Monday, June 9, 2008
Extremely Loud--Oskar Schell
Characterize Oskar Schell. What kind of person is he? How do others see him? How does he see the world? What motivates him? Is he dynamic? If so, what changes him over the course of the narrative? Do you see him as reliable? Is he believable as a real person, or should he be? Is he limiting? What are his biases? What similarities does he have with Christopher Boone from The Curious Incident Of the Dog in the Night Time?
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Oskar Schell is a person who takes everything he is told very literally and straightforward. He is very curious about the things that surround him, and he is especially curious about why he exists. Oskar has a conversation with his dad about why we exist and his dad simply answers, “We exist because we exist.” Oskar refers to himself as an atheist in this conversation, but says he somewhat agrees with his dad because he would like reasons for why things are the way they are.
Oskar is motivated by making his mother happy in the beginning years of his life. After the death of his dad, Oskar begins to lie to his mother and have no motivation for anything. He explains how he loses certain words and takes on silence. Although he does not like that he can’t use specific words, he does not fight it and try to get them back. He accepts what happens to him as something that has to happen and as something that he can’t fight.
I feel that Oskar is a dynamic character because everywhere he goes he makes an impression; he has no limits on what he says to people or strangers. When he is talking to the woman behind the counter at the art supply store, she helps him think through the word Black in red pen on an envelope. He tells her that he “loves her”, which in my mind is not something you would say to a stranger if they gave you simple advice. Throughout the course of the story, his character becomes very introverted as he stops speaking, and, therefore, less dynamic.
Oskar Schell is similar to Christopher Boone in the way they view the world. They both have fears that they let rule where they go and what they do. They have one person in their lives that they look up to. For Christopher, it’s his mom who he thinks died many years ago, and for Oskar, it is his dad. Both of the boys hold these people very close to their hearts and work for their approval.
I agree with what Kate M said about the similarities between Oskar and Christopher and who they look up to. I think it is interesting how the people that they look up to is a person that is dead, or who they believe to be. It seems like because their parent is dead it is a way of exploring who their parent is and is a kind of self exploration also.
Along with Oskar wanting reasons for why things are the way they are, he wants to know the meaning for why things are the way they are. He wants to know the answer to the problem "of how relatively insignificant we are"(86). This develops on the idea that Oskar takes things very literally because he cannot really accept the fact that people live without changing anything in the world, or at least that is obvious to him. I wonder if the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, along with finding out his dad's clues, is going to be about Oskar's adventure to making his mark on the world.
Oskar Schell is a very outgoing boy. I don’t know any nine year old kids who would be brave enough to go around New York City by themselves and knock on the doors of complete strangers. Once he has a task or mission he devotes himself to that. He spent eight months looking for the lock to his key. (pg.290) Oskar Schell is also inventive, at night he thinks up different inventions that could help our society like an ambulance that told you whether to worry or not. (pg.72)
I agree with kate m f when she said Oskar “is very curious about the things that surround him.” All throughout the book he asks questions like why?, what?, and how come? To understand what is happening and why it is happening, that also explains why he knows many facts and is knowledgeable about the world. Like on pg 94 where he is talking to Abby Black about Elephants. “Elephants can set up meetings from very far away locations…and they can find water without any geological clues.”
I don’t agree with what kate m f said about Oskar being motivated early in life by his mother. He cares for her deeply and wants to always protect her and keep her safe, but she is not his motivation. “I knew I could never let mom hear the messages, because protecting her is one of my most important raisons d’etre” (pg.68) Throughout the story he is motivated by his father. Also Oskar is not the one who loses the ability to speak. It is his Grandfather who is silent.
I also agree with what kate m f mentions about Oskar being a dynamic character “because everywhere he goes he makes an impression.” He meets with Abby Black at the beginning of his search and eight months later he meets up with her again and she tells him “I thought about you a lot.” After eight months she is still thinking of him. He left a big impression. Also at his Hamlet play most of the Blacks he met in just twelve weeks were there to see him.
He is changed over the course of the narrative by Mr. Black. When he searches with Mr. Black he becomes more dynamic, but when Mr. Black says he is finished (pg.254) Oskar gives up hope and feels he is no longer moving in the direction of his father. (pg. 287) From that point on he loses his dynamic elements.
