Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, as written by Jonathan Safran Foer, offers a truly unique insight into the life of too-smart-for-his-own-good, nine-year-old Oskar Schell. The book mainly follows Oskar in his search for closure in the aftermath of the death of his father, Thomas Schell, who died tragically in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Months after his father’s death, Oskar finds a key in an envelope seemingly hidden away in a vase in his father’s closet. Oskar wonders if this could be another of his father’s famous scavenger hunts; the scavenger hunt to end all scavenger hunts. The envelope has the word “Black” scrawled on it in red pen, Oskar decides Black must be the name o someone who knew his father. In order to discover what exactly the key unlocks, “I decided I would meet every person in New York with the last name …show more content…
His story is told chronically; one of the many aspects of this book which contributes to the reader’s sensation of experiencing that which Oskar experiences, first hand. The disorientation Oskar feels as he searches for something or someone to fill the hole the death of his father created is mirrored in the style of Foer’s writing. Foer masterfully crafts the depiction of events in such a way that the reader rarely has a better understanding of said events than the character in question, contributing greatly to the reader’s sense of confusion and frustration. As readers, we are used to the privileges the average reader can expect to receive, one most unknowingly take advantage of, that of the all-knowing outsider looking in. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is not the typical novel; there are no long winded introductions. There are no detailed descriptions of events which alleviate the stress of NOT knowing. No, instead the book follows the scattered thoughts of the narrator, and therefore the reader only knows that which the narrator chances to
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.
Tobias Wolff’s short story, “That Room” is a very suspenseful story that has the reader on the edge of their seat while reading it. Suspense and excitement is created through the plot and theme of the story which are both developed through four main literary devices. In the story, the narrator is put into what is potentially a life or death situation and it is at this point that he becomes aware that one is never really in full control of his or her own life. Throughout this literary analysis I will discuss the plot and theme of the story in terms of how Wolff uses setting, tone, characterization, and symbolism to enhance both the theme and the plot.
The narrator though an educator, is not very good at verbalizing his emotions. He tends to be the person who keeps everything inside
The last engine of the plan goes out as the crew of the “superman” hurls towards the ground; “Prepare for impact” was a understatement. An american biographical war thriller book, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand describes Louis Zamperini life as he grows up from getting in trouble to becoming one of the most bravest and strongest people to date. In early childhood, Louis Zamperini grew up getting in trouble as much as possible, but as he grew older he became more of a man due to his new love for running. Running became such a passion and talent it brought him to the 1936 Summer olympics; unfortunately he only came in 8th. Louis later got drafted into the army where he became part of the “superman” crew in the United States Air Forces. Through traumatic events, he gets lost at sea and eventually gets captured to be sent to a camp of war. He faces many obstacles following the rest of the
Erich proves his thesis by taking from his war experiences and describes it in details how soldiers have negatively changed and couldn’t cope with reality. Despite of the fact, the novel All Quiet On The Western Front remained hugely popular, it received highly mixed reviews from critics. It was banned and burned by the Nazis, who were against anything that might call into question with their nationalistic views. Nonetheless, it is beyond question that Remarque gives voice to the side of the war and its experience that was overlooked or suppressed at that time. Erich proved his thesis by describing the gory details of the front and the coming of age for many characters who haven’t been well trained or experienced with gore. “ We see men living with their skulls blown open: we see soldiers run with their feet cut off, they stagger on their splintered stumps into the next shell
Along in with the author’s use of metaphors is the frequent use of imagery. In this reading, it is simple to envision the scenes as the different scenarios are explained and the audience can easily picture Staples in the places he is describing and also the people he comes across. Perhaps the most powerful and memorable imagery is provided in the author’s description of people’s different reactions and faces when they come into contact with him. Actions speak volumes and an immediate change of facial expression is possibly one of the
I am reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and I am on page 300. This portion of the book is about Louie Zamperini living his WWII days in different POW camps. He has to endure beatings and inhumane conditions. In this journal I will be evaluating and predicting.
This story begins to drive the sense of emotion with the very surroundings in which it takes place. The author starts the story by setting the scene with describing an apartment as poor, urban, and gloomy. With that description alone, readers can begin to feel pity for the family’s misfortune. After the apartments sad portrayal is displayed, the author intrigues the reader even further by explaining the family’s living arrangements. For example, the author states “It was their third apartment since the start of the war; they had
Automatically, the reader knows that serious issues are about to be discussed and that the outcome may not be positive. This novel challenges the material ideology discussed above. It does this by bringing the issues to the forefront and reporting on them in a fictitious yet realistic manner. The reader is not led to believe that the ending will be happy, he is supposed to expect the consider the harsh realities of the world throughout the piece.
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.
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
A common goal in life for young people is to grow up, get married, and dream of a future with hope. For Paul Baumer a young protagonist in All Quiet on the Western Front his future is doubtful. “Let the months and years come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing anymore. I am so alone and so without hope that I can confront them without fear” (Remarque 295). Baumer reveals that, the war strips him of everything he cherishes such as his family, friends, and the hope of a future.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close uses the act of letters to demonstrate different characters personal beliefs and thoughts. We see throughout the book the subjective thoughts of many individuals, including: their thoughts on specific occurrences, personal beliefs, and how they coped with the results. Due to this all being subjective we gain different views to one common occurrence and can form a overall opinion. We are made to understand where each individual is coming from. For Example, why Oskar’s grandfather left. In this separate occurrence we understand how both Oskar’s grandfather and grandmother felt after him leaving. Due to these letters we can empathize with the characters. We can understand why his grandfather left, due to his
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
Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) used to play a game with his father, Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks), called “Reconnaissance Expedition”, where his father gave him a map and clues to solve a mission, until September 11th, when Thomas Schell died due to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Thomas intentionally made the game require social interaction with other people because Oskar possesses social anxiety. Directed by Stephan Daldry, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close follows eleven-year-old Oskar as he tries to make sense of things regarding his father’s death and life in general. Oskar finds a key in a small envelope that was hidden inside a vase one day when in his father’s closet and immediately becomes wrapped up in finding the lock to which it belongs because of a belief that this scavenger hunt will lead him to an answer about his dad, or at least closure. On the back of the envelope, the word Black is written, therefore, Oskar borrows phonebooks from the doorman and searches up the addresses of everyone with the last name Black in New York City. Later in his journey, he is accompanied by The Renter (Max von Sydow), who lives with Oskar’s grandma in the same apartment. Despite having an excellent soundtrack and talented camera shots, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close holds a slow-paced plot that essentially would have been an interesting narrative if it was not so dragged on.