Comparison Between Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close

Boyne introduces this concept along with the first complication in chapter one. After Bruno discovers that he will be moving away from the comfort of his home in Berlin, “his eyes opened wide and his mouth made the shape of an O" (p11). Boyne deliberately repeats this description when Bruno later arrives at Out-With to familiarise the audience with the emotions which Bruno feels towards the house. To further instil this fear of the unknown in the audience, Boyne applies the descriptive language “cold and unsafe” (p.20). The two words with their negative connotation suggest to the reader the depth of Bruno’s fear, creating a subtle link for the reader that what lies beyond Bruno’s window relates to the horrors of the war. This is a familiar feeling for many people. As a student, my consuming experience was felt when waiting for an assignment grade. Society avoids the unknown because it is unreliable, unpredictable and therefore not considered to be safe. Bruno's instincts give him a bad feeling towards the house. The fear haunted his thoughts, forcing him to discover the truth behind the new house and put his fears at rest. This reaction is reflected in contemporary society through our infatuation with space and what lies beyond our solar system, fearing what we do not know and cannot see. Thus, from Bruno's thoughts and actions it can be seen

     “I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another (263).” Powerful changes result from horrifying experiences. Paul Baumer, the protagonists of Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front utters these words signifying the loss of his humanity and the reduction to a numbed creature, devoid of emotion. Paul’s character originates in the novel as a young adult, out for an adventure, and eager to serve his country. He never realizes the terrible pressures that war

In the horrible first war, soldiers often found peace and comfort in nature. In Erich Maria Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front many soldiers are often drawn to nature to provide comfort and peace. Young Paul Baumer, the central character in the novel, frequently looks to nature for comfort in the midst of the war going on around him. Remarque reveals in this novel that it is possible to make a connection to something so pure while in the midst of something horrific and unnatural like war.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close stresses the importance of family, and when someone is taken away suddenly, how that can impact one’s views on life and one’s own morality. In addition, the novel emphasizes that people grieve in different ways and at different paces; this is shown through Oskar’s journey and his mother’s friend, Ron. Both characters use those things as ways to deal with the death of Thomas Schell, and both move at different paces. The book also looks into how deception can be an aspect of how people treat others who are grieving; both Oskar and his mother hide things from each other because they both believe it will help the other grieve more easily. Had the two characters not done this, they may not have coped with the death of Thomas the same way. The deception from the two characters when relating to the death of a family member shows how connected the themes of family, morality, and deception are in the novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

He compares what he hears to a “sea that overwhelms” or basically complete silence. Edgar also wants us to imagine complete darkness, fear, and hopelessness.

In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, author Erich Maria Remarque adopts an exemplary use of diction and emotion to describe a critical moment in the life of the protagonist, Paul Bäumer, as he ends the life of the French soldier Gérard Duval. On a “patrol… sent out to discover just how strongly the enemy position is manned” (209), Paul dives into a shell hole for refuge from the lead storm above. Trapped, an alarmed Paul is forced to stay in the hole for an extended period of time as “minute after minute trickles away” (217), all the while fearfully attempting to escape. When the enemy troops begin to attack, Paul plans what he might do in advance in the event of one of them falling in the hole and finding him. He ultimately decides to pull his knife out as self-defense. When an enemy soldier stumbles and falls on top of him, without thinking and merely responding to survival instincts, Paul stabs the soldier. In that dire scene, Remarque depicts the entire perspective of war as it evolves for both the reader and the young Paul Bäumer. It is only until Paul (who represents the entirety of the armies) discovers what he has truly done as he kills and witnesses Gérard Duval’s life slowly drain from the pool of red on his chest, realizing that everybody is a human, much like himself.