Oskar Schell is a creative, grieving, random, bold, and caring 9 year old boy. Throughout the book so far (I have read through page 141) he is searching for the lock to a key that belonged to his late father. Physically the key will open some sort of lock, but emotionally, for Oskar, the key will open the lock of closure from the death of Oskar’s dad. While he is grieving he expects, in a way, for the world to stop revolving and for everyone to grieve with him. For example, Oskar gets angry and resentful when his mom does simple things like laugh or has her friend Ron over (p 35&36). When Oskar goes into her room one night and he could tells he was dreaming but didn’t want to know what she was dreaming about because if she was dreaming about something happy, he would have been angry at her (p.107) The people close to him see him as normal as boy who lost his dad could possibly be. They feel sorry for him, along with the strangers he meets on the way. Like the man in apartment 9E who has his own problems but still has a look at the key, even though he knows that he won’t be able to be of any help to Oskar (p 90). Oskar’s mom lets him wander around New York without explanation of where he’s going or when he’ll be returning (p 52). I believe that the main reason she accepts his answer is because she feels sorry for him that he lost his dad, not because she doesn’t care. In fact, she clearly worries about his safety because she calls him when he is in the art store, supposedly home sick, and it is implied she asked him why he hadn’t answered the phone earlier (p 50). Also when Oskar is home “sick” one day he tells his mom he might not answer if she calls and she tells him to answer (p 38). His grandma clearly feels sorry for him because she let him win every single thumb war when she stayed at their apartment the week after Oskar’s dad died, even the ones he was trying to lose (p 101).
I also do not agree with Kate M F about Oskar’s mom being his motivation. Like Nathan S V said, protecting his mom is one of Oskar’s raisons d’etre. However, seeking the lock to the key is his motivation for not giving up. He is very determined to find the lock, no matter what it takes. Oskar Schell is dynamic, so far in the book. He is not boring and although he is grieving the loss of his dad, he is not depressing. Though, some of the points he makes about certain topics can be depressing. He stops at nothing to get what he wants and still has hope for the future. I’m not sure I can judge whether he is reliable yet, seeing as I am only through page 141.
In some ways he is believable as a real person, but there are certain qualities about his character that make him seem somewhat unbelievable. The way that he grieves, for example, is not how a typical child would after losing a parent. In the movie “No Reservations” starring Catherine Zeta Jones, Aaron Eckhardt, and Abigial Breslin, a young girl loses her mom suddenly in a car crash and has to move in with her Aunt, who is also suffering from the loss. Just like Oskar and his mom, the girl and her aunt have different ways of grieving. The girl looks at old photo albums and home videos and cries, things that, to me, seem more of a normal way to grieve than wanting to keep old disposable razors (p 102) and going on a search for a lock in New York City. Obviously everyone handles death differently, but the way Oskar goes about it certainly isn’t typical, but I think that is what makes his character so unique and loveable. I do believe he limits people; that kind of comes with the package of having biases. When someone is sexist, they have beliefs that one sex is not capable of doing everything the other sex can, which would be limiting that sex. Oskar pays the lady in the art store a compliment even though he is sexist (p 44). I haven’t read the book “The Curious Incident Of the Dog in the Night Time”, so I can’t tell what similarities Oskar Schell has with Christopher Boone.
Oskar Schell is a person that tells it like it is, he says things very bluntly. When his mom, his grandma, and he are riding in the limousine to the cemetery, he says, "I was going to ask her if she was humping her friend..." (35). This question, although he never really asked her, is incredibly blunt. He doesn't sugar-coat anything he says. When he thinks of something to say, he says it. He is very imaginative. He makes up contraptions and ideas in his head that are incredibly imaginative. Oskar is also very humorous and caring and this is how others see him. He makes bracelets for his mom that are Morse code for his dad's messages. He keeps his walkie talkie close to him to make sure his grandma is all right.
Oskar is very afraid of the world. He is scared of many things the world has in it. He sets his self boundaries and rules in everyhting he does. Oskar is a dynamic character because he changes throughout the novel. He says on page 86, "My other rules were that I wouldn't be sexist again, or racist, or ageist, or homophobic, or overly wimpy, or discriminatory to handicapped people or mental retards, and also that I wouldn't lie unless I absolutely had to, which I did a lot". This shows that the experiences he has and the people he meets are influencing his life to become different.
The voice and style in which the book is written is similar to the voice of Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time . Both characters have seemingly lost a parent and are being raised by just one. Both of the novels are mysteries, both of the boys set out on adventures to find something that has to do with this lost parent.
Oskar Schell is a young kid that has had a very traumatic childhood. He is very depressed, over his father’s death. He is always talking about how, “He is wearing heavy boots”(2). Oskar’s, “Boots get lighter”(5) when he is happy and laughing about something. He is weighed down by his emotions. He also talks about, “giving himself bruises”(37). These feelings and actions show that Oskar is a very depressed child. Others do not see the deeply depressed side of Oskar, but they see a kid that needs help. The lady at the art supply store could have easily blown his off, but she decided to help him. Abby Black is the same way. She could have easily closed the door on him, but she invited him in and let his talk. Abby listened to all of his odd information about dust and such. These women see that Oskar just needs someone to listen to him, and help his out on his quest.
