Remember: You don't have to
answer all the questions...one or two will do fine...or even just your own
commentary. Just make sure you have a decent paragraph so I can count it for
credit. This should be a conversational blog, so don't try to sound smarter
than you are...nobody likes that guy...just be you and seek out new info when
you can.
Raison d'être = reason for existence
Ce n'etais pas moi = It's not/wasn't me
Why does the narrator want to create/invent all of the things he speaks of at the beginning of the chapter? What does that reveal about him?
What does it tell us about the narrator that his physical activity before jujitsu was tambourining?
What does the narrator mean when he says, "Jose"? What does this do to characterize him?
"even though I don't have dreams of running the family jewelry business anymore..." What is the double entendre of this quote?
Why does he only wear white clothes? Does this suggest something about him?
Interesting...before 9/11, no one would have ever thought about a plane hitting a building below the 95th floor...and would have rarely thought of a plane hitting a building at all...
Raison d'être = reason for existence
Ce n'etais pas moi = It's not/wasn't me
Why does the narrator want to create/invent all of the things he speaks of at the beginning of the chapter? What does that reveal about him?
What does it tell us about the narrator that his physical activity before jujitsu was tambourining?
What does the narrator mean when he says, "Jose"? What does this do to characterize him?
"even though I don't have dreams of running the family jewelry business anymore..." What is the double entendre of this quote?
Why does he only wear white clothes? Does this suggest something about him?
Interesting...before 9/11, no one would have ever thought about a plane hitting a building below the 95th floor...and would have rarely thought of a plane hitting a building at all...
"Even though I'm not anymore, I used to be an atheist, which means I didn't believe in things that couldn't be observed. I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream. It's not that I believe in things that can't be observed now, because I don't. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated." What does the narrator mean by this? What does this tell us about the narrator?
What is his mom holding and squeezing? What does this tell us about her?
Why does his grandmother bring up the fact that his grandfather loved animals more than he loved people? What does this tell us about their relationship?
"Zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" -- what does this phrase mean? What does it reveal about him?
Why does the narrator think his mom would rather have the narrator be dead than his father? How do you think this affects their relationship?
The second time he rode in a limo, he went with the renter to dig up his dad's coffin. Foreshadowing...
Besides the
marking of the New York Times with a red pen (which is only anal if you're not
an English teacher, by the way), how is his father characterized?
The narrator uses the phrase "made my boots lighter" a couple of times. What does this mean? What does it reveal about him?
What do you think the narrator's father said in the four messages that we didn't get to look at? What did his father say in that final phone conversation? What would you say?
The narrator uses the phrase "made my boots lighter" a couple of times. What does this mean? What does it reveal about him?
What do you think the narrator's father said in the four messages that we didn't get to look at? What did his father say in that final phone conversation? What would you say?
Why
I’m Not Where You Are 5/21/63
What
caused his grandfather to lose his words? How do you think this affects him and
those around him?
"She
was the tree and also the river flowing away from the tree." What do you
make of this quote? What does this tell you?
Near
the end of the chapter, the last half paragraph, his grandfather's thoughts
become jumbled, almost manic in nature. These thoughts are followed by him
pointing to the word HELP. What does this tell us about the relationship
between the grandfather and grandmother?
What is
the significance of the picture in this chapter? How do you think it fits in?
133 comments:
Very interesting post and thank you so much for share.
The narrator wants to invent all of these things for a number of reasons. The main reason he invents is to keep his mind off all of the tough aspects of his life. It is obvious that Oskar has some sort of mental illness, or just something that is off about him. Oskar can't really control what he thinks about, so he has to jump from invention to invention in order to keep his mind off of the things that are hard in his life. Oskar is struggling with the fact that his father was killed in the 9/11 attacks, so most of the things he invents has to do with his father. The teakettle that can whistle the Beatles shows that Oskar's thoughts are gravitating toward the memories of his father, but to save himself from getting upset he focuses on his inventions. This strategy works too since the idea of a teakettle that can whistle turned into the ability to say words with his anus, rather then Oskar once again focusing on his father.
Oskar believes that his mother would rather him be dead because he can't imagine anyone not wanting his father alive. Oskar loved his father more than anyone in the world, and claims to miss him more than anyone in the entire world. Oskar would give anything to have his father back. He feels so strongly about this that he just assumes that everyone else does. The fact that he believes his mother would rather have him dead so that she could live with her husband is just a reflection of Oskar's own thoughts. It is a reflection of Oskar's own ideas that he is not as important as his father was. It is a reflection of the idea Oskar does not have as much to offer to his mother as his father did. It is a reflection of Oskar's attitude toward himself.
The fact that the narrator's physical activity before jujitsu reveals that he likes sound and repetition of movements. This is further proven with his wish for an invention of a teapot that sings "Yellow Submarine". It also shows that he likes predictability and dislikes things that he doesn't understand. He could not understand why the Sensei would want him to kick the Sensei in the balls. Because he couldn't understand he avoided every going to another class. The narrator has a habit of avoiding the things he doesn't understand.
I think Oskar stated he used to be an atheist to show that he is a very rational thinker. Oskar seems to like things that are backed by science and can be explained through what he believes as educated thoughts and ideas. I think this has connections to what Alyssa said about Oskar disliking things he doesn't understand. Oskar doesn't understand the concept of a higher power, and therefor rejects it. At least he has difficulty believing in a power that would let his dad die in 9/11.
I think that Oskar believes that his mother would rather have him dead than his father to show that their isn't a very strong bond between Oskar and his mother, or at least Oskar doesn't feel like there is. Oskar was immensely attached to his father, even going to lengths as to putting his father as his most loved person and his mother as his third, right before the family dog. I also believe that because his mother didn't show as much grief as Oskar did when his dad died, Oskar thinks that his mother has a limited capactity for love. And because of the limited capacity, she would rather see Oskar dead than her husband.
It's quite obvious Oscar is not like the average nine year old boy. He has a very different way of thinking than most children his age. I believe he had a very set routine in his life before his dad died in 9/11. That would also explain why he wore white clothes all the time before the tragedy.
”Zipping up the sleeping of myself” It mean that he closed himself off from the world. He zipped his feeling shut and hid them from everybody else. It reveals that Oscar does not really like to open up and share his feeling with others or his own family.
When Oskar uses the phrase "made my boots lighter" he's referring to his sadness. If his boots are lighter, he's happier, but if they're heavier he's sadder. It reveals that he's pretty sad inside, and that his father's death really hit him hard. The fact that he doesn't just say he's sad seems to be because of his autism. As for the foreshadowing about his father's coffin, I think it'll have something to do with the key he finds later in the book. Maybe Oskar, with his unique mindset, will think that his father took a clue to his grave, quite literally so. I always think foreshadowing is a nice touch in a novel, it makes the reader wonder what'll happen later in the book, especially if it's directly stated as this example was.
At the beginning of the chapter, Oskar wanted to create/invent all of the things he speaks of because they reminded him of his father ("a teakettle that reads in Dad's voice). However, as he further progressed into his ideas, they lost their relevance to his father (the swallowed microphones which played the sounds of our hearts through little speakers). Although it is early on, I think this may be a huge indication that Oskar is doing everything he can to repress the thought of his father passing away on 9/11. By just reading the first chapter, you can infer that Oskar hasn't had proper closure.
The narrator is smart enough that he wants to invent something but it already exists. He shows that he is curious about new things in the world. For example when he goes to hius first jujitsu class with his wierd teacher or when he asks the limo driver if he knows cuss words. He wants to experience different things. I personally think that he only wears white because white is’nt even a color but a mixture of all the colors. The narrator didnt believe in things that couldnt be explained at one point (an atheist) but he believes in death which cant be explained which makes it complicated. It shows how he observes things to a deeper level. By his mother holding and squeezing her hand it reminds her that her husband isnt there to hold her hand and its a reaction for her. Zipping up the sleeping bag of himself ment that his defensive side was closing around him when he said, “Why woulde I need a key to her appartment?”. It reveals that his mom was trying to make a point but he countered it to make his point. He is whats left of his father physically and it seems like his mom and dad had a better relationship then she did with her son. His dad was a “brainiac”. He turned the game they played from a clever fun game to a rhetorical thing scaventure hunt. The narrator searched central park looking for clues that didnt seem to exist compared to what his dad wanted him to find which we will never know.
Even though Oskar never comes right out and explains why he only wears white clothes, I think that the reason he does so is that he is allergic to dyes. Teija's idea about white being a mixture of all the colors is fascinating and something I never thought of, I respectfully disagree. Later on in this first section of reading, Oskar shows how emotionally sensitive he is, even openly saying that he bruises easily. It would make sense, then, that Oskar would have physical sensitivity as well, to further emphasize this point. Also, Oskar states that a T-shirt he loved "wasn't white, so I couldn't wear it." His use of the word "couldn't" there further implied to me that he is allergic to dyes, that his skin is sensitive like everything else about him.
The narrator means that he realizes that things are not as cut and dry as he once thought. Through this experience of his father dying it has opened his mind up to different ideas of how the way things work. I think that by him having a different point of mind shows him starting the process of growing up and maturing to be able to look at something and maybe see it from two different sides. But him stating that he is an atheist shows that he is a rational thinker, looking for facts that something is what others claim it to be.
