was significant because he finally chose to believe in the good. He also states that he didn't go looking because he didn't want to know if this was the truth, which is slightly saddening because it shows the toll that this mission with the key took on him. He went from searching for months for the truth to giving up immediately. Unfortunately, Mr. Black is most likely dead. This relates to why Oskar didn't want to go to the bank with William. It was because he had spent months believing that finding this lock would bring him closure in the situation of his father. However, the key didn't even relate to his father and this made him not want any part of it. He probably told William about the last message because he finally understood what the key was about and he needed to confide in someone so that he could begin to move on.
Oskar's mother does not mind Oskar travelling throughout New York City at night because she has already made sure beforehand that he will be safe. Oskar's mother contacted all his destinations before he arrived to explain the situation. His mother understands that this last quest provided by his father is necessary for Oskar's healing. She did not discuss it with him because she wanted Oskar to feel as if it was only him completing the 'mission'. She is doing her best to assist Oskar in his journey to recovery in the way that helps him connect with the memory of his father.
Oskar's mother doesn't care about Oskar going all over New York City at night because she knows that what he is doing is all part of him finally finding closure. She knows Oskar better than anyone and realizes that her not letting Oskar go out would be more detrimental to his health than her just letting him go. If he couldn't go, he would instead sit around and his thoughts and ideas would just consume him. Oskar's mother also knew where Oskar was going and what he was doing, so she wasn't really too worried because she knew where he was. She never mentioned to him the fact that she knew about the key and everything else because it was one last thing that he shared with his dad. She understood he loved his dad very much so she didn't want to take away the last thing the two may ever share. The significance in her calling beforehand was simply her just doing her motherly duty. She isn't crazy enough to just allow her son to go to strangers houses, so she took the time to make sure they weren't crazy or maybe even dangerous people. She also probably wanted to explain the reason behind such a young kid just showing up to random people's doorsteps.
If Oskar were to see what was in the deposit box, he would know that it’s about a stranger and not his dad; therefore he didn’t want to go the bank because he would like to keep as many memories of his dad as he can. Oskar chooses to tell William about the messages because he assumes that his mother and grandmother will be upset with him. Oskar needs to release his emotions and secrets, so it is good for him to tell William.
Oskar’s mother doesn’t care about him going all over the city because she knows that he needs to find some way to heal. As we heard in her therapy session, she’s really worried about how Oskar’s handling his father’s death. Maybe to her, it’s safer for him to roam the city than to live a depressed life. That leads to her motivation of letting him discover all of this on his own. It’s not her healing journey so she feels like Oskar needs to figure out what the key does. The significance of contacting everyone ensured that Oskar would have someone to visit and that it was safe. She may not have been out there with Oskar, but she made it a little easier on him.
I think they showed a picture of the back of Mr. Black's head to have a nice symmetry to the picture of Mrs. Black's head. I think he told the story so he could finally get it out to some one. It was a lucky coincidence that while he desperately needed to vent about the situation Oskar desperately needed to hear about what was going on. The revived letter shows that Oskar is not truly alone without his dad. there are people all over New York who care about him and now all over the world. the letters weren't for nothing, the key quest wasn't for nothing. Oskar moved some sand in the Sahara !
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