Oskar is determined to find the lock that the key goes to. This is his motivation in life. He is willing to do almost anything for it. Even though, “Walking on bridges makes him panicky” (87), he is still willing to do it to find that lock. Oskar is on a quest to find himself, even if he does not know it yet, and his father, although he is dead his helping him with that. I disagree with Kate M F that his mother motivates him, it is his father.
Oskar is a dynamic character, but he is not reliable. He is constantly telling lies to get what he wants. By page 97 he is already at, “Lie 50” (97). He lies to everyone and it really does not matter to him. This also makes him a dynamic character because people lie to get what they want. Oskar also keeps secrets. The biggest one he keeps is the messages from his father. He does this to protect his mother (68). He may have good reasoning but that does not make his more reliable. I have only read to page 100 so I have not seen a lot of change in Oskar.
Oskar is a biased person. He talks about how “He is no longer going to be sexist, or racist, or ageist, of homophobic, or overly wimpy, or discriminator to handicapped people or mental retards” (87). These are common biases of many Americans and Oskar has the same feelings, but he is trying to change. I do not know if he is successful in changing these biases because I am only on page 100.
There are no limits for Oskar. He does what he wants, when he wants and tells it like it is. He is an independent person, and this makes him likable to a reader.
I have not read The Curious Incident Of the Dog in the Night Time so I do not know what similarities Christopher Boone has to Oskar Schell.
While reading this novel I have noticed alot of similarities between Oskar and Christopher, for instance the way the two books are narrated is very similar and both of the main characters for the most part have a good relationship with their fathers and barely even know their mothers. Oskar and his mother seem to have lost all their relationship (if they ever had one) since his father died. She cares about him but she is too busy "being friends" with Ron and working to realize the real trama that her son is going through. She never asks him if he needs help and doesn't have time to really figure out what's really going on when he pretends to be sick. She persistantly looks at her watch and when he asks her a question she just tells him what he wants to hear because she thinks it will be faster.
It is also apparent that Oskar is a boy that has lost all touch with the world. His fathers death was so hard on him that he pushes everyone except his Grandma away. I think that it is truely his Grandma and Father that motivate him to be something and to do something with his life. It is most definitely his father that motivates him to figure out what the key opens but it is his Grandma that inspires him to be himself, because she is the only person left in his life that actually cares about him.
Oskar, since his fathers death, is very confused and curious. Since his father died he sees the world as a scary place. He says that he is afraid of elevators, bridges, flying, middle eastern people, and turbans. I feel that he is most likely to overcome his fears because they limit him in his exploration to find what the key opens, and he is determined to solve this mystery.
Oskar Schell is not only a person with a brutal and unsympathetic tone, but he also shows an extremely provocative sense of humor in his personality. His constant curiosity and questioning lead me to believe he is a lot like Christopher from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night.
His athiest views are delivered by commeents such as, "We exist because we exist". Although he claims to believe in this, does he really? If he really believed that, than why would he change his whole self for loosing someone? Obviously, this journey that was brought upon him, was the best thing that could happen to him. Maybe it will convince him that he needs to open his eyes before making statements he does not even know if he believes.
I don't truly believe that Oskar is a dynamic character, completely. He does in fact go through a huge change, not only in his life but through him, but I don't think this change is permanent, onnly temporary. When Oskar finds the answer to this mysterious key, he is sure to transform back into himself.
It is very weird to me that Oskar and his mother shared the same loss yet they have not discussed it or even talked about it in depth at all. Oskar is so very close to his father but not to his mother and at a young boys age they are very protective and defensive with their mother, especially when the man of the house is gone for good. On this journey, throughout this book, his mother is a meager side bump in the road that he calls his mother but shows no recognition or much care.
Christopher and Oskar have extraordinary similarities, but minor differences. The first incident they share is ultimatley loosing a father, which is hard for any teen. They seem to both be very smart and curious most of the time and little things bother or annoy them. The one question I have is, is Oskar autistic? It sure seems like it through the beginning of this book, but if he was autistic, would he really be going through such a long and painful loss of his father? Would he let one incident change him? I think that is where Christopher and Oskar differ...
If the ending of this journey is anything like Christopher's, Oskar may never truly com back into his true self.
Oskar Schell is a very dynamic character. He is bluntly honest with almost everyone he comes in contact with except for when he lies, which he does to get out of going to school, or to make people feel sorry for him. "The next morning I told Mom that I couldn't go to school because I was too sick." (page 38) In this passage Oskar goes on to say that he had to tell this lie to get out of going to school. Oskar is very outgoing and wants to learn. He is curious about why he exsists. "...and I got incredibly heavy boots about how relativley insignificant life is." (page 86)
I think Oskar blames himself partly for his father's death because he didn't get home in time to answer the phone when he called. Because Oskar blames himself for his father's death, he feels the obligation to find any clues leading to his father. Oskar finds it hard to accept the fact that his father is dead and resents his mother for going out with Ron when she should have been adding to the "Reservoir of Tears."
