Q: What really hard things are happening in the book?
The book Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer is about a 9 year-old boy named Oskar Schell who's father died on 9/11 in the World Trade Center. He then embarks on a journey to find the lock of a key of his dad's. One really hard thing that is happening in the book is the issue of identity and knowing who really are. Oskar is incredibly smart and mature for his age, and it seems like he has an idea of who he is as a person, but as he goes along further in his journey, he realizes that he really doesn't. For example, Oskar has this little business card that he carries around with him and in the beginning of the book, and it states that he is many things and professions. As the book goes on, you see another picture of his business card and there are many things crossed out on it with angry scribbles all over the place. This really signifies Oskar's struggle with himself and knowing who Oskar Schell really is. I think Jonathan Safran Foer was trying to say that even though sometimes we may think we have a really clear idea of who we are, but since we are allways changing, we will never know.
Another really hard thing that is happening in the book is how love can be so difficult. Oskar loves his mom and at one point in the book Oskar was being really cruel to his mother and after she forgave him he said this: "We cracked up toegther, which was necessary, because she loved me again." Some may think love goes away like that, but in actuality, it's messier and more painful than that, like Oskar's mom's relationship with Oskar: "She looked at me for a second, then stood up and walked out of the room. I wish she'd slammed the door, but she didn't. She closed it carefully like she always did. I could hear that she didn't walk away." This relationship shows that the people who love you will always love you, no matter how painful for them it is. I think we all have this kind of relationship in our lives at one point, and Jonathan Safran Foer really shows that.
In conclusion, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer has very extremely hard things going on for Oskar and other characters in the book. One issue is identity and truly knowing who you are. The second one is how difficult love can be and the effect it has. Through a child's eyes the author helps us see the world in a way.
I agree with you. We don't really know who we are yet. I think that by the end of life, some people are STILL searching for who they really are. What is it that makes up a person anyway? Is it the way we look? But we can change that....Is it the way we act? We can change that too...so what makes us all different? What makes us WANT to be different because potentially we COULD all be the same person? But that would be boring.
ReplyDeleteWith that also, comes the ones you love. Though it might seem that you love a person now, doesn't mean you will always love them. People change and their personality does to. But the people who really are your friends will stand by you no matter what and love you for who you: an example IS your parents.
Really good job! I love all the specific details and text evidence. I really hope to read this book sometime soon! :)
Thank you Olivia! I definitely agree with you. We are always going to be searching for who the real "us" is, but it will never truly be found. Human beings are mysteries, and no matter how well you think you know yourself, you will never fully know. Love, also, comes with that. It may seem beautiful but it comes with so much responsibilty. Everybody goes searching for love, yet I'm not sure why sometimes. Love is a very messy and complex thing.
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