Oskar says that Sonny, the homeless person he knows,
"puts me in heavy boots." What does this mean? How does he deal with
this?
Why does Oskar put his father's messages into morse code jewelry? What does this tell us about Oskar? What does this tell us about the messages?
Interesting analogy about the beavers -- why do you think Oskar feels so far away from everything?
What is so alluring for a child about a parent's closet?
Why does Oskar give himself a bruise even though he shouldn't have? What does that mean?
Why is Oskar being so sneaky while trying to find out what the key is for? Why not ask his mother?
Why is he so indifferent about getting a letter and T-shirt from Ringo Starr? He says he's excited and he laminates the letter, but doesn't seem very excited...only mentioned briefly...And why did he receive them in the first place?
Why does Oskar put all of the images from his internet search in a file named "Stuff That Happened to Me", even though these things didn't actually happen to him? What is significant about the pictures in the chapter?
Why is Oskar's father's name written on the pads in the art store if the pads weren't there before he died? How is that possible?
Oskar seems to go to a lot of trouble to make sure his mom doesn't have the messages. Why not just erase them?
So is "the renter" a real person or just an imaginary friend of Oskar's grandmother?
The phone was a secret "that was a hole in the middle of me that every happy thing fell into." Why does he hold onto the phone so tightly and secretively, then?
Interesting list of people he loved...especially the order...what does this tell the reader about Oskar?
What is he conjugating at the end of the chapter? Why?
Why does Oskar put his father's messages into morse code jewelry? What does this tell us about Oskar? What does this tell us about the messages?
Interesting analogy about the beavers -- why do you think Oskar feels so far away from everything?
What is so alluring for a child about a parent's closet?
Why does Oskar give himself a bruise even though he shouldn't have? What does that mean?
Why is Oskar being so sneaky while trying to find out what the key is for? Why not ask his mother?
Why is he so indifferent about getting a letter and T-shirt from Ringo Starr? He says he's excited and he laminates the letter, but doesn't seem very excited...only mentioned briefly...And why did he receive them in the first place?
Why does Oskar put all of the images from his internet search in a file named "Stuff That Happened to Me", even though these things didn't actually happen to him? What is significant about the pictures in the chapter?
Why is Oskar's father's name written on the pads in the art store if the pads weren't there before he died? How is that possible?
Oskar seems to go to a lot of trouble to make sure his mom doesn't have the messages. Why not just erase them?
So is "the renter" a real person or just an imaginary friend of Oskar's grandmother?
The phone was a secret "that was a hole in the middle of me that every happy thing fell into." Why does he hold onto the phone so tightly and secretively, then?
Interesting list of people he loved...especially the order...what does this tell the reader about Oskar?
What is he conjugating at the end of the chapter? Why?
41 comments:
I think that "puts me in heavy boots" means that Oskar is feeling sadness and despair. Oskar can see how desperate the homeless man is and it makes him feel some type of way about it. The phrase also means in literal terms that it could be weighing you down or someone else down. There are a lot of "heavy boots" throughout the novel. Mainly, because Oskar is trying to find out what his father's key unlocks. In reality, the chances of finding what it unlocks is slim to none in New York City, but I have a feeling that Oskar might discover what he has been searching for. Also, I think Oskar doesn't want his mother to find out about this key because he wants it to be personal between him and his deceased father. Some things he just keeps to himself instead of sharing with others.
Almost every child wants to be just like their parents when they grow up. When you are little, your parents are not only your biggest role models but also your first role models. Its like the fascination of putting on your moms shoes or wearing your dads jacket, anyway you can be more like them is what you want. Their closets, are like a whole new world full of things that represent them and more ways for you to be them. So to a child, a parents closet is wonderful and magical in the sense that it's another step closer to your mom or dad. Along with that, it is an opportunity to find out more about them. Are these the books they hid away after they didn't read them anymore but didn't have the heart to get rid of? Are these the shoes that were wore proudly into a job interview that changed their life? Is this the dress my mom got married in? Is this the sweatshirt my dad was always told to throw away but kept it because of the memories? A closet to a child can hold more stories and ideas than they ever knew and I think that is why children are always drawn in to the folds of clothes and stacks of shoe boxes.