Imagine being so scared to die, that you must kill and attack another to survive. Paul, from All Quiet on the Western Front, was caught in this situation, during his time in war. He had been hiding in a trench one day, waiting for a skirmish to cease. A French soldier leapt into the trench that Paul was hiding in, and out of fear Paul immediately began to stab him. Paul was so petrified that he did not even realize what he had done, until he felt the blood on his hands. Paul stayed in the trench as he reflected on his actions, melancholy. In, All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, the author created a depressing mood throughout the passage, with the use of gory, sorrowful diction and imagery. This causes readers to feel very

Besides the intuitive black-and-white graphics, Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close displays a series of gripping texts that range from profound seriousness to adventurous lightheartedness. The story follows through the footsteps of a nine year old boy named Oscar Schell after his father passed away from the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. Oscar is left traumatized and is constantly unhappy with himself and others. Through his story, Oscar illustrates how to forgive himself from the feelings of regret, loss, and emotional strain. Furthermore, he provides an explicit example showing that even after a painful heart-rending experience, one can overcome fear and transcend grief.

Throughout time, war has changed a person in both physical and emotional ways. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque strived to write about the true realities of war which contradicted the common, romantic belief about war. This novel captures and shifts the audience into a world so different than their home and allows them to almost experience war first-hand. All Quiet on the Western Front tells the story of a normal teenager named Paul Baumer who went from a typical school in Germany, to the front lines of World War 1. As we read the story, we could feel the many changes that Paul experienced, from just arriving at the front, all the way until his death. Two of many horrific changes that Paul experienced are the

At first glance, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close may appear to simply detail the story of a young boy aimlessly searching for a reason that his father was taken from the world. Once the reader digs deeper however, the symbolic nature of Oskar’s journey really comes to fruition. At only nine years of age, Oskar Schnell experienced a tragedy that would be tough for most adults to understand. Without health problems, bad habits, or any forewarning whatsoever, Oskar’s father was gone, and as a result Oskar was mentally battered. As his relationships with friends and family began to sour and he struggled to find the meaning of his own life, Oskar desperately searched for something, or someone, to bring back the spirit of the man he adored so much. Oskar found this, in the form of a key. While finding this key’s home seemed to be the top priority for Oskar, little did he know that this small piece of metal served as a representation of his father, and all

Through the use of symbolism, setting, and character, Erich Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front demonstrates the psychological effects war has on the soldiers.

Erich Maria Remarque is quoted as saying “It is very [odd] that the unhappiness of the world is so often brought on by small men.” Erich Maria Remarque was a German writer, author of the famous, “All Quiet on the Western Front”, and was one of the many influential authors who wrote in the literary time of Modernism. Remarque was an important figure, and his books highlight both the uselessness of war, and the hellish realities of it.

Upon his last encounter with a Black, William Black, Oskar admits to the guilt he felt when he heard his father’s dying moments, “He needed me and I couldn’t pick up. I just couldn’t pick up. I just couldn’t. Are you there? He asked eleven times. I know because I’ve counted,” (Foer, 301). This perpetual state of guilt that devours Oskar, caused by the memory of the phone call, epitomizes the despair and lost that Oskar held upon his shoulders. Admitting this guilt to Mr. Black not only gives insight regarding 9/11 on Oskar’s mental state, but to the severity of the impact presented upon a young child. This verbal admittance permits Oskar to close the wound within himself and reconnect with the idea that his father is dead, yet life will be better. As the novel ends with, “We would have been safe,” (Foer, 326), Oskar moves past the influence of guilt and sadness regarding 9/11 and reconciles with his mother, grandmother, and

Is there a catharsis in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close? If so, when does it happen for Oskar, and if applicable for the reader? Discuss. To discuss whether there are catharsises and if so where, it is important to have a clear definition of ‘catharsis’, so there can be no confusion. According to ‘Oxford’s: Literature Criticism and Style’ a catharsis is: “The purging of emotions which takes place at the end of a tragedy.” A good catharsis closes a story and does not leave the audience, or reader with questions. According to the Oxford definition of a catharsis, it is important to determine whether Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a tragedy, but for this essay, the focus will