Oskar is extremely smart and he is always dreaming up incredibly clever things, like the Reservoir of Tears, and the ambulance.
I do not agree that Oskar is motivated by making his mother happy, although I agree with Nathan S that he does want to protect his mother, after all Oskar doesn't want to lose another parent.
Oskar is burdened by his devastating past because he was very close to his father.
Oskar Schell is a boy who is very complex for being only nine. He is also much smarter then any nine year old should be. Oskar is very blunt about anything and everything. For example on page 35, oskar goes right ahead and asks his mom if she was in love with Ron. Oskar is one of those people who if a question pops into his head then he will say it, without thinking.
When Oskar finds the key after his dad dies he wants so badly to find the lock because it kind of makes it seem like his dad isn't really dead. Like a part of him is still there with Oskar. Oskar becomes obsessed with the finding of the lock that he even starts to lie to his mom, which he usually never does.
After Oskars dad dies, Oskar as a person is changed. At night when he can't get to sleep he starts inventing different things, like the "bird seed shirt"(2). Oskar refers to his grief as "heavy boots"(2), this just shows he is so much older then he actually is.
Oskar is also a person who will change to please someone. On his first journey to meet the Blacks, he meets this lady. Oskar changes his age because he "...wanted to be old enough for her to love"(97)him,or when "she cried more tears..." he "went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder..." he wants her to like him and be happy.
I believe that over the rest of this book, I'm only to page 142 at the moment, Oskar will grow and change in many ways.
As alexandra m w said before, “Oskar is very afraid of the world,” he doesn’t trust the world to be a safe place any more. He checks on his Grandma and Mom throughout the day. He still tries to make his dad happy, by questioning his mom about Ron, he thinks his mom is betraying his dad. Oskar is very protective of his family and loved one’s, even before his dad died. “I wasn’t even a little bit panicky, because both Mom and Dad worked in midtown,and Grandma didn’t work, obviously, so everyone I loved was safe,” (14) he made sure to know where his parents worked and in this case wasn’t worried because he thought none of his loved one’s was in danger. As almost everyone above has said, he tries to protect his mom by hiding the messages from his father. I don’t exactly know if it’s really protecting her, but Oskar is trying his best.
“Oskar is on a quest to find himself,” like kelsey b w said earlier, he want’s to find the lock so he can find out why his dad had the key hidden, so like any other kid, he’s trying to be like his father. His trying to figure out what kind of person he is when he says his not going to be a sexist anymore, he tries to be good, as he thinks his dad would be.
Oskar started out innocent, he thought the world is perfect and there’s nothing harmful in it. Oskar say’s he didn’t ever lie, because he didn’t have to, that stopped once his dad died and learned that there was evil in the world. He then started to make up a lie one right after another. This was the first sign of loosing his innocence.
Oskar Schell does not seem to be open and welcoming to things outside of his box, but now since his father is gone, that will change. Oskar is the type of person that always has a opinion, although these opinions seem to change regularly. This makes Oskar an unreliable and contradictive character.
In The Catcher in the Rye, the young boy Holden relates greatly to Oskar in his means of companionship. Like Holden, Oskar longs for another's company yet when he is in the presence of ones who love him he still doesn't embrace the opportunity. Oskar looks for his longed companionship in complete strangers or people who don't even love him as much as his own family, just like Holden.
Dynamic characters always undergo a change, and I think Oskar is going through many changes in this book. I agree with Candace W about Oskar's overall status but i think Oskar is dynamic in very different ways as opposed to one big change. I think one of Oskars biggest tranformations is that of getting used to life without a father and best friend.
As an extremely contradictive and confusing character, it is weird that his simple views are easily understandable eventhough most of the time he is very complex.
Oskar Shell's curious mind and personality often leaves him wondering why things are the way they are, and “how relatively insignificant life is”(86). On the night before the "worst day" Oskar and his father discuss fate and that not everything has a reason. Oskar's father says "That there dosen's have to be a reason." Oskar replied "But if there isn’t a reason, then why dose the universe exist at all"(13). Oskar believes that things have reasons for the way they are.
Earlier, Kelsey B W stated that "He is very depressed, over his father's death...He is weighed down by his emotions. He also talks about giving himself bruises"(37). I do not agree with this statement because even though Oskar had a traumatic childhood, I do not believe that he was depressed. Oskar feeling heavy boots, and giving himself bruises is caused by the unknown, uncomfortable feelings, and views into events he dose not understand. Even though he grieves his father's death, Oskar wonders if his death is fate playing into his views of a small world where everything has a reason.
Since the death of Oskar’s father, he finds the world that surrounds him feels very unsafe and untrustworthy. “Public transportation makes me panicky, even though walking over bridges also makes me panicky”(87). All of Oskar’s motivation comes from his father and his quest to find the truth about his death and the letter. Oskar doses not know this, but his father is helping him push himself to new limits and help him become his own person.