Oskar does not erase the messages on the phone because they are the last messages from his father. He does not want to let his mom listen to the messages because protecting her is his raison d’être. Oskar feels allowing his mom to listen to the last messages of his father would only hurt and upset her; all he wants to do is keep her from being hurt. On the other hand, Oskar keeps the phone and the messages as a way of holding on to his father. If I would to imagine myself in Oskar’s place, I know I would hold on to the last words of a loved one if I could. Oskar states near the end that the number one person in his life is his dad. It makes sense he would hold on to the messages to listen to his father’s voice once again.
At the end of the chapter, Oskar is conjugating the French word être, which means “to be.” The conjugations are translated as follows: I am, you are, he/she is, we are, you are, and they are. Why is he conjugating? Well, it is a little hard to answer. A literal reason why he is conjugating is to help himself clear his mind and fall asleep faster. The metaphorical meaning is a little more difficult to explain. Before he was conjugating, Oskar discusses the idea of an ambulance with a big sign on it to deliver messages to the people who mean the most to the individual in the ambulance. He also goes on about a pocket the size of the universe to protect everyone. It makes me feel as though the conjugations Oskar recites are supposed to symbolize being or living. This is hard to explain, but I believe the reason why Oskar is reciting conjugations for the word “to be” is supposed to symbolize the reoccurring theme of being or living. I would love to hear anyone else’s interpretation of the conjugation because I am not entirely certain of the importance of it.
"The renter" seems to be an imaginary friend of Oskar's grandmother. Oskar says he has never met "the renter" because, "He was constantly running errands, or taking a nap, or in the shower" (69). Oskar has never seen him even through Oskar visits his grandma in her apartment everyday. Also, Oskar's mother said that it has to get lonely in there all day being by herself, since she lives alone. She also doesn't have a husband anymore because he left and her son was killed. On top of this she says that she may need an imaginary friend to keep her company all day long since Oskar is at school and does other activities.
There is something about a parents closet that makes a kid intrigued. It may be the clothes that they someday hope to wear or something similar to it to make them look like their mom/dad. Also, it could be the mystery of what's in the closet. Maybe it is the hidden box of their parents child hood with pictures or it could be the fancy shoes mom/dad always wears when they go out. There is a mystery about what is in a parents closet because it is all of them, what we see them wear, the things of their past, and all of the secrets their parents keep from them.
Oskar gives himself a bruise whenever he feels "guilty or sad" and in that instance he could have given himself a bruise because he felt guilty for breaking the vase.kar stays home the next two days, for being sick and depressed but also to investigate. He goes to a book store and is suggested that "Black" may be somone's last name. He figures there are 472 people with the last name Black in New York City and it would take three years to interview them all. He makes a plan to forge a letter to his French teacher to get him out of weekend classes without his mother's knowledge. I don't blame Oskar for not wanting to tell his mom. They aren't close and Oskar sort of resents her for Ron. She hasn't really been there for Oskar either. They both lost a very, very important person to them and Oskar has been dealing with it pretty much alone.
I think the main reason that Oskar puts the messages into Morse code on jewelry is just so his mom at the funeral has a little bit of oskars father still with her. The messages obviously mean a lot to the family, since it was the last time they heard his voice and for his words to be around her wrist when they lay him to rest is their way of keeping his memory alive. What this reveals about oskars character is how senemental he is. It all goes back to when he says he needs to see it to believe it. Oskar needs something tangible to remember his father, along with his memory. Additianlly, upon reading this chapter, it appears that Oskar feels guilty for thing that are either out of his control or things he shouldn't feel guilty for in the first place. In this sad situation, he blames himself, and therefore punishes himself by giving himself a bruise. Also, maybe the bruising is a way to release anger and stress, and the only coping method he knows.