Just by reading the first chapter, you can tell how upset Oskar is over his father dying in 9/11. He wants to create so many things that have to do with his father and you can tell how much he misses him just by the fact that these inventions show how often he is still on Oskar's mind. When Oskar says "made my boots lighter," he is talking about how he feels on the inside, not what is shown on the outside. It reveals, once again, how sad Oskar is from his father's death. The heavier Oskar's boots are the more sad he is and the lighter they are the happier he is. Oskar is very upset about his father right now, but as the book goes on, I think he will learn to mature and look back on the happy things instead of the sad.
Like Branden said above, Oskar is a very rational thinker - a trait that he inherited from his father, Thomas. While Thomas was still alive, he and Oskar would frequently play puzzle, mystery, and riddle games. These types of games not only reinforced Oskar's logical way of thinking, but it also helped to create a strong bong between father and son. And, as McKayla said, Oskar is extremely upset over his father's death (as any person would be). This is why I believe that the reason Oskar wants to create/invent all of the things he talks about is to cope with his dad's death. Some people cope by being in denial, and I believe that, in some small part of Oskar's brain, this is what's happening. While his rational side can accept his father's death, his less-prevalent childish side cannot. This is why he is so obsessed with inventing new things. It provides him with a coping mechanism that satisfies both his rational and creative side, and provides him with a sense of closeness to his father even in death. In addition, I believe that these inventions of his reveal a softer side to Oskar that we will get to know later in the book. In most events such as 9/11, people often ask themselves what they could have done to prevent the loved one they knew from dying. This is prevalent in Oskar's inventions in a number of ways. As Oskar lists his inventions and their uses, they turn from innocent to an inner reflection about what he could have done. For example, he shows his child-like innocence through his first couple inventions - the singing teapot and teaching his anus to speak. After these inventions, the ones to follow turn increasingly dark. At first it begins with the same child-like tone, and Oskar talking about everyone swallowing microphones so we could hear everyone's heartbeat. Then he makes the comment of how, "the place in the hospital where babies are born would sound like a crystal chandelier in a houseboat," and "at the finish line at the end of the New York City Marathon it would sound like war." This marks the transition beginning with innocence and ending on his dark inner reflections. And finally, Oskar tops everything off with his invention of a birdseed shirt because, "there are so many times when you need to make a quick escape, but humans don't have their own wings yet,". This invention was, no doubt, given to him by his subconscious as yet another way to cope, saying that if Oskar would have known that 9/11 would happen, he could have at least tried to prevent his father's death by giving him a birdseed shirt so that he could fly away and make a quick escape.
White has many positive connotations like pureness, innocence, cleanliness, hope, etc., but it also has negative connotations. These would be emptiness, detachment, and even recovery from something like a death. In Oskar's case, I believe both the positive and negative connotations apply for his way of dressing in only white. Oskar wearing white suggests that he's innocent and naive, which he is, and also suggests that he's empty, which he has been ever since the death of his father. It is also ironic that he wears white because in some cultures, wearing the color white after someone's death means it's a new beginning and that it's time to move on. But for Oskar, it's the opposite. He is still stuck in time. His search for the lock that opens his father's key proves this, especially because this key could be something completely insignificant, but Oskar makes it out to be very important just so he can have a medium to feel connected to his dad. Oskar chooses to wear white clothes because he wants to show the people around him that his life has lost all color ever since his dad's death.
At first I was confused as to why the narrator described things right off the bat, but realized that the narrator is very detail oriented. The speaker is very particular about the way certain things are done and about his choice of clothing (I was curious about why he only wears white. Is is because of a thing that has happened? Is it a symbol such as purity or innocence? Or is it only because that's a random clothing preference?) Anyway, I certainly noticed the speaker's use of "Jose"; this is his way of saying 'no way'. I found it neat that he also likes to speak French even though no one in his present daily life, from what I could tell, speaks French like he does. He is a different sort of person that seems to think in an unusual way than the 'typical joe' (not referring to any particular person).
I completely agree with Heli's comment stating all of the connotations of the color white. I also think that Oskar wears white due to his OCD tendencies. As stated above, the color white represent cleanliness. Oskar may wear white to feel clean all the time. The color white has a tendency to attract far more stains than any other color. This would instantly tell him if he needed to change because he then would be unclean. Not quite sure if this is the point of the white clothing but this was my perspective on the matter. The quote "Zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" really struck me. I think that this quote means Oksar is masking his true feelings. He has a tendency to bottle everything inside. He is not fond of sharing his feelings with anyone but himself. Often his mom ask how he is feeling and he normally responds with fine. Which often is a lie.
I believe that Oskar began to live very metaphorically after his father's death. He uses certain phrases, ideas, and symbols to express himself. He does this because he isn't capable of expressing himself any other way. For example, he often states that he is making his boots either lighter or heavier. When he says this, he is trying to convey the amount of stress or worry that he has in his life. Obviously, the heavier the boots, the more stress he has. I've also noticed that he says "I gave myself a bruise." To me, the contrast between the white clothes that he has chosen to wear since the death of his father and the darkness of the bruises he creates whenever he is upset really convey the hot and coldness of his life and his thoughts.
I have the same opinion that others have already stated. The love that was lost for Anna makes his life extremely difficult, and his experiences in Dresden are also a factor in his vocabulary being taken away. His life gets very difficult because instead of using really feelings such as tone and emotion, he has to write down his words. After losing Anna, all meaning seems to be lost to him. He cannot forget Anna because he tries to sculpt his grandmother as Anna. He asks for help when he is asked to be married and to me, it says that his grandfather needs her to convey his feelings.
Oskar has a very interesting perspective on life that differs from most people's perspective. He invents to keep his mind busy, to do anything, but remember. The "zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" was his way of saying he was closing himself from the rest of the world. He doesn't go to school because of his "heavy boots" which represent his sadness. About his clothes, colors have certain meanings whether they're positive or negative. I believe Oskar's reasoning is more negative. White represents emptiness which is exactly how Oskar is feeling. He has become an empty shell after his dad's death trying to fill it in with inventing and keeping himself busy. It's obvious that Oskar misses his father so much that that may be hurting his current relationship with his mother.
I agree with Jacob and Brendan that Oskar and his father had a special bond, a bond stronger than the one between him and his mother. His father meant the world to him, and no one loved him as much as he did. Oskar felt that his mom would rather have him be dead than his father, which may be true. He believes this because of him and his mother's weak bond and that he sees his father as a hero, and heroes should never die. After his father dies, Oskar's mother seems distant, which is often normal, but she was the type of distant as to where Oskar was nearly invisible to her. Instead of spending time with her family, she met a new guy friend to spend her time with to avoid the loneliness she felt and the longing for her husband. Oskar could shatter a vase in his father's bedroom without her noticing, and could go out into the city for hours without a hint of worry from his mom. This proves that Oskar's theory of his mother rather having him dead than her husband is true, because she lacks the love and care a mother should show to her child.
Throughout the novel, the author leaves little clues that hint toward the family's autistic/OCD tendencies. Oskar refuses to wear anything other than white and his father corrects every mistake in the New York Times using a red pen. These are definite symptoms of OCD and autism, which cause Oskar and his father to have a special bond. Oskar feels that his father was the only person to understand him, and his father's death left Oskar completely alone in the world. He didn't have this same bond with his mother because she was different than both Oskar and his father and Oskar felt as though she couldn't understand him.
Oskar frequently uses the phrase "made my boots lighter". He uses this to describe events that happen that make him feel a little less guilty and a little more happy. While the homeless man Sonny makes his boots get heavier, things that remind him of his father make his boots lighter. He makes morse-code jewelry to rid himself of the guilt of his father's messages and touches his father's things to give himself lighter boots. His saying of "heavy boots" is his way of explaining the heavy, depressed feeling he was burdened with after his father's tragic death.
When Oskar says Jose, he is usually trying to convey surprise to whomever he is talking to. It catches most people who do not know him off-guard as Jose is usually a name and not an expression. It makes you realizes as well that there is a general peculiarity with Oskar's word choice. Several of the expressions that he uses such as "zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" and "made my boots lighter" are phrases that I, at least, have never heard before. I think this is used to hint in the beginning that Oskar functions differently than other people. He either has a mental disability or thinks in a way that makes him see the world around him very differently. I think it also helps to show the quirkiness and slight charm of his character, and definitely alerts the reader that the view points of Oskar will be very unique and even slightly nonsensical.
Heli was spot on in describing the positive and negative connotations of the color white. Although both sides of the spectrum correlate with what Oskar's going through, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most of the negative connotations are more prevalent. I believe Oskar is extremely disconnected from not only his mother, but his grief as well. Since Oskar was the only one to hear his father's last words on the answering machine, he carries most if not all of the burden on himself, and, instead of telling other people (which would enable him to share his pain and lessen the burden on himself), he chooses to focus on solving the mystery of the key in his father's closet. Another prominent negative connotation is emptiness. Oskar and his father shared a bond greater than most relationships I have ever seen. In a way, I saw them as brothers. They discussed ideas and theories, peoples and places, music and quantum physics, they were basically the same person except one was young and the other old. Once Oskar's father passed, he was left alone with his ideas, and having no one to share your thoughts with is a great way to drive yourself to the edge, or, in this case, severe repression.
While Oskar is explaining his views on life and the universe, the reader is busy inferring that he is an extraordinarily bright young mind, and, on top of that, a very rational one. This is where I agree with both Branden and Sarah. Thomas was a big contributor to his son's way of thinking, no doubt about it. When his father was still alive, Oskar had an outlet to share his ideas with, as well as a guardian to which he could freely ask questions. When that outlet disappeared, Oskar was left with his never-ending ideas and questions, which went on to be unfulfilled and unanswered. By inventing new things, writing letters, and creating mysteries for himself, he buries the grief he feels for his father deeper and deeper within himself.
Oskar said, "Even though I'm not anymore, I used to be an atheist, which means I didn't believe in things that couldn't be observed. I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream. It's not that I believe in things that can't be observed now, because I don't. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated." because before his dad tragically died, he saw certain things very black and white. Through experience, he learned at a very young age that maybe everything isn’t so set in stone. Prior to 911, Oskar was just an ordinary boy with an extraordinary personality and had a mindset that no one could really change. He admitted that he use to be an atheist and and believed nothing happened after death. Then after his dad died, he admits that things are more complex. I think Oskar changed his mindset because he wanted something to believe in after his dad died. He wanted to believe that he might not be right, and maybe things were just more complicated than they seemed, or possibly there was something after death. But, he also made it clear that he still doesn’t believe in things that can’t be observed. It shows that Oskar had changed his mind but maybe only because of his dad’s death. Oskar has a very strong personality and his thoughts are very clear when it comes to his opinion in how the universe works. For something to alter that, really made an impact on Oskar and it shows that above everything he’s just a boy; a very smart boy, but a boy who has gone through one of the worst things possible. Any human being that goes through a life altering experience is bound to think differently because of the consequences of the outcome.
Oskar uses the expression "zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" to show how he deals with his emotions. Oskar has a hard time talking to other people and telling them how he feels. After his father's death, this becomes worse as he has many things he feels he needs to hide. His coping mechanism is to retreat into himself and shut down when his feelings start to overwhelm him. He zips himself up to try to protect his fragile state. He also uses the phrase "make my boots lighter" to represent things that make him feel better. It's a metaphor for things that lighten the load of thoughts and feelings he has to carry. They are usually small things, seemingly insignificant, but they matter to Oskar and make him feel better. This shows his observance and understanding of himself.
Oskar often uses the term “heavy boots” to refer to all the things they weigh him down. It’s his way of representing the feelings he has that make it harder for him to be happy : angst, grief, sadness, guilt, shame, and anger. Oskar has interesting metaphors for his feelings and when something positive happens he says that is makes his boots lighter. While searching for the lock to his father’s mysterious key, if Oskar gets a lead, it lifts all the feelings off his chest for a little while and he feels lighter. He doesn’t feel weighed down and drowning in all these emotions. It gives him relief from being devoured in sadness and allowing him to look forward to something. Oskar devotes months to searching for this lock because it gives him hope that if he finds this what he's looking for he will be able to move on and be happy again. This reveals that Oskar has so many emotions that he can’t even explain to himself. He feels such a weight that he can’t really shake off and it’s dragging him down, just as heavy boots would.
I'm going to disagree a little with a few people who have already posted here. I don't think that Oscar clings to routine, inventions, or white clothing just because he is autistic or OCD. All of these things serve as distractions from the pain that was the result of his father's death. Like every human, Oskar attempts to distract himself from bad feelings. He chooses inventions and limitations to distract him. Other people in our world choose exercise, reading, drugs, art, or family. It doesn't matter what someone chooses, only that it takes them away. The only difference between Oskar and all these other people is that the distractions manifested themselves into things that connected him with his father in some way. They continue to be a large part of his life, when most people would have moved on. I think it's important not to forget that Oskar's mental state doesn't take away from his humanness. He is so relatable in what he says and thinks. The novel does a great job of making Oskar's emotions seems genuine. His feelings, though brought about by tragic circumstances, encompass a lot of the emotions that we all feel.
Thomas Schell's death was somewhat ironic. Thomas owned a jewelry store which was not located in the World Trade Centers. So the day that he goes to visit them, they get bombed. When Oskar's father left his last four messages, I couldn't help but think of all the tragedies that could have happened instead of the death being caused by terrorists. Unfortunately, his and many other lifes ended on September 11th. His last messages were most likely about how he loved everyone so much and how he was going to die soon. These were calls to distract himself from waiting to die. I would have done the same thing, tie up all lose ends with people before my time ended.
I agree with Hannah on how Oskar uses a lot of metaphors in his life. When I read the book and I saw that Oskar "played the tambourine" I thought that it was actually a nervous twitch. A lot of people have a nervous twitch, Oskar seemed to shake his hands. I believe that in his head that this metaphor was a cry for help. When he claimed that he stopped playing the tambourine because he was told it was to loud, I thought it was a metaphor of people telling him to stop complaining. He went to jujitsu because his mother thought the physical activity would help. Usually music helps with stress, so telling him to stop playing an instrument doesn't make sense to me. The book uses a ton of metaphors to the point where one doesn't know what is real or what is fake. The tambourine fell into a gray area for me on whether it was real or not.
What Oskar really means by his thoughts about the afterlife and his beliefs is that yes, he is an extremely rational thinker, which is made pretty clear in the book, but his thoughts on it are strongly biased because of what happened to his father. When he says, "It's not that I believe in things that can't be observed now, because I don't. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated," it is proof that Oskar's opinion is slightly askew, possibly because he wants to believe that his father isn't gone forever, but he doesn't want to accept what happened to him either. What Oskar means is that he is strong behind his beliefs in science, and he believes in the facts, because that is what he can rely on for the truth. The quote about "zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" simply means to lock all the feelings, emotions, and words inside for nobody to see. This reveals that Oskar believes he isn't understood by people, most likely his mom, and he decides that it is better just to tuck himself away from others. He feels alone and inflicts pain on himself to feel something, instead of "unzipping the bag."
When the narrator uses the phrase "made my boots lighter," it was a phrase used to show Oskar's happiness and sadness. When his boots were lighter, Oskar was happier and if they were heavier, then he was sad. The phrase shows that Oskar doesn't want to directly say that he feels this or that about something or someone. He uses metaphors to represent a lot of things in his life and it seems to me like the metaphors are a part of his personality. Oskar is very empathetic and cares about others even if he doesn't personally know them. Oskar's dad's death really hit him hard because he had an extremely close connection with his father (that goes without speaking). On an unrelated note, at the beginning of the book, when the father-son relationship was established, I could personally connect to how close they were because I'm close to my dad.
I completely agree with Kassidy about how Oskar is extremely rational and how it's because of his father's death. As much as Oskar tries to hide his emotions about his father's death from his mother, the reader gets to see the entirety of what he hides. When he was in his parents closet listening to the messages that his dad left, it seemed as if Oskar wanted to believe that his father didn't die. After his father died, he became somewhat of a hermit since he didn't say more than he needed to, when talking to his mother. At the same time, it seemed like Oskar became more strong-willed since he went out in search of Black and to figure out what the key dealt with. So far, the book has several things that could possibly be used to foreshadow later events and it seems like Oskar notices some of them slightly.
In the four messages from Oskar's father that we didn't get to look at, he probably was telling everyone how much he enjoyed them and said that he loved them. The messages could've helped Oskar's father from paying complete attention to what was going to happen to him. Prior to the messages, Oskar's father probably realized that there wasn't much that he could do, so in the time that he had left, he wanted his family to realize his thoughts and feelings before he died. (I know that this is a fictional story, but imagine the people in real life, who haven't gotten to say what they've wanted to say before they've died). Personally, I would've told everyone how much I enjoyed their company and the relationships that were between us. The downside is that I wouldn't have been able to say all I'd have wanted to in the amount of time that his father had.
I agree with the previous comments. Everyone knows Oskar is not a normal child. He clearly has some medical problems, which seemed to get worse after his father passed away. His life was impacted so dramatically considering he lost his best friend. I think he makes so many new inventions to distract himself from all the pain he is suffering from. If he keeps his mind busy and off the topic of his father it makes everyday easier to get through. He has such a large imagination which makes his mind wander to places other people would never be able to think of if they tried. With an imagination like his, he is able to invent things that help him stay busy and make him think a lot so he has a constant distraction from the things that are really bothering him. Also creating these inventions is a way to “lighten his boots”, and create a type of relief for his mind.