I agree with Dana K P when she says that Oskar's "heavy boots" are not caused by his depression. While he is sad about his father's death, I don't think that he fully understands what has happened. On the way to the funeral he is figuring out ways to say curse words and goofing around with the driver of the limosine. It seems that he is almost oblivious to that fact that he is on his way to his father's funeral. To the readers, it is hard to understand how he can know so much about many other things, yet be so naive about others. I think Oskar's heavy boots are, like Dana said, "caused by his unknown, uncomfotable feelings." There is so much around him that he cannot make sense of no matter how hard he tries to justify them. I think that Oskar sees this and his "heavy boots" are caused by his insecurities that he tries to cover up. Although his father's death was very traumatic, i think that it mainly opened his eyes even more to the uncertainty of the world around him. He is now suddenly aware of the arab people on the subway train, and extremly tall buildings, and airplanes. All of which are associated with 9/11. I think that he is starting to see that maybe everything doesn't happen for a particular reason and that is what causes him to feel his feet being "weighed down."
Like several others have said, Oskar reminds me a great deal of Christopher from The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time. Like Chris, Oskar seems to have no filter between his thoughts and what he says. His outlook on life is very interesting, particularly for a nine-year-old boy. He seems to have so much knowledge that I find myself forgetting tht he is still just a child. At the same time, there are points in the book that allow his childish nature to show through. He asks questions about everything and tells lies to get what he wants. Like Ashley L W said it is very interesting how the boys both have storng relationships with their fathers, but not so much with their mothers. Maybe both boys feel a sense of abandonment from their mothers. Chris's mother moved away and Oskar's mother, in her own grieving, seems to have lost the connection with her son. There is still a connection there but not a very stong one. A great example is when Oskar breaks the vase in his father's closet. His mother is so busy with her "friend" plpaying their music that she is oblivious to the crash. Oskar seems to be alone in his world a lot like Christopher was when he set out on his journey to find his mother.
Also I think that since his father's death, or maybe even before, Oskar has a fear of being alone. He constantly calls for his mother but when she answers, he just says, "Nothing." I think that all Oskar wants is reassurance that she is still there with him and isn't leaving him like his dad.
Oskar Schell is a curious boy that wants to find out more about his dad from the world. I say this because his journeys that he goes on like when he finds the key in his dads closet on(p.36) he then goes on a quest to find where that key goes to. I also think Oskar was shy in the begging but he is braking out of his shell going through these journeys to find out more about his dad.
I agree with Candace W W and Nathan S V when they said that Oskar Schell is protecting his mom. I think he wants her to remember his dad and not to forget him and not move on because she is seeing this guy named Ron. I think Oskar gets very angry when his mom is around Ron because he says on (p.36) “Mom was with Ron in the living room, listening to the music too loud and playing board games.” She wasn’t missing DAD.” And that makes me think that he is protecting his mom from other men.
I don’t think Oskar is reliable because he lies so much and he keeps track of it through the whole book. The world might think he is reliable though because in (p. 32)when this girl asked Oskar to marry her. She asked him to marry her because she knew Oskar and her were going through the same thing like she lost a love one too and she could trust Oskar.
A similarity that seems hinted at between Christopher and Oskar is their sense of love-a shaky sense at that. So far, Oskar seems very capable of loving someone back, showing this through his multiple "raisons d’etre" or purposes in life, which are always directed at his mother and grandmother. One can also easily see that Oskar loved his father, even idolized him, just as Christopher idolized his "dead" mother. In this sense, these boys are like any other child who has lost a parent. However, idolizing, even loving someone gone is not the same as loving the people present. For Christopher in "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime", his love for his present, doting father was easily changed to hatred and fear of him. Christopher's love was proven shallow, as if his father's devotion to him and help for all his life didn't matter: the dog's justice was more important. Now Christopher's emotional capacity and understanding can be blamed on his autism, and so far, Oskar has not shown such fluctuating emotions. But, there have been hints and signals similar to those of Christopher's that could be foreshadowing Oskars incapability at true love, lasting and strong. For instance, in the "Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" Christopher would quite occasionally tune out from the world, and hide inside himself, his own head, as a means of escaping confrontation or interaction with people, places, even things. In "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" Oskar has mentioned, "zipping up the sleeping bag of myself" (6), when he is upset or wanting to avoid life. Other small quirks that the two boys share are the obsession with color, and their uncanny smarts. For Christopher, he couldn't eat food with certain color, and Oskar "only wears white clothes" (3). Another similarity in reverse is their lack of understanding reality. In reality, no child should give copies of their house keys to five strangers including the mailman, the Pizza Hut guys, etc. (7). Yet, Oskar does, with no foresight of the consequences. It is exactly the same for Christopher, except in reverse. He closes himself up to everybody, unwilling to trust, even speak, to a stranger. If approached, he acts odd, even violent. Such intense trust, or for Christopher, distrust, are not so common with "normal kids." Knowing Oskar as versed in odd facts and figures, as an admitted spaz, and yet, as also a so far loving, grieving little boy makes it unclear as to whether he will end up proving to the reader his believability and ability to love, or whether the random coincidences in shared behavior with Christopher will prove he is dysfunctional and not tuned in with reality.