The reason why I believe Oskar gives himself bruises is because he feels that he could have done something or anything better in the situation that he is bruising himself for. The bruises that he gives himself are unnecessary but to him he thinks that he believes they are needed for self improvement. But every time Oskar does give himself another bruise, I tell myself "Stop it!" or "Why are you doing that?" He also keeps these bruises secret for his Mom for good reason, for if she found out she would worry and Oskar doesn't like his Mom to worry.
I believe that Oskar keeps his Dad's messages to himself because it's what keeps him calm whenever in a bad situation. Whenever he feels bad he goes to his closet and takes off the heavy box over the secret and listens. The reason why I believe he doesn't share the messages with his Mom is because she seems to be doing good with Ron as help and if she heard the messages, she would get really emotionally unstable like Oskar. In a way, Oskar is saving his mother from the pain of her husbands last words.
Why is Oskar being so sneaky while trying to find out what the key is for? Why not ask his mother?
Oskar is being so sneaky while trying to find out what the key is for because he doesn't want to worry his mother nor does he want to remind her of his father. I feel that Oskar also has a belief that his mother might get rid of the key or something because when the two of them were sorting out Oskar’s father’s belongings, his mother tried to get rid of a lot of things via trash or storage.
What is so alluring for a child about a parent's closet?
A parent’s closet is full of secrets and treasures to a child; it's kind of a forbidden ground. Parents usually hide valuable things or important things in closets, preferably in a high area, to keep them away from kids and so for a kid to look into the closet, it holds a lot of things unbeknownst to them.
Oskar seems to go to a lot of trouble to make sure his mom doesn't have the messages. Why not just erase them?
Oskar keeps the messages his father left instead of erasing them because he wants to have something that reminds him of his father’s voice. If his mother found the messages, she would have deleted them because they remind her of what happened.
Oskar says that Sonny, the homeless person he knows, "puts me in heavy boots." What does this mean? How does he feel?
When I think of heavy boots I think of myself feeling guilty. Guilty because I have more then somebody or because I did something I shouldn't have. When you have heavy boots you can't do anything about it. Your walking around, step by step, dragging them. Maybe seeing the homeless man makes Oskar feel guilty for all that he's had/has.
Why does Oskar out his fathers messages in morse code jewelry? What does this tell us about Oskar.
I personally feel that putting personal messages in morse code to have on your wrist whenever, in so smart and cool! He will have that bracelet whenever! Heck, I would pay him to make me a bracelet of a message for me in morse code! Oskar is super smart and he likes to work with his hands. Those voice messages were super important to him. Those were the last words he herd from his dad, those are extremely valuable. Thats why he doesn't want to delete them fro his phone! And he just wants to keep it personal, he doesn't want his mom to know about them because then its not just him.
Oskar's father meant the world to Oskar, he looked up to him in every way possible. I think Oskar put his father's message into morse code jewelry to show that he really does care about his father and he wants his father to be remembered. Oskar gives his mother the bracelet because he wants her to be reminded of her husband even with her new friend around. She has never heard the messages that her husband left therefore she will not understand the meaning behind the bracelet. To Oskar I don't think that matters, just as long as she is wearing the bracelet she is still wearing a part of her husband.
Children are always interested in things that they don't know about, parents closets being one of them. When I was little I would want to be just like my mom, I would go in her closet and put on her clothes and even get into her makeup just to be like her. I thinks kids are interested in their parents closets for the same reason I was, they are just simply curious about their parents and want to learn more about them. They could also be looking for something much more interesting from when their parent was a kid just like themselves. Overall the children just want to explore their parents closet to learn more about them and maybe a little about their past.
I think that as a child, you always want to play with, go in, or learn about things you are not necessarily supposed to. For example, if a parent says not to play with a certain toy, that toy will turn into the only thing the child wants to play with. If the child isn't allowed to eat ice cream, he will refuse to eat anything else until he is happily licking that ice cream cone. I know that I personally was completely amazed by my parents closet when I was younger. It was huge and had so many cool things to look at. I could just hide away in there forever.
In regards to Oskar not asking for his mom's help, I feel like he feels almost as if she has abandoned him. Like she has completely forgotten about his dad. Se has found happiness with someone else. Oskar says how during the entire time he was in the closet, she is sitting in the other room laughing loudly with her "friend". As if having him around is a chore, Oskar does not want to bring his mom into it. Also, he probably just wants one last thing to be just him and his dad. This seems to be exactly like the games Oskar and his dad used to play all the time. Solving this could be a sense of closure.
The Morse code jewelry Oskar made was very special to both him and his mother. The bracelet was the one piece of jewelry Oskar made that seemed to be his mother's favorite. This jewelry tells us a lot about Oskar. The time it must have taken Oskar to color code such things as silence, beeps, and breaks between words shows how important small detail is to him. It also reveals that this message must have been very important to Oskar for him to remake the message in so many different types of jewelry. I also believe Oskar finds comfort in the jewelry knowing that it might not make since to others but his dad would know exactly what it means.
When Oskar refers to his boots being heavy, he really means that his heart feels heavy, and he feels sad or depressed. For Oskar, Sonny, the homeless person, puts him in heavy boots because of the condition that Sonny has to live in. I would say that he may also feel guilty that Sonny lives like that while he doesn't, so he considers giving the jewelry to Sonny to brighten their day.
I think Oskar feels so far away from everything because he is dealing with his father's death separately from everyone else. He feels trapped in his own brain, unable to think of much else, and when he does, it is just random information used to keep his mind off of things.
As for why Oskar didn't just ask his mom about the key, I think it is because he felt too isolated from her. It even seems like he is resentful of her, because she is laughing with Ron and not adding to the "Reservoir of Tears", which makes Oskar think that she doesn't care about his dad. In that moment, the key was something just between himself and his father, and he wanted to keep it that way. This also ties in to why Oskar doesn't show his mom the messages. He wants to feel connected with his dad, and he won't as much if he shares the messages with everyone, so he chooses to keep them to himself. He thinks his mom doesn't care as much as he does, so he feels that he is the one worthy of listening to the messages.
This far into the novel we can tell that Oskar and his father had a very special relationship. It was one of those relationships that other people strive to have. It’s obvious just how important Oskar’s father was to him and he lost a huge part of his life when his father passed. When he comes upon this key, it’s like he’s found a piece of him. He longs to have that special connection once more and this key gives him that feeling again. Because of his relationship with his father, he doesn’t want to share the thing that connects him to his father again with anyone else. Oskar also has a tense relationship with his mother and even seems to resent her because of her relationship with Ron. I don’t think he wants to talk about his father’s death with her as it is, and her new relationship is even more reason not to do so. As for the phrase “it puts me in heavy boots”, I think it can mean a range of things. Having heavy boots can be anything from sadness,to guilt, or any negative feelings that generally weigh him down. Oskar’s father was able to take some of that weight off of him, but now that he’s gone, I don't think Oskar really deals with those feelings.
If we think about what it would literally mean to be put in heavy boots, it gives a clear indication of what Oskar means when he says it figuratively. Imagine trudging in boots that are far too heavy for anyone to walk comfortably. It gives you this image of dragging your feet and making tremendous effort just to get from one step to the next. It's like when you're sad about something and you get this overwhelming feeling in your stomach and throat and you can hardly bring yourself to move and when you do move your body feels encumbered by this otherwordly weight. That feeling is what Oskar means when he references his heavy boots.
Oskar describes a homeless man as, “(putting) me in heavier boots” (35). Oskar is trying to describe in physical terms how grief and stress feels. When he’s in “heavy boots”, it’s hard for him to move and pull himself out of bed. It would be hard to function in everyday life if there were literally heavy boots attached to your feet. Oskar feels this weight of his grief and decides to give it a physical representation, which is very Oskar-like of him. When passing this homeless man, Oskar feels added grief upon him, making his boots heavier.
Contrary to “heavy boots”, we have “lighter boots”. Oskar uses this phrase to describe the temporary happiness he gets from small things such as writing letters, going through his dad’s old things, or making jewelry for his mom. When Oskar gives himself bruises I imagine that it puts him in lighter boots, despite being unhealthy. The things Oskar does to put himself in lighter boots are coping methods for dealing with the grief, or heavy boots, that his dad’s death has placed him in.
To Oskar, Sonny's life is sad. It "puts [him] in heavy boots," or gives him a lot to think about. It makes him incredibly sad to see that someone has such a hard life, while Oskar himself doesn't have much to complain about (financially and shelter-wise).
Oskar gives himself a bruise even though he shouldn't have as a way to punish himself, I suppose. It's for him to let out his anger, in a physical way. I get the idea that Oskar isn't much of a talker, or a writer, or anything of the sort, and all he knows as far as an outlet goes seems to be physical pain.
When Oskar goes through tremendous amounts of trouble to keep his fathers messages to himself, it's not just a way of protecting his mother's emotions. I believe it's sort of to keep him closer to his dad. He wants to be the most important. He needs something to latch onto, even the sound of his fathers voice.
Oskar could put his father's final words into Morse code jewelry for many reasons. One reason could be he is indirectly giving his mother his father's last words without her knowing. I feel like Oskar would do this as one of his main goals is to protect his mother. Oskar knows letting his mother hear her husband's final words directly would bring back all the pain associated with the tragic day. What Oskar did is actually a genius idea, as he is giving his mother her husband's final words without hurting her. A parent's closet, to a child, is like a forbidden palace. Since we could walk, we've been told to stay out, or face punishment for entering what seemed like the temple of the unknown. This lets the child's mind create its own solution to why the closet is so forbidden. It could lead directly to the north pole, where they could see Santa Claus, or it could be a dark scary house, with not a single light to shine the path. A parent's closet is so interesting as a child due to the fact it's contents are unknown
I think the reason Oskar doesn't show his mom the messages is because he wants to have something left to hold on to that's just between him and his dad. He said that whenever he can't sleep or he's missing his dad he goes to his closet and listens to the messages to help. I guess in his mind it wouldn't be as special to him if his mom or grandma had heard them as well. He doesn't erase them, though, because I think it calms him to hear his voice. I also think it reassures himself that he hasn't been forgotten.
Both the jewelry Oskar makes for his mom and the sadness he feels for the homeless man(heavier boots=being sad) show that he is very aware of how the people around him are feeling. His emotions actually seem at times to be a reflection of his environment. He cares a lot about the world he lives in, which is also why he comes up with all of these inventions to help people and to make the world a better place. Some of his inventions also seem to be things that he wishes he had to help bring him comfort in his father's absence. I found the question on a parents closet being alluring to be really interesting. When I was a kid I always thought it was just so weird to go into my dads closet. I think it might be partially due to the fact that parents seem to be larger than life to kids, and their closet just seems like such a mysterious place. Just an interesting connection to the book.
Oskar often states in the book that a certain scene or event will put him in "heavy boots." I thought of this as a way for him to express how he feels at that time. By this time in the book it is clear to the reader that Oskar has a very different and advanced mindset for his age, so by saying that he has "heavy boots," it is easy to guess that his heart is heavy as well.
Oskar goes through a lot of trouble to hide his father's last messages from his mother, but I understand why he does not delete them. Those messages contain the last words that Oskar will ever hear his father say, so of course Oskar would want to keep them and remember them. Although this must be an incredible burden on Oskar, I think that keeping the messages as memorabilia is a reasonable thing to do.
When a child ventures into his or her parent's closet, it's like they're exploring a whole new world. A parent's closet contains a million things that have been unexplored and untouched by a child, and being that children are naturally curious creatures, a parent's closet is the ideal place to find adventures. This concept specifically applies to Oskar in the sense that he is an incredibly curious kid. He seeks knowledge above pretty much anything else, and believes that he can find things in his parent's closet that will help him gain more of this knowledge. Although the night he went into his dad's closet wasn't a time where he was really excited, he was yearning- yearning for connection to his dad, perhaps? This is really important in the novel because if Oskar hadn't gone into his father's closet the one night, he never would have found the vase with the envelope labeled "Black." This seemingly small discovery sparks a big adventure for Oskar, as he sets his mind to finding every person in New York with the last name Black to see if any of them knew his father.
From the very beginning, Oskar has always had a very close relationship with his dad. From the games they would play to the deep conversations they would have about the meaning of existence. Oskar's love for making jewelry all began because of his father. They shared many things together, so the morse code jewelry seemed almost like Oskar was just trying to make something that only him and his dad would understand and share with one another. This tells you that again, Oskar is not only very close with his father, but also that his creativity brings him to recreate that closeness with his father even though he is gone. The message on the jewelry was meant to only be understood by him and his father, just as it use to be when they would share that father son bond. I'm sure it gave Osker a little comfort in knowing that he would be the only one to understand it apart from his father too.
When reading the list that oskar had made of the people most prominent in his life, it took me a second to realize the list was in order from who he loved least to who he loved most. I figured this out at the end when I saw "1. Dad". I knew that Oskar was much closer with his father so this list must be prioritized by loved the least to loved the most. Also because of his mother being third on the list and grandma being second. It is easy to figure out that grandma was next on that list because of how he described their relationship. Especially with their constant contact whether it be by walkie-talkie, notes in the window, or just being together in person. Osker seems to love everyone in his family, but he definitely categorizes his them. Is this a good thing to do or a bad thing? I think that a lot of kids do that, so maybe its just normal for that age.
Oskar describes his emotions by the weight of his boots. So while I'm reading I translate "he made my boots heavy" to "he made me very sad." It seems as though Oskar has very heavy boots during his key search. He hides this search from his mother mainly as a selfish measure. Oskar feels as though his mother has already lost attachment to his father. This adventure to find the key's lock is also an effort to find his father again. Oskar doesn't want to share his father with his mother. However, he also doesn't want to hurt his mother by letting her hear the tapes. So Oskar doesn't delete the tapes as an attempt to keep his father close but will not show his mother. It seems as though this imbalance between Oskar's mourning process and his relationship with his mother is a very prevalent issue in the novel.
Oskar uses the weight of his boots to talk about what makes him feel sad or small. I think that the homeless man in particular makes him feel small in the same way that his father's talk about there not being a particular reason for existence makes him feel small. Things like the meaninglessness of life and the tragedy of poverty make him feel very weighed down and give him the equivalent of an existential crisis. When I read the list I didn't think anything was peculiar, when you take into account the way Oskar's thought process works. His father was always the one closest to him and most understanding, so even in death, he naturally comes first. He has a very close relationship with his grandmother because she is constantly spending time with him and being there for him. Because of the resentment he holds towards his mother for moving on so quickly, and the general distance he feels is between them, she is third. He pretty much, I think, puts them in order of who he spends the most time with on a daily basis.
When Oskar finds the key he doesn't want his mother to hear what he has done. I feel like Oskar is being so sneaky with the key because it is a part of his dad that he still doesn't know about. The mystery behind the key could reveal something about his dad and Oskar wants to know what lies behind the key. Oskar may not want to ask his mother because she might take it away, not care, or become sad from thinking about him. Also, I feel like Oskar wants to have an adventure and prove to himself that he can figure out where the key leads to. By doing this, he could have a sense of accomplishment and also make him feel like he has made his dad proud.
I think "puts me in heavy boots" means that Oskar feels so bad for the homeless man that he can't help but be bothered by it.It could also just be a symbolic phrase Oskar will come to use in future chapters. Oskar wants to interview everyone with the last name "Black" and that will take a very long time, so he gets out of weekend classes behind his mother's back, which he feels very guilty about. However, Oskar has been dealing with the loss of his father basically alone since his mother is no help.
I would consider Oskar to be a private person and an introvert. When he discovered the four messages that his father left before he died he didn't tell his mom about them because I think he just wanted it to be between him and his father and not another thing his mom would have to worry about. Oskar is very independent, He didn't want to delete them because he wants to always remember his father's last words and hold them tight to his heart.
I also think when Oskar uses the term "puts me in heavy boots" means he is emotionally connected to that situation and makes him depressed and sad about the situation. For example he wanted to help that homeless man, but he couldn't and he was bothered and sad that he couldn't. I feel like Oskar has been growing up alone with his loss of his father with not much support from his mom because she is always working that I think this phrase is used so much by Oskar that it almost has become normal for him to always be sad and have heavy boots.
Oskar needs to slow down with the whole beating-himself-up thing. That sucks. I only know of a select few people who genuinely beat themselves up in an OK way, and they're Buddhist monks trying to detach themselves from physical pain, usually with near-boiling water and things such like that. In that sense, I suppose Oskar is just really doing the same thing, but on an emotional level. Immunity to pain is great, but at least as far as I've seen it, usually comes with an alarming and inappropriate degree of apathy. Also, that was an admirably scummy way to get out of French class. I have a certain degree of respect for someone who does things like that. And his handwriting and grammar must be semi-impressive for him to pass it off as his mother's. Or her's is trash, who knows, two way street.
Oskar keeps the messages as a reminder of his father. He keeps them so he can listen to his dad's voice for comfort. He can't get rid of them. His dad will always be a part of his life. His father shaped Oskar into the kid that he is, and to get rid of the tapes would kind of be like denying his father's life. He keeps the tapes as a reminder, and a comfort. Telling his mom about the tapes would be a very traumatizing experience for Oskar. With his mental illness, any kind of change could be terrible for Oskar, and his mom knowing about the tapes would be a huge change. The guilt also plays a role. Knowing that he kept a secret from his mom for years must really scare Oskar, but the thought of her finding out has to be even more scary. It may not have a huge affect on his life later on, if his mom found out, but he would always feel guilty.
A parent's closet for a child is a very new place. Although kids may see their parents wear the same clothes all the time, every article of clothing has a story. Anything from who they went shopping with, where they got it or when they got it, are fun stories that children want to know. Kids only know their parents as parents, not the kids, teenagers, or adults that they were before they were parents. The closet is a place of discovery for kids. They find out more about their parents. Just like Oskar, most kids are curious. They want to know more, Oskar just wants to know more about his dad. He wants to find out about his dad's childhood, and his life with Oskar's Mom. He wants to know about Grandma, and what happened to Grandpa. The closet this a place of discovery of Oskar, and he definitely enjoys gathering new information about his dad, which is best done through the closet.
All of Oskar's actions in this chapter- from weaving messages from his father into his jewelry, to hiding the key from his mother, to making sure that she never hears his father's messages (but keeping them for himself) tell that he is having trouble handling his grief, and doesn't trust his mother to understand what he is going through. Rather than going through it with her, he invents "secret messages" from his father, as both a way of dealing with his grief but also selfishly keeping his father to himself. He thinks that his mother has moved on, and "doesn't care" about the importance of remembering his father. As he pushes her away, he is clearly still in pain, which manifests itself in the bruises and the hunt for the "clues" his father left him. To the latter point, I think it's possible that his father never visited the art store and in that case, Oskar wrote his father's name himself, or made them up entirely.
I've noticed throughout the book Oskar is very particular about the way he carries himself. He (most times) likes knowing things. He only wears white clothing (which is why he didn't care for the black Ringo Starr t-shirt). He often wonders about the purpose of his life and the lives of others, but right now seems to trudge through his "heavy boots" for his list of raison d'etre. Oskar's top reasons for existence seem to be protecting his mother and finding what his father left him. In an effort to protect his mom, he doesn't tell her about the voicemail from the day his father died or the search he's on. Oskar's efforts are causing him to be more distanced from her, but he sees it as necessary for the time being so he can find what his father left with little resistance or worrying on her behalf. Additionally, I think the morse code jewelry Oskar makes is for his own comfort. Yes, his mother wears the jewelry and loves it for that value, but only he knows the meaning behind the jewelry. It's his only way of merging the two worlds he lives in - one in which he protects his mom and she doesn't talk about his father, and the other in which he's trying to feel as close to his father as possible.
On the notepads in the art supply store: not to be THAT guy right now, but traditionally, dudes have pretty crappy handwriting. At least that was my first observation when I saw “Thomas Schell” written cleanly and script-like: “Wow, that sure is some pretty handwriting for a middle-aged man.” Also, he was dead when the name was written, so that’s a pretty solid indicator that he didn’t do it. Maybe it was Oskar’s mom, lingering in mourning at the local art supply store? Maybe it was Oskar’s grandma? I don’t know. Also, his “Stuff that Happened to Me” folder is interesting. Perhaps it represents what he’s experiencing emotionally? There’s some pretty violent stuff in there, so it is quite likely. I also think that the renter is an imaginary man that the grandma came up with to make herself sound less lonely for Oskar’s sake. At the end of the chapter, he is conjugating verbs of being, like “to be”, “I am”, “he is”, etc. I am not sure why, but it sounds vaguely Shakespearian (“to be, or not to be”), and Oskar has referenced Hamlet a few times.
The bracelet Oskar made his mother is truly one of the most sad but nice gifts any child can give his mother. I wonder though, is it the last voice message Oskar heard or his mother heard? Either way, it must've been a really long bracelet, unless the message was very short. Children find adults' closets fascinating. And they should be fascinated, they are filled with things that are important and things that they don't want kids to see. The same is with Oskar. Once he saw that blue vase sitting on the top shelf, he was immediately interested. There are a bunch of pictures in this chapter from Stephen Hawking to what looks like a man falling out of one of the Twin Towers. It's natural for me to predict that that man falling from the building is Thomas Schell-I hope it isn't. The scribbled boards are crucial in this chapter. Not only can you see Thomas Schell's name, but, it supports the evidence that people either write their names when testing pens or the color of the pen. Assuming the scribble-boards were installed after 9/11, there's some weird conspiracy theory going on. Unless, this is just me thinking out loud, Thomas' dad is also named Thomas. The plot sets up nicely in this chapter.
I believe that Oskar is very sneaky because of his personality. Being sneaky plays into his curious personality, and I believe he enjoys having not only secrets to himself, but also time with his own thoughts to himself. Oskar recognizes that he spends a lot of time in his own thoughts and how he thinks differently. The beaver analogy shows us how he recognizes how he is distant from people. I believe he feels this way because of the way he thinks and the way his mind works.
So is “the renter” a real person or just an imaginary friend of Oskar’s grandmother?
I believe that “the renter” is an imaginary friend that Oskar’s grandmother created because she felt so alone. Oskar has been to his grandmother's house multiple times since “the renter” has lived there and hasn’t met him once because “He was constantly running errands, or taking a nap, or in the shower,” (69) Also, his mother doesn’t want Oskar to ask about the renter because she must know that it’s just an imaginary friend and doesn’t want his grandmother to realize that he’s not real.
Oskar puts the messages into Morse code jewelry so in some way he is giving his mom the messages that were left. He doesn't have the heart to tell her the truth about the messages but perhaps to lighten his boots, he wants his mom to have those messages with her even if she doesn't know what the jewelry truly means. The messages are still a secret that he has to live with.
Oskar is being sneaky around his mother because he resents the fact that she is moving on. He resents the fact that she has found some happiness again. He wants this to be his mission, not theirs. He feels distant from his mother and has no interest in growing closer to her. Oskar hates Ron and he initially finds the key while his mother and Ron are playing Scrabble with the music too loud which makes Oskar even more upset.
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