The phrase "zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" holds incredible meaning for Oskar's character. Oskar is a naturally curious child. Due to this, he frequently asks a lot of questions. However, after Thomas's death, it is my belief that Oskar begins to ask more questions, just to feel close to his father; in a way, a sort of coping mechanism. He seeks attention and comfort in simply talking to people. A perfect example of this is when Oskar, his mother, and his grandmother were on their way to the cemetery in the limousine. He is constantly talking to someone in an attempt to escape the reality of his father's death. He cycles between the three peoplein the limo, talking to another when the previous gets bored. It is clear from the beginning of the limo ride that Oskar's mother is zoned out from everything happening around her, including her son, while she still struggles to accept the reality of her husband's death. As Oskar asks more questions, his mom gets increasingly annoyed - at least it seems that way to Oskar. Because of this, Oskar withdraws from his mom and says that, "She could tell that I was zipping up the sleeping bag of myself,". This phrase is incredibly important to Oskar's character because it shows how desperately he wants comfort from those around him. He wants to reach out to people and find joy through them. However, when people shut down his attempts by not wanting to talk to him, he feels defeated and sad, and retreats a little bit more into himself. He shuts out the world a little bit more every time in order to preserve a little bit of the joy that he has.
When Oskar says "Jose", he's referencing the phrase "no way, Jose". On its own, this method of shortcutting confuses people, but no matter how many times this is apparent throughout the novel's first half, Oskar continues to use it. With this in mind, it helps the reader better understand Oskar himself. He doesn't seem to grasp things in their entirety--he takes something such as "no way, Jose", and looks little beyond the face of it. Knowing that it was a popular phrase, he sees "Jose" as what captures the meaning. In this respect, it's plain to see that Oskar has difficulty with more abstract things. He loves science and facts, but only understands what he sees on the surface of them--he has difficulty finding the deeper meaning of something. This rings true in how he thinks on a daily basis; when he gives the apartment key to the mailwomen, for example, nothing seems wrong with it because he only looks at the surface of what he's been taught (in this case, "don't give the key to strangers" falls flat when he thinks he knows the woman well enough).
I agree with Branden about how Oskar was an atheist to show that he was a rational thinker. I also agree when he stated that Oskar seems to like things backed by science. i believe that his father dieing is the reason that he is no longer an atheist. this is because he loved his dad so much and he wants to believe that one day he'll be able to see him again once he passes away. also, i don't think that he wants to think that his dad is just gone, he wants to think that he is in a better place even after death.
By talking about himself as an atheist, Oskar proves to be a very rational person. He likes reasoning, which is difficult to supply when it comes to something such as life after death. Like anyone who has lost someone close to them, Oskar is still reeling from the effects of his father's passing. Because he and his father were both atheists before this incident, and because they shared such similar thought processes, Oskar desperately wants to cling onto these old ideas. Now, of course, things are "extremely complicated". He refuses to believe in what cannot be observed, but the ache he feels through missing his father makes it difficult. I think he especially doesn't want to think of his father of being so concretely gone. Stashing the phone calls away and going through his father's things help him feel closer, but one can only feel so close when the person they love the most has passed. The entire situation is therefore complicated, because while Oskar is fighting hard to keep the belief system he built with his father, he would also give anything for his father not to be "dead forever".
I think that the unknown messages started to become more frantic. They probably started explaining that he and the other's around him were now in danger. Thomas tried to remain strong for his son and family, but I think that his courage faltered. He was most likely pleading someone to pick up the phone, because he wanted to make sure that his family was safe. That was the type of person Oskar's father was- one with so much love that, even though he was beyond terrified of death, he wanted to make sure that the ones he loved most were going to survive. By the last message, I think Thomas focused on telling his family how much he loved them. He spoke of his regrets, things that he wished could have done, and things that he should have said more. He poured his final goodbyes into a few short minutes, and he spoke of the courage his family must have if he doesn't make it out. Finally, he would've ended with I love you and that his family needed to be brave without him. Or maybe his call was cut off with screaming. Maybe Thomas didn't have a chance to finish his thoughts. As sad and terrifying as this seems, I don't think he would have ran out of things to say. I think Thomas kept talking until he couldn't anymore- or until his phone shut off.
I would tell my family how much I loved them. I would thank them for loving me unconditionally, for being supportive of me, and for sacrificing things for me. I don't think I would be able to keep a brave composure. I would probably break down and explain how scared I was. I would tell my family not to cry for me, just to know that no matter what, I would always love them- even after death (if there is anything after death).
Oskar thinks that his mom would rather have him dead rather than his father because he thinks that she loved his father a lot more than she loves him. also, kids around Oskar's age tend to believe that the parent that has a lesser bond with them does not care about them as much. i think this affects their relationship because Oskar does not believe that his mother loves him as much as she actually does. i believe this causes a lack of trust between Oskar and him mom.
Expanding on why Oskar's mother may want him dead instead of his father; I believe another possible reason why Oskar believes his mother would think that is because Oskar feels guilty for the pressure he puts on his mother. Oskar is aware of the handicaps he has and knows he can be a handful for his mother, especially since she is basically raising him on her own. Oskar feels that he needs to hide how he really feels about his father's death so that he will not cause his mother to stress and worry about him more. Oskar is torn between feeling guilty for what troubles he does cause his mother while also trying to keep to himself as much as a young boy can.
Oskar is someone that believes there is factual reasoning behind everything. He has a hard time accepting things that he doesn't fully understand as the truth. Oskar states that he used to to be an atheist, but now he believes things are just extremely complicated. He used to believe that when you die, there is nothing and you don't feel anything. His opinions changed once he was not able to understand and accept the death of his father. No one wants to believe that their loved ones will be gone forever, and the thought of life after death comforts them. Oskar now believes that things are extremely complicated as a result of him not accepting his father's death, yet needing the comfort of an answer to be able to move on from the sadness of no longer seeing the person he loves most.
I agree with Jacob Wexler on this topic, Oskar invents to help him focus on something positive in his life. If it was not for his inventions he would slip in to a deep depression. Everyone has some sort of hobby that can help them get through the worst times in life. Oskar's inventions are his source of light in a dark abyss that will help him navigate down a path, where success will be his outcome. They are all inspired by his fathers death, a lot of famous people have suffered some sort of hardship, he can be the next success story.
Oskar's physical activity having been tambourining before jujitsu shows us how he likes to cope with his mental illness and stress. Just like how some people need to tap their foot, or chew gum, I believe the movement of the tambourine gives him something to focus on. It helps keep him distracted from a situation he doesn't want to think about or it can work in the complete opposite way and perhaps determine him, like when he went off on his first search for everyone with the last name Black. The sound of the tambourine also does the same thing, with both the motion and the payout of the sound, I think it helps to stimulate Oskar and either distract or alleviate some of the weight of his boots. When he went to his jujitsu class, however, it didn't stimulate him.
When Oskar talks about believing in things are very complicated, I thinks he saying that there's more to everything than what just lies on the surface. When he played the mystery games with his father, he knew that what seemed like nothing could of actually been a big clue in solving the game. Oskar has this type of view on his life. He looks at everything as if it's a key to solving something, nothing is nothing to Oskar. When something makes Oskar's "boots lighter" it means that it's something he can understand, something that made him feel more secure and safe. Lighter boots to Oskar means hes finally relived of something that was weighing heavy on his mind. This all tells us that Oskar is a very intuitive kid who likes to find the answers to things. He doesn't like the unknown.
So far in the book, the point of view is Oskar's. We only learn about Oskar's father through the use of flashbacks, which are (so far) all fond memories. Oskar's dad is very committed in his relationship with his son, this trait is shown by how much time he spends doing the missions/puzzles and all of the care he expresses when Oskar asks him about the universe and the point of everything. There are many ways to describe a single character, but I think the best way to characterize Oskar's dad is a caring, committed father.
Oskar is the kind of person that worries (about his mother's love, etc.) which would somewhat explain the white clothing. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what's up with that but in Oskar's genius mind there's a perfectly reasonable explanation. It would make sense that Oskar would be slightly paranoid about getting hurt in very unpredictable ways since his dad died in a tower that was hit by a plane (which was basically a mystical dragon back then). Oskar knows that there is no way to predict those kinds of things but the least he can do is check himself to make sure he's ok, hence the white clothing (pure color, easy to see marks) to show any sign of an injury before he knows it's there. This all puzzles together with his worrying because the white gives him the peace of mind that he'll know whats wrong when things have the potential of going wrong (which he's most likely worried about because of his dad).
This is my best guess with the reading so far as to why Oskar only wears white, maybe it's a stretch but it sort-of makes sense given that Oskar thinks about inverted skyscrapers for cemeteries and limousines for streets.
"Even though I'm not anymore, I used to be an atheist, which means I didn't believe in things that couldn't be observed. I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated." The narrator has conflicting feelings on the subjects of death, religion, and the afterlife. When Oskar's father died, it was obviously a traumatizing experience that left him with a lot of questions concerning these areas. He would have wanted to stick to his beliefs of atheism and the non-afterlife, but he didn't want to succumb to the fact that his father was plainly gone forever. "Zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" shows how Oskar begins to shut out everyone else, and lives trapped within himself. He hides from the outside world as to not bother it with his grief and his problems. Oskar finds that by "zipping" himself, it is easier than to actually face the reality that his father is dead.
At the beginning of the chapter, the narrator begins describing all of his various inventions and creations as a means of an introduction. He rambles on and on in order to feel more comfortable speaking to the reader. He has a widely expansive mind that operates like a machine. What makes sense, what doesn't, what could be, what already is, etc. He shows us the process of his mind, the creativity of it, and how it all works inside of his head. All of this reveals that he thinks differently than others, for the most part, and could even have a mental illness or disability of some sort. Oskar seems to be the type of person that talks themselves through things, especially when they're going through difficult times. When his father died, Oskar most likely came up with even more inventions as distractions from the reality that he was living in.
One reason that Oskar only wears white clothes could have something to do with his mental illness/disability. It could be a form of OCD, ADHD, or other related condition. They could represent cleanliness, a common obsession of someone who has OCD. Therefore, keeping himself "clean" with the white clothes could be a comforting sensation or coping mechanism. When the narrator is using the phrase "made my boots lighter" it is referring to the same phrase as getting something off of your chest. When he does certain things, it makes him feel better, "lighter" even. They are the type of things that makes him feel good, and this is his phrase for expressing those emotions.
The narrator uses the phrase "made my boots lighter" to describe things or activities that calmed him. For instance, he used this phrase to describe a few different activities, such as making the limo driver laugh or writing letters. Additionally, "making his boots lighter" can also be synonymous with lightening some sort of burden. It seems that he tends to hold onto this as a moral code in order to try to keep his family together and happy. The use of this phrase also shows the importance to him of keeping his father's memory and spirit alive. That's also why he makes earrings, a necklace, and even a tiara of the his father's last messages in morse code. He also keeps his father's memory alive by keeping his mother happen as one of his "raisons d'etre." Personally, I think that Oskar hides those last voicemail messages of his father so that his mother and his grandmother's "boots" do not get heavier. I think that in these last messages, he is saying his goodbyes to his family. If the rest of the family heard these messages, then it would really reaffirm that his spirit and vitality is not around and after all, Oskar just wants the burden to be lifted off of his family since for a child, he has a high moral code.
I'm not certain on whether Oskar has a mental illness or if he's just weird, but I want to believe that he's just weird. Maybe a better word to describe him is "unique". I don't know many people who say "Jose" in place of "okay", but I can see the strange appeal. It characterizes how he likes to think outside of the box and escape the norm. Not to mention his "unique" invention ideas.
One reason why Oskar only wears white clothes could have to do with his mental illness that is mentioned throughout the book. Oskar could also just be thinking of it as a form of style in that he really likes the color white. It is never said why Oskar wears white in the novel, but I believe he only wears white because of the depression he suffers. Mainly, his dad dying from the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Oskar also has his own way of dealing with depression when he uses the phrase "made my boots lighter." He uses this phrase in order to deal with his depression and suffering. One thing he likes to do to help with his depression and suffering is to write letters. This helps lighten the load of his daily sadness. The phrase is also true for almost about everybody. People everyday will do activities or fun events in order to have happiness in their life. This is also true to Oskar as he wants to be happier in life.
I think that there are a plethora of reasons why Oskar only wears white clothes. One could be, as previously mentioned, his obsession with organization. A need to repetitively organize and compartmentalize all aspects of their life is a common symptom of people on the autism spectrum. That isn't to say that his autism is the only explanation for his clothing choice. I particularly like the ideas in the previous comments that suggest that he wears a blank wardrobe to try to void himself of all the negative emotions caused by his dad dying. Of course none of these things are a guarantee, there is one thing that is apparent, that his white clothing is a coping mechanism.
I believe that the narrator is creating and telling so many inventions to cope with something. The narrator is in much pain and because of this pain he needs to let out his feelings in some way. For some reason that is through inventions for this person. One invention was a "teakettle that reads in Dad's voice..." Now why would a teakettle read in his Dad's voice. To read in his dad's voice so he can fall asleep, now for me that tells me he misses his dad. He misses his dad so much that he is "inventing" insane products to deal with the pain of missing his dad.
The narrator likes to invent and design new things to keep his mind off of things he doesn’t know and can’t control. Everything the narrator does is to keep his mind off of 9/11 or life without his dad. The narrator invents to keep “his boots light,” meaning making him happy and cheerful. The narrator uses this phrase often to represent when he is heavy hearted and sad or upset about the day his dad died. The narrator believe that his mother doesn’t love him, even saying he knew she wished he had died rather than his father. The narrator’s mother does love him but doesn’t know how to show it unlike his father, who was interested in all the same things.
Throughout the book, Oskar describes events and/or objects that make him have heavier/lighter boots. To Oskar, this phrase expresses how the event/thing emotionally impacted him. If something made his boots lighter, that meant he was happy. For example, Oskar began to write letters to people after his dad passed away. Oskar explained that this was one of the only activities that "made his boots lighter". His first letter was to Stephen Hawking. Although Oskar wasn't expecting a response, he received a generic letter back from Hawking. The letter explained that he receives a large volume of mail, and will try to write a personal response in the future. This may not seem like much, but Oskar was incredibly excited, and wanted to laminate it.
Oskar and his father had an extremely close relationship. They had similar interests, and were always playing games that only they understood. His favorite game is Reconnaissance Expedition. Oskar's father would give him a "mission" and clues and Oskar would have to find the answer, or bring back an object. For the final game, Oskar's father just handed him a map of Central Park. Oskar wasn't given any clues or hints, and he was left very confused. He tried to get his father to explain, but he was left wondering if no clues could be a clue. At dinner that night, they had Chinese food. Although Oskar's father was perfectly capable of using chopsticks, he used a fork instead. Oskar immediately noticed, and thought it was a clue. He spent all night trying to figure it out, but the more he discovered, the less he understood. So when Oskar's father passed away, he was left with questions and an unfinished game. He continued to cherish their relationship, and wanted to finish the game after his father's death. He wanted to finish because he thought it might give him to closure he needed to make his boots lighter.
In my opinion the narrator is devastated. He creates so many inventions because he is trying to cope with his loss. The narrator is in so much pain and so he creates inventions to release his feelings. He misses his father so much and creates crazy inventions to cope with his pain. An invention that he thought of was a teakettle that would read in his father's voice. He invented it so he could fall asleep to his father’s voice. He is clearly trying to infer that he misses his father with the inventions he creates.
I agree with Brandon in that Oskar revealing he used to be an atheist shows the rationality of his mindset. However, I believe that the loss of a father to anyone can change a perspective on the afterlife, especially a nine-year-old's. "It's that I believe things are extremely complicated," reveals that Oskar has had a change in heart about the matter. He longs to feel a connection with his father once again, and will do anything to keep that connection alive. Whether it be to search for the lock of the mysterious key, or begin to think irrationally in his eyes. He enjoys the complexity of everyday life, but almost in a paradox-nature, wants to simplify the way of living as well. Religion and death are too challenging to simplify, and tear at the compulsive mind that is Oskar's. In my eyes, there are some things too big to ever fully understand. To Oskar, there is only the long journey of coming to rationalize what you once could not comprehend.
The phrase "family jewels" is another, less awkward way to say "testicles." I think the double entendre is that Oskar has decided he doesn't want to have kids anymore just as he decided he doesn't want to carry on the family business; in both ways, he is sort of giving up on his family and cutting off their future. I wonder if this has any connection to how Oskar's grandfather didn't want kids.
In the quote, "Even though I'm not anymore, I used to be an atheist, which means I didn't believe in things that couldn't be observed. I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream. It's not that I believe in things that can't be observed now, because I don't. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated”, the narrator is showing that he believed in a definite end, and that there is no life beyond death. Also, my first impression of the narrator, from this quote alone, is that he was not a religious person, and a pessimist in nature. He seeks a deeper meaning from life, but does not search for anything in death. But, I also think that he does not understand the possibility that there might be something beyond death, because he is still young and learning.
Before jujitsu, the narrator’s physical activity was playing the tambourine. This shows that although he is open to trying new things, he is more inclined to be less physical. When he is asked to destroy someone’s privates, he rejects the idea and also rejects the idea of becoming a jujitsu master because of this. As a later result, he ends his jujitsu classes. In regard to the tambourine, he describes playing the only song he knows “The Flight of the Bumblebee” and recalls the times when he had to hit the tambourine really fast at times, and it was difficult, because he “didn’t have wrists yet”. The narrator is a delicate kid who hasn’t grown into his body yet, like a baby giraffe who struggles to walk with extra-long legs.
When I read that Oskar only wore white, the first thing that popped into my mind was Daisy Buchanan. Daisy wore white because it represented innocence to her; she wanted to appear pure and virginal. Maybe Oskar doesn't feel like an innocent person; maybe he's weighed down by grief, and so he wants to appear innocent so people don't suspect anything's wrong. Probably, what everyone commenting is saying is true: that Oskar has control issues, and wearing one color helps compartmentalize his life. There is everyone else in NYC, a mish-mash of colors, and then there is Oskar, separate from everybody, standing out in angelic white.
I believe that Oskar is a very creative and inventive soul with very obscure ideas and scattered thoughts.( I can relate... I think the same way) He has many mannerisms and ideas that are slightly nontraditional, for instance he only wears the color white. I believe this to be a way to cope with the death of his fathers death. Oskar also seems to have very specific characteristics which I like because he isn't like the typical teen rebel character in a young adult novel. He's different and unique and I quite enjoy that about him.
I believe that Oskar is a very creative and inventive soul with very obscure ideas and scattered thoughts.( I can relate... I think the same way) He has many mannerisms and ideas that are slightly nontraditional, for instance he only wears the color white. I believe this to be a way to cope with the death of his fathers death. Oskar also seems to have very specific characteristics which I like because he isn't like the typical teen rebel character in a young adult novel. He's different and unique and I quite enjoy that about him.
From Oskar's point of view, his father is a very intelligent and wise man who was also the leading role model in Oskar's life. Oskar often says "Dad would know" throughout his journey whenever he comes across something he didn't understand. It seems that his father was one of the few people who was truly able to understand and connect with Oskar despite his handicaps. For this reason, one of Oskar's major reasons how unraveling the mystery at his hands is to become more like his father. In Oskar's eyes his father knew everything and what to do at every turn. Oskar chooses to handle his adventure on his own as much as he can in order to better understand his father like he understood Oskar.
The narrator wants to create all these things because of two main reasons. First of all, it seems like the narrator has some type of mental illness. This mental illness causes the narrator to make multiple connections with things that really shouldn't be connected like heartbeats and a menstrual cycle. Therefore, I believe the mental illness is causing the narrator to make connections and then he wants to do something with these connections which is when the inventions come into place. The other reason is related to his dad. The narrator had a very strong bond with his dad, but his dad is now dead. The narrator comes up with inventions that will help with the loss of his father such as the teakettle that would read in his dad's voice. In addition, most of the inventions are a result of the narrators raisons d'être. Due to this connection, many of the inventions are ways to help him move on after his dad’s death.
I think the narrator believes that his mother would rather have him dead than his father because he thinks he's a burden to his mother. He is aware of his many problems and, even though his mother is very patient with him, he feels like she would rather not deal with his issues. This would hurt their relationship because the narrator will grow distant from the mother in a time when they need to grieve together.
Oskar's mom is holding and squeezing nothing while her hand was inside her purse. i believe This shows that she is trying to hide her stress from Oskar. this shows that she is trying her best to keep Oskar from stressing out even more than he already is. Also, this show that she is a very loving mother and that she wants the best for her son.
The narrator wants to keep himself busy. His mind is always loud and the only way to quiet it is to invent little trinkets and other various things. He is a restless little boy who wants to keep his mind off of his father's death. Inventing is just his way to deal with grief. In regards to his mother squeezing nothing in her purse, she does not want Oskar to see that she is stressed. She's afraid of making his boots heavier from her worrying.
The Quote "Even though I'm not anymore, I used to be an atheist, which means I didn't believe in things that couldn't be observed. I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream. It's not that I believe in things that can't be observed now, because I don't. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated." defines the complexity that is Oskar's faith. It is clear that after he lost his father his world was flipped upside down and he started to question everything. This excerpt in itself tells us that the narrator is struggling with the loss of his father and diligently looking for an answer to all of his questions.
I believe the Phrase "Zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" means that he is shutting himself out to the world. He is mentally "checking out" so to speak, not literally getting out a sleeping bag and zipping himself up inside of it. This phrase reveals that in times when he cannot deal with the situation he "zips up" and zones out, making his emotional state fragile.
Oskar enjoys inventing things. Although, his inventions tend to be impractical. He wants to invent a teakettle that sings the chorus of "Yellow Submarine" and a birdseed shirt that allows the person wearing it to fly. In my opinion, he wants to invent these obscure things to impress the person he looks up to most, his dad. Oskar creating these inventions and wanting to make them a reality illustrates the imaginative side of a child that gives him a fast-paced way of life.
Oskar mentions that he only wears white clothing. White commonly is used to resemble innocence or emptiness. Both of which are similar to Oskar’s tendencies to question everything and respond to every situation with honesty. Also, he had just lost his dad. I believe the author associated Oskar with white because being both innocent and empty characterizes what he's going through at the beginning of the novel.
Oskar's dad, Thomas, was a jeweler who encouraged his son to do something amazing; something other than get into the jewelry business. He would tell Oskar he was too smart for retail. Thomas was heavily responsible for raising Oskar into the child who questions everything and is very precocious. He always supported Oskar with his interests unlike Oskar's mom who didn't really care much. Being so supportive made Thomas Oskar's role model and biggest hero. They have a very strong relationship that lasts even after his death.
I think that the voice messages were an effort to put himself in a happier place. He re-lived, so to speak, his favorite memories with his family. I'm sure he could have left an infinite amount of messages to his family telling them everything he wanted to tell them. As the messages went on, Thomas more than likely was just hoping to get a hold of someone to be sure the ones closest to him are safe. The last message, I believe, was the one to express how much he loved his family. He told them they needed to be strong and work through this situation together because family is most important and said his goodbyes.
I would probably do the same as I stated Thomas did. In an effort to calm myself down, I would tell my favorite stories and memories we've shared. I would tell my family I love them more than anything else and thank them for everything they've done to make me the person I am today. But all the while, more than likely freaking out and hysterically crying. I would hope someone would pick up so they can talk me through what was happening.
The narrarator says, "Even though I'm not anymore, I used to be an atheist, which means I didn't believe in things that couldn't be observed. I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream. It's not that I believe in things that can't be observed now, because I don't. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated." The narrarator seems very skeptical of things and also very understanding of the world. Instead of seeing things in black or white he see's them in multicolor, instead of saying things are just one way he says that they're complicated. This quote shows the kind of person the narrarator is, he thinks outside the box, questioning things, but seems to have a deeper understanding then what people would assume.
I personally think the renter is a made-up person, created by Grandma as a way to mourn for the loss of Oskar’s father. Despite being constantly mentioned, no character in the novel has met "the renter". Even Oskar, who is “at [his grandma’s] apartment every day… still hadn’t met him” as he was always out “running errands, taking a nap, or in the shower” (28). Oskar’s mother often mentions Grandma being lonely, and at one point she even says that Grandma may need an imaginary friend— "the renter". In addition to his absence, neither Oskar nor the reader knows anything about his true identity, such as his name, age, what his job is, or where he’s from. Oskar explains that “the renter had been living with Grandma since Dad died” (28), too, further hinting towards his existence or lack of.
All of the characters in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close mourn in some form or another over the death of Oskar’s father, and Grandma’s personal way is to befriend a self-envisioned Thomas.
The narrarator says "made my boots lighter" a few times. I believe he is talking about his mood and how he feels. When "his boots" get heavier he is sad but when "his boots" get lighter he is happier. The way the narrarator expresses his emotion is kind of strange, but it shows that the narrarator although a little odd, is wildly creative due to the way he speaks and refers to things.
I believe Oskars father had a form of OCD. His strange behavior through the way he communicates and riddles his son, suggests that he is abnormally smart. It also think that Oskars dad is really pushing Oskar in a way to increase his general knowledge in things that are happening around him. This can also suggest that Oskar may be abnormally smart, possibly through a form of autism, and believes that oskar is capable of being someone great.
Oskar uses the term "made my boots lighter" a lot when referring to making references to how other people feel and his interactions with them. I think that we all have our own personal "heavy/light boots" even though we don't call it the same thing. When someone sees something that they think is sad it tugs at their heart a little bit and does make them feel heavier. Other times, people do something simple that makes another person smile and it just makes them feel good (and lighter, like they're on top of the world). To apply this example to my own life, I (like anyone else) have had bad days. I see people hurting with their own personal struggles and that makes me hurt. I go home and try to imagine what those people are going through and it sort of does feel heavy with the pressure of the pain that the others are going through. On the other hand there are so many good days. My exceptionally good days are Sundays because I have the privilege of spending time with a little girl in our community who has aspergers. When I say something or do something that makes her laugh or smile it makes my day lighter and brighter (kind of like floating on a cloud). I think this is similar to what Oskar means when he talks about making his boots heavier or lighter.
"Even though I'm not anymore, I used to be an atheist, which means I didn't believe in things that couldn't be observed. I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream. It's not that I believe in things that can't be observed now, because I don't. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated." By this quote, the narrator means that the understanding of religion is far too complicated for him to fathom. He believed that he knew everything before his fathers death, but now he can't or doesn't want to understand religion and/or life after death. This tells the reader that the narrator is an insecure person or a know it all until reality hits him.
In the book, all of the characters are facing some sort of tragedy. Oskar faces the loss of his father during the 9/11 attacks. He is very troubled and depressed. Oskar tries to find a way to make him happy. He creates inventions to keep his mind off of his father. Oskar tends to use the phrase, "made my boots lighter." The boots represent his happiness and his sadness. The lighter his boots are the happier he gets. Oskar is just like any other normal person that has experienced some sort of tragedy. We tend to do activities to get our minds off that topic.
Oskar speaks of his "boots being lighter/heavier" quite often in the story. What this phrase symbolizes is his depression and guilt he carries with him. Oskar loved his father more than anybody in the world and his father was the only person that could fully understand him. After his father's tragic death, Oskar becomes separated from the rest of the world and lives a lonely life in which nobody can understand. Anything that reminded hims about his father seemed to relieve some of his devastation and therefore his boots became lighter. When Oskar encountered Sonny the homeless man, his boots became heavier because all he was left with were dark thoughts. Oskar made the bracelets in Morse Code so his mother could not understand what the messages were saying.
"Even though I'm not anymore, I used to be an atheist, which means I didn't believe in things that couldn't be observed. I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream. It's not that I believe in things that can't be observed now, because I don't. It's that I believe that things are extremely complicated." This quote represents that the narrator cannot comprehend the certain ideas. It shows that he is unsure about some of the topics that the world talks about. It also shows that he doesn't know everything like he used to. His father was a big part of his life and without him it is hard for him to function.
There could be a few reasons as to why the narrator thinks that his mom wanted him dead instead of his father. Oskar and his father shared a special and unbreakable bond. Oskar's mother and father shared the same bond with each other. However, this bond was never really true with Oskar and his mom. In a way, it seems like the family was better put together when the father was alive because of the bonds he shared with his son and wife. Also, as the novel goes on it appears that the mom is pulling herself away from her son because she is depressed about the death of her husband. She never stops to speak to her son when he goes around the city. She never notices him. This is a mistake by her because Oskar needed a parent figure more than anything when his father died. Oskar's mom was not this parent figure and therefore Oskar believed that his mom wanted him dead instead of his father.
Oskar mentions that he only wears white clothing. White can be interpreted to resemble innocence, emptiness and transparency, all of which are parallel with Oskar’s tendencies to question everything and respond to every situation with shameless honesty. Oskar wears white to show that he is empty without his father. His father was such of an inspiration to Oskar. Once he died Oskar lost hope and became depressed. Oskar may only wear white, but he has a multicolored personality. Oskar is a very unique type of person. He tends to stick out if you were to put him in a group of other people.
Oskar is a character who wants answers for all of his various questions. He is not a person though who likes to reveal his emotions to different types of people. He uses the phrase, "zipping up the sleeping bag by myself" to express his way of hiding his feelings and emotions. He becomes filled up with emotions inside of him when his father dies. His father was his best friend in life and he became torn up when he lost his father. The phrase is Oskar's way of dealing with all the emotional attachments he feels towards his father. He also feels extremely weak when he feels his emotions and wants to shut them down to become strong again. He just wants to feel like himself, which at times seems impossible.
The introduction of the novel begins with Oskar creating and inventing all of the things he speaks. He does this because he feels more satisfied when he speaks to the reader. He is a very creative person, which causes him to have a creative mind. He also speaks of the inventions because it seems logical to him. I wonder if he does this also because of his mental illness? Oskar wants to also show the reader that the mind works in multiple ways. Every person has their own unique mind that functions in a special way. There is no path or trail that a mind has to follow in order to function. Oskar wants to be unique in the way that he speaks of all the inventions he creates. This reveals that Oskar is not afraid to be different and be his own person.
Oskar uses the phrase "made my boots lighter" because it means that the rain, or sadness, in his "boots" is leaving making him a little bit more happy inside. "Zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" could mean that he wants to separate from the outside world because when you zip up a sleeping bag you basically say to the others with you don't talk to me I want to sleep. This shows that Oskar wants to escape from his problems instead of facing them head on.
Oskar tambourining before jujitsu shows how he likes the deal with his mental stress. I agree with what Danielle said in that like how some people like to tap their foor or chew gum, playing the tambourine gives him something to focus on. The movement and the sound of banging on the tambourine helps to stimulate his brain and distract his mind from any bad situation he could be thinking about. When he's playing it, he gets lost in himself. But the physical activity from the jujitsu class did not satisfy him.
The narrator wants to invent all of the things he speaks of at the beginning of the chapter so he can relive his experiences with his father. All of what the author speaks about relates to his father and would bring him back to life for the narrator. Him wanting to invent all of these things tells us a couple things about the narrator. First, the narrator misses his father a tremendous amount, so much so, that he dreams of different ways to "bring him back from the dead" essentially. The narrator's thoughts of inventing these devices also show us that the narrator is very imaginative and has a creative mind. Also by the narrator saying "Jose" he shows us his innovation and creativity as he is shortening the phrase "No way Jose." Not many would understand if he said Jose yet he said it anyway because the narrator isn't one that thinks too much from other's perspectives and almost lives in his own little world. Oskar wearing only white clothes shows that he is obsessive about different colors and I agree with Isabelle Marciniak when she said that she believes that Oskar has OCD.
The narrator's main motive for inventing is to keep his mind from thinking about all the ugly parts of life. Since Oskar has a tough time controlling his thoughts, he finds it easier to keep inventing. A lot of his inventions seem to be about his father who was killed in a terrorist attack. The idea seems to work because he seems to not think of his father in a horrific way.
I agree with Teija that the narrator is very smart and wants to learn. The Narrator wants to invent all of the things he speaks of at the beginning of the chapter because he wants to get the thrill of discovering new ideas and learning from them. The narrator loves to learn and is very smart because he questions. He wants hard evidence if something is true or not. When he learns something he wants to create something to test the idea. He has all these ideas in his brain that he feels he can create and learn from them. This reveals that the narrator is like an inventor. He gets an idea and thinks of an idea that everyone around him thinks is impossible or unrealistic.
Oskar had a much stronger bond with his father than with his mother. Both Oskar and his father both shared strange tendencies from which they were able to relate to each other. Oskar would refuse to wear anything white and his father would look through and carefully correct all the mistakes in the New York Times with a red pen. They understood each other and so when Oskar's father passed, Oskar had a deep sense of loneliness.
I agree with Jennifer that the Narrator is saying that the world is not only in black and white but a whole spin wheel of colors. He is thinking that if someone says that they are atheists or believe in things that can’t be observed they are talking in black and white. Where there are only two completely opposite views to how the world runs. As the narrator grew and matured he began to realize that he truly didn’t know whether a god existed or didn’t exist. This comment the narrator makes shows the reader that the narrator is agnostic where he is questioning the existence or non-existence of a god. Also it shows us that the character doesn’t believe that something is true without finding out the truth himself.
I think that the narrator’s father tried to explain what was happening. I think he tried to be calm so he would not freak out the family. He probably told them how much he loved them and that he was going to be okay so he did not cause them pain and scare them. He called more than once to hopefully get an answer from someone to hear someone’s voice for the last time before tragedy struck their family. If it was my last conversation to my family I would call a lot to try and get someone to answer just so I could hear them for the last time. I would explain to them how much I love them and that everything will be okay. I would want them to know I don’t want them to mope and be sad for a long time because one day we will reunite. I would just want them to know that I love them very much.
The narrator wants to invent all these things because they remind him of his father. Oskar has a tough time with the fact that his father was killed in 9/11, so he puts all those bad memories into inventing. His hobby keeps him away from all the ugly parts of his life. He jumps from one invention to another because it keeps him focused on the invention itself and not the meanings within his inventions. For example, the teakettle symbolizes the father, but Oskar just can't bring his mind to a sensitive topic as such. Another reason why I think he invents these things is because he is very imaginative and he needs to express it some how. Also hoping that it may impress the person he looks up to the most, his dad.
-Amelia Heiserman
The narrator, Oskar Schell, means that even though he can't see his father anymore, doesn't mea he still isn't watching over his son. The narrator knows his father is dead, that part is inevitable. Oskar does hope that his father still watches over him even if he isn't breathing anymore. The phrase "Zipping up the sleeping bag of myself," that the narrar is a very closed off person who has lots of secrets. He doesn't like letting other people worry about him.
Oskar's grandmother saying that his grandfather loved animals more than people, I believe, is used to show how distant he was from her. It may also be illustrating their nontraditional relationship. I wonder if that means he was the type to just bring any animal into their house.
A sleeping bag encases you like a mummy and keeps you hidden and protected from the outside world and its cruel elements. When Oskar says he is "zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" he is putting his guard up and not allowing others to know what he is thinking or feeling. He is wrapping himself up and keeping himself secluded. This reveals that Oskar doesn't enjoy telling others what he's doing and that he is being secretive. He doesn't want others to worry about him.
Oskar is a very unique kid. As unique and odd-seeming as he is though, one can easily tell that he is an extremely smart, bright kid. He definitely followed in his Father's footsteps. They both enjoyed playing fun mind games and mental challenges with each other. It was a truly great father-son relationship. Oskar was very apparently traumatized by his Father's death on 9-11 because they were so close. He continued to refer to the day his father died as "the worst day" and was very apparently a much different kid after that.
Oskar's hobby of tambourine seemed like a release of emotion rather than a musical hobby. He was someone who couldn't really sit still, he always had to be doing something. As Danielle said, its equivalent to someone who constantly taps their foot. It's something to keep his mind off of things, something for him to do and move and keep busy.
Another odd trait of Oscar's was his word usage. He commonly used French phrases but also used only part of English phrases that didn't make sense to a lot of people. When Oskar said "José," it was in the context of the phrase "No way, José," except that Oscar would only say the José part, but essentially be meaning to say no. This is another trait that characterizes Oskar's uniqueness, he wasn't like any other kids his age.
Oskar say's he use to be an atheist for a time. He didn't believe in a life after this world, he believed once you died you were basically dead. It shows a lot about the author it shows that he wants to create a character maybe based off of what he was like and what he felt as a child. The author shows a more human side of Oskar that others might not see, a more realistic side of his thinking nature. He wants Oskar to maybe not be as innocent as he may seem, but that changes after his father dies because he believes that maybe he can reach his father. His father might not be alive, but is spirit might be, so he tries to show this switch of character that leads him to be more caring and more spiritualistic.
"even though I don't have dreams of running the family jewelry business anymore..." This quote has so many different meanings. The root cause of this is obviously the death of his father. First of all, since his Father's death, it was mentioned multiple times throughout the book about the normal person taking seven minutes to fall asleep, but Oskar didn't sleep, he couldn't fall asleep. Therefore, he couldn't have any more literal dreams. Secondly, Oskar is just a kid, and since his father is now deceased, there is no way for him to run the family jewelry business. This was a quote of significant meaning in the book and carries multiple meanings.
When Oskar's family is riding in the limousine to his Father's funeral, it is mentioned multiple times about his mother squeezing something in her hand. She looked to be squeezing something very hard, but she was hiding in her purse whatever it was that she was squeezing. Oskar can't help his curiosity and asks his mother what she is squeezing. She answered with "nothing, just squeezing" and she opened her hand revealing nothing was there. Throughout this entire scene, I was constantly reminded of those stress balls which many people have and squeeze whenever they are stressed. So it is apparent to me that she is a very stressed person, or at least was very stressed at that time which is understandable considering the circumstances.
Oskar, the narrator, wants to invent all sorts of things in the beginning of the novel as a way to help him contend with the internal difficulties with the loss of his father. Throughout the early stages of Oskar’s life his father heavy encouraged him to be creative, explorative, and to look at things differently. The lessons his father taught him are what keeps Oskar going. The ideas show that Oskar is in a deep stage of grieving and is just trying to hold onto the memory and teachings of his father.
The phrase, "Zipping up the sleeping bag by myself" I feel like it means that he closes up and protects himself from opening up anymore. That he was so close to his father that it is hard for him to let go. All he wanted to do was know why this had to happen. So asking questions helped hi cope with his father death. I feel like he doesn't know what he does that is wrong, so he questions why his mother is getting on him about the keys. But when he realizes that his mother is getting annoyed with all the questions, that's when the phrase, "Zipping up the sleeping bag myself" comes in. Because of the phrase it refers to him shutting up and trying to stop his curiosity from carring on. Making him feel like he cant be like himself. For the reason why he thinks his mother doesn't love him.
Oskar uses heavy/light boots as a representation of what is weighing on his mind. The lighter the boots, the less Oskar is thinking about. I find it interesting that the author chooses weight to describe something that is essentially weightless in a literal sense. I think he does so to convey the idea that our life sometimes revolves so much around our mentality, that it can be physically exhausting as well. Take for example that Oskar has had much heavier boots since the death of his father, which is the largest weight of all. These heavy boots may not be causing, but are certainly related to the lack of rest Oskar is getting at night. This is a common side effect of those dealing with stress. To say Oskar stresses, would be an understatement. He has an obsession with acquiring knowledge, and until that knowledge is obtained, his boots weigh more and more. I don't think he truly understands the amount of stress he is putting on his body, his compulsion outweighs rationality at times.
When the quote "even though I don't have dreams of running the family jewelry business anymore..." takes place, it means more than one thing. One of the meanings was he didn't want to have kids himself. Because when this was taking place was when he was in a jujitsu class, and the master told him to kick him in the privates. But Oskar questioned him why and the master asked him if he wanted to become a master. So "jewelry business" can also man his private parts because he doesn't plan on having kids to carry on the family. Another meaning is he really doesn't want to carry on anymore because of his father is gone. He had plans but when he says "not anymore" it is a changing of plans because he doesn't feel the need for it.
I agree with most of the people who posted already about the "heavy boots" and "the sleeping bag of myself" things. "Heavy boots" reflects Oskar's emotions in different situations; as many have already said, the heavier Oskar's boots, the sadder he is, and the lighter, the happier. The "sleeping bag of himself" shows that he sometimes closes himself off from others to protect himself.
Oskar frequently uses the phrases, "made my boots lighter" and "made my boots heavier", as comparisons to better express his emotions on select situations. Oskar's "heavy boots", are essentially the depression and guilt that both physically and mentally weigh him down. In opposition, his "lighter boots" represent the temporary lift of such heavy feelings. Oskar revealed that his boots lighten when anything reminds him of his father. Sonny, the homeless man, gave Oskar heavy boots.
When the narrator speaks about atheism, it proves that he is wise beyond his years. For a lot of his life, he believed in the power of science over the supernatural and simply that no higher being existed. For a long time the narrator wholeheartedly stood by his beliefs until something happened. No one has such a change of heart so easily. In my life I have been around atheist and they may be the most stubborn group of people possible and for one to change their mindset is actually very rare. The narrator simply believes that "things are extremely complicated." This means that no human has the capacity to explain the universe and why things happen because everything about life is so complex. For one person to believe that their way of thinking is the only right was is ridiculous because every aspect of the universe can't simply be explained by one person, group or even one religion. As a people we search for reason and meaning, but a lot of the time it is nowhere to be found. In the narrator's case however something had to happen to make him drop his belief system.
Oskar fully believes that his mother would rather have him be dead because everyone loved his father. In the eyes of Oskar, it makes sense because his father did so many wonderful things. The way he always made Oskar think, how he told the most amazing night time stories, and how his father always tried to turn him into a great detective. It must seem to Oskar that no man, not even him, will ever take his place. Oskar probably feels that his mother would rather have someone like his father around, then have someone like himself around. This doesn't help Oskar and his mothers relationship at all. It builds a wall between them because Oskar feels as if his mother is always disappointed. Since there is the wedge between them, it only thickens because neither of them will face the problem head on.
In the final phone call home that the narrator did not allow us to see, I imagined a very brutal and loud atmosphere in the background, as well as, most likely screaming from his father…Something so terrible that even someone as young as the narrator would want to shelter the person who loved him from hearing, without a second thought. The narrator could have done this for many reasons; just simply to protect his mother from knowing of the suffering, or to make sure she didn’t have something like that recording that she could listen to whenever she wanted. However, after getting a better feeling for how the narrators mind works. I think he hid it to protect his mom from regret of not being near the phone when the call came in to say, “Good bye”. Almost all of the qualities of the narrator, such as the phrases he says and the switching from tambourine to jujitsu, show me that the narrator is very quirky and different and also while the things on the outside like hobbies might have changed, the nutty unique way his mind is on the inside, stayed the same.
Oskar used to be an atheist because he is a very logical thinker. This means that he likes to use reason and thinking over faith and belief in order to explain events. This also reveals that he does not believe in a supreme being above human. He also likes to be very rational when he explains his ideas. This helps him make clear connections to what is going on around him. Also, after his dad died he felt more and more depressed as time went on. This persuaded him more to think rationally over his faith and beliefs.
I think that Oskar"inventing" things is a way for him to calm himself down. Maybe he is trying to cope with the loss of his father. Or maybe he is inventing things that would have helped his father escape the building he died in. The little microphones could have been used to find and save people who were caught in the building wreckage. The birdseed shirt could have been used to safely help people escape from the buildings.
I find it interesting that Oskar only wears white clothes on a daily basis. White is usually symbolic for innocence, but in Oskar's case, it has a much different and deeper symbolism. White is seen as plain and lifeless- empty, which truly portrays the emotions that Oskar experiences as he is left without his father. Humans are attracted to vivid color, it gives a sense of liveliness and excitement. I think that the color white reminds him of his father, and helps him feel closer to him, although his death has brought guilt and emptiness into his life.
In his mind Oskar believes that his mother would rather have him be dead than his father. Okskar's love for his dad made him think about how much he wanted him back and assumed that others felt equally the same. He thinks that his mother would rather live with her husband than her son. While this is sad it is the way that Oskar believes everyone thinks. Oskar knows he would do anything to have his father which has clouded his own thoughts.
When Oskar uses the phrase "made my boots lighter" he's referring to events that happen that make him feel less guilty or a more happy. When Oskar starts to feel his boots get heavier he tends to think of his dad to make them lighter. For example, he made special jewelry from messages from his father. When his boots gets heavier it's usually because of the feeling that make him depressed over his fathers death. Ironically, as I stated before, thinking of his father makes those feelings go away
I've noticed that most of the inventions seem to focus on sound,like teakettles that sing Beatles's songs and microphones that broadcasts heartbeats.I by no means claim to be an autism expert, but from what I know of it, he seems to be fixating on music, the tambourine as a relaxation method also might imply this. Oskar's father seems to be a kind, patient, person who values intelligence and figuring things out. The patience I assumed from his story time with Oskar and refusing to go asleep before he does and the values I got from his idea of "renaissance expeditions" which encourages his son to think outside the box and look for clues. I read the mute person and the traumatized woman's relationship as working something like this :the man is desperately begging for help and the women is trying to do anything she can to help him, but sadly she is failing.
The narrator is saying that he used to be atheist because he only believed what he see or use any of his other senses to identify. He didn't believe in any higher being because he could not accept it because he could not reason it. But, after 9/11, he still believes in this but, with all the craziness that has happened, he is giving half-hearted hope that there is any afterlife so that his father is in a better place and not forever lost to the world, soon to be forgotten when he and some of is family is gone. He is hoping that there is still some part of his father still alive out there, still with him so that he is no longer alone.
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