As Jennifer M W says "there are certain qualities about his character that make him seem somewhat unbelievable", and I agree. As of now, Oskar Schell is eccentric, and that is how the world, and I, will view him, accepting him only because he is young. Oskar sees the world bluntly and cold, even viewing his own existence as irrelevant in the span of time. How could he believe this when he has yet to travel outside his own little borough to see the passions that make every life valuable? Such pessimistic behavior is unnatural, and it did not begin after 911. Logic is the base of his world, not morals. Again, this is like Christopher. He makes up rules to not be sexist or racist not because he feels guilty, or understands how such ideals injure people, but only because it will enable him to further his adventure by talking to everyone necessary. Yes, Oskar seems to have love, but compassion? Perhaps that is what he discovers with the key. Perhaps that is what 911 will do to him. And perhaps, through the aftermath of 911 and his adventure, Oskar will leave behind those "qualities" or quirks, and grow straight and true.
Oskar is a child who is wise beyond his years. But that is just it- He is a child. Although he is very intelligent and resourceful, there are still some things he does not understand, and might not for a while. Like the relationship between his mother and Ron. “Mom was with Ron in the living room, listening to the music too loud and playing board games... She wasn’t missing DAD.” (p.36) Oskar cannot understand what it is like to lose a spouse, so therefore he cannot understand what it is like to start seeing other people after something so epic. For all he knows, Ron can just be a friend, as his mother says in the limo.
Oskar also speaks his opinions openly and honestly. For example, when he is visiting Abby Black and asks her if they could kiss, and she says no because she is married and too old for him. He doesn't understand why that is inappropriate.
So as smart and witty as he is, Oskar still has a lot to learn before he can understand what it is he's looking for.
Oskar Schell is an intelligent, mysterious, curious, caring, young odd and determined boy. I think others see Oskar as a blunt, upforward person. If there is something on his mind he says it no matter what, no matter what the content. I think that causes people to get the wrong impression of him.
Oskar sees the world as kind of his playground. He thinks he can go around New York City talking to strangers, which he can. But I don't think Oskar realizes that there are people in the world that if he ran into them, they could potentially harm him. Therefore I think Oskar has more to learn more about the world and the people in it before he goes around galavanting.
Oskar’s motivation comes from pleasing his parents. But once his Father dies, he begins lying to his Mother(38)he begins lying to his Mother so he can focus on the key, showing his determination. He is willing to lie to his Mother's face to learn about the key.
I do believe Oskar is dynamic because when he talks he often leaves people stunned by the questions he asks or the statements he makes. An example is when he goes to "Frazer and Son"(39) Oskar asks "Are you Frazer, or are you Son?"(39) Although the question is not very complex I do not know many 9 year old children, boy or girl, who would think to ask that question.
I think Oskar is a very reliable young man. He was there for his Mother when his Father died. He is also there for his Grandmother. In a way I think he is protective of what family he has left. As nathan s v said "He cares deeply for her and wants to always protect her and keep her safe"
I think Oskar is believable as a real person. There are many people out there who have lost a parent and want to find out more about their deceased parent, but being that he is only 9 years old I don't know if a 9 year old would be comfortable running around New York City all alone. But I think Oskar's drive is a very believable aspect of his character. Alough his age is still a factor that I think makes his character somewhat unbelievable.
Oskar makes no limits for himself, even though he should. Running around New York City alone is not the most safe thing he could be doing, he is driven by the urge to know more about his deceased Father. Therefore he is willing to do anything it takes to learn more about him.
I really agree when rachel s p said, "Oskar has more to learn more about the world and the people in it". I believe Oskar has much to learn as well. To me he seems like a very confused boy. No one can understand why that tragedy happened and Oskar is trying hard to. There are so many things constantly moving through his head and I think it is because he is searching for answers. He is always inventing things in his head in order to help people or prevent other disasters. When he talks about the moving building he says, "you're on the ninety-fifth floor, and a plane hits below you, the building could take you to the ground, and everyone could be safe"(3). This is a creative but crazy idea that would not work, but Oskar believes in it and wishes he could of saved everyone that day. The reason why Oskar cannot find any answers to his questions is because there are no answers. When Oskar asks his dad what the reason for gravity is, he replies, "there doesn't have to be a reason"(13). This is what Oskar does not realize. This also relates to the time when his dad says, "I'm not smarter than you, I'm more knowledgeable than you"(7). The inventions and questions that Oskar asks prove that he is a smart kid, but he just doesn't have the knowledge to fully understand them. This shows his youth and innocence because he asks so many questions about the world that a kid would ask. Also he loves wearing white, which is a color that represents innocence. Smart, innocent, creative, and confused—these are the things that characterize Oskar.
I believe, although I haven't read all of the book yet, that Oskar will be a dynamic character. He is the hero of the story and throughout the story he will go on what in literary terms is called the Hero's Journey. On this journey he will discover things about the world, things about himself, and hopefully, he will discover these secrets he is uncovering about his father with all these starnge clues he is finding. But until then he is still just a young and naive boy. He's smart but he just doesn't quite understand how things work. He claims he's an atheist. Atheist's believe there is a scientific or natural explanation for things, and when he asks his father about why humans exist, he expects to get some kind of explanation, but his father simply reply's,"We exist because we exist"(13). What Oskar doesn't understand and what makes him kind of naive is that there are forces in this world beyond our understanding, thats the plain and simple fact, we can come up with some kind of theory, but in the end thats all it will be, just a theory because there are just things we will never know. He also does this when he says,"sometimes he'd whistle 'I Am the Walrus,' because thats his favorite song, even though he couldn't explain what it meant, which frustrated me"(12). He feels that there is an answer for everything, which is also why I think he is trying to uncover the mystery behind all these strange clues he's finding. He feels as if they will tell him why is father died and it will bring him some kind of closure, but in the end I believe he won't find anything and he will realize it's just something that happened, theres no explanation for it, no reason, other than terrorists wanted to kill a bunch of Americans, but it's just something that he can't control. So in the end he just has to learn to deal with these things and that someday when he dies, or anyone dies, that these things may be revealed to us. So in the end at this point in the story he is young and naive, but by the end he will have matured more and come to realize the things I have just talked about. This has been Stephen K W saying good luck and goodnight.
Oskar is a boy who is not willing to let go or give up. He refuses to let go of his father by not wanting to discard anything that belonged to him. He argues with his mother about throwing a cheap razor away. He also yells at his mom about dating Ron several times (70), he doesn’t want his mother to let go either. Oskar keeps the messages so he can listen to his dad’s voice, he is still in denial of his dads death. He refuses to give up in many ways, when he is trying to find what the key belongs to he finds out there 162 million locks (41) but still tries to find out more about the lock. Seemingly impossible, he finds out that the lock belongs to a person named Black. He then walks to each house with the last name of Black. No matter how far or long he has to walk. He even walked over a bridge, which he was terrified of (87), to see what Aaron Black knew. Oskar never gives up.
Like any young child, Oskar seems to think that he knows everything there is to know. However, I think that the tragedy of his dad's death began to show him that this amy not be true. Like Stephan K said, along his journey he is going to discover and learn all kinds of new things. This makes Oskar scared because right after he has lost his father he has been faced with the fact that he doesn't know everything. Also the things he does know many not necessarily be true either.He seems to not take change very well and suddenly everything about his world is changing. His dather is gone, his mother is dating Ron, and Osakr is faced with more uncertainties than he could ever imagine.
I disagree with Rachel when she says that Oskar's way of being so forward gives people the wrong impression of him. I believe that the impression it gives off is very accurate. This is what people expect from chilrden. They are curious about everything and ask thousands of questions. No one expects him to have any filter between his mind and his mouth. However, it isn't just a reflection of his age. This is his personality. It isn't right to say that the impression he is giving is wrong because he is showing people exactly who he is.
I agree with Brittany and the others who say that Oskar is an unreliable narrator. But i also think that is may be due to his age. We cannot expect anyone that is only 9 years old to be a very reliable source. He is very open about telling lies and changes his opinion often. Like Brittany also said this makes him a "contradictive" character.
As Stephen K W says, Oskar is "young and naive" because "he feels as if [the strange clues] will tell him why his father died." Oskar is naive in the sense that, as Rachel S P describes it "he does not realize that there are people in the world that . . . could potentially harm him." That is due to "lacking worldly experience and understanding" one of the many definitions of the word "naive" (dictionary.com). But to say Oskar is naive because he is trying to solve his fathers death, I believe, is wrong. Oskar realizes that his father's death cannot be solved nor understood with the turning of a key. It is not the understanding of his father's death that Oskar is so obsessed with: Oscar simply wants to connect with his father again, like any child does who has lost a parent. But because he is Oskar, his father's fancy watch, slippers, or closet filled with his things are not comfort enough. Only the key is, because it is like a clue to his father's last Reconnaissance Expedition, a game that in the past connected Oskar to his father as well as Oscar to the world. Oscar is so determined because perhaps this key unlocks one more lesson from his father, one more experience the two can share.
This adventure also leads to his believability. I agree with Rachel S P when she questions his believability because of his young age. It is true that most nine year olds do not go running around New York City, of all places, without being watched, frightened, or lost. However, though he is physically young, his father up to the day he died expected, rewarded, and created Oscar's maturity. At bedtime, it was not a childhood story he read, but the grammatical corrections of the New York Times. The radio never blasted radio Disney, but Greek, and when Oskar asked how he was made, his father bluntly told him "Because Mom and I made love, and one of my sperm fertilized one of her eggs" (13). Oskar was never a child in his father's eyes, but a young man filled with potential, a thinker. If Oscar acted childish towards the truth, his father would say, "Don't act your age" (13), and that is why Oscar doesn't. That is why Oscar uses such mature language, analysis the world so profoundly, asks deep questions, and knows the man named Black above him is lonely, and can interpret so quickly that Black misses the world.
Along with his believability, Black and Oskar's interactions led me to reanalyze Oskar's character. In my last blog, I said that "A similarity that seems hinted at between Christopher and Oskar is their sense of love-a shaky sense at that." Now that I am further along in the book, I see how wrong I was. Oskar's sense of people goes deeper then any fatherly lesson could have shown. He senses people's emotions, he cares about stranger's lives, and he thinks of ways to make them better, like wishing for the skin to signal varying emotions by color changes: "Everyone could know what everyone else felt, and we could be more careful with each other" (163). His sense of people, his constant analysis, and his constant concern make Oscar great. His heart is wide, and he loves and cares for many. Yes, Oscar hurts his mother intentionally, bluntly scorns Ron, and compliments others to get his way, but overall, this little kid has a better sense of the world and more sympathy then many adults as he says, " It made me start to wonder if there were other people so lonely so close" (163). His father would be proud.
In my first posting I stated that Oskar is “a very determined boy.” As Anna F P said "Oskar is a boy who is not willing to let go or give up." I agree completely with what she said. Oskar shows his determination when he tries to think of new ideas to prevent disasters and to also help resolve disasters. For example when he thinks of the "reservoir of tears"(38). He thinks of this idea when he is laying in bed, but he can't sleep. So he thinks that that this will help the people who cry themselves to sleep. He thought of this so the people can rid themselves of their sadness. I think Oskar thinks of this idea because he is very sad about his Father, I think he wants to cry when he lays in bed, but something is holding him back from letting his feelings out. By saying that, I think that shows that he is willing to think of an invention to help everyone else in the world, therefore showing that he will not give up until everyone else is happy. He should be focusing on himself, and dealing with his feelings.
Kitty w f says, "Oskar is naive because he is trying to solve his fathers death, I believe, is wrong". Stephen K W is not saying that is why he is naive, I think he is simply stating he is naive because he is looking for an answer for his fathers death when no such answer exists, which is what I was stating in my last blog. I also think he is naive because of the way he perceives people or things he sees every day. When he is talking to the girl at the art supply store he tells her, " 'You're incredibly beautiful,' I told her, because she was fat, so I thought it would be an especially nice compliment"(44). I actually think his reasoning for his compliment is naive. Oskar just does not know how to properly be polite or converse with people.
Here is a question I would like your opinions on. Oskar says something about being sexist, and I wonder, is he racist as well? He does say things like, "Chinese waitresses smile even when there's nothing funny or happy"(42), or how he is afraid of, "Arab people on subways(eventhough Im not racist), Arab people in restaurants . . . turbans"(36). He says he is not racist but I do not think he completely understands the term or even what coming of as a racist is. Although sometimes I think he speaks his mind and is so observant that what he is stating is only stereotypes of that race. Also, he is probably afraid of Arab people because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I could go either way, but I really think he is just too observant.
Will J asked the question about Oskar being racist even though he says he isn't. I don't necessarily think he is just because he says things about the Chinese waitresses and the Arab people. I think he is just really aware of them now because of what happened to his father. Around the time of 9/11 everyone became more aware of People who didn't look like them, especially Arabians. No one knew who to trust and because the attack was carried out by Arabian men everyone became extremly aware of these men. I think that what comes across as Oskar being racist is really just him being "aware" of the other people in the world that don't look like him or look suspicious to him. I am not sure whether Oskar is racist or not but I don't think that this particular reason is enough to label him a racist.
I agree with megan b w’s answer to will j w question that Oskar is “just really aware of [arabs],”. I think of someone who is racist as being someone who wants to harm them or not put them in the same level as themselves (think they are superior to). I really don’t think Oskar does that, I just think he’s simply scared of arabs and notices Chinese people and other people who look different.
Oskar is a limiting person if you count limiting as having limits. For example on page 99 he asked Abby Black if they could kiss, then on page 290 she offers him to kiss her but he says no because he thought she felt bad for him and he was a bit scared. Many times in the book he brakes his limits like when he rode the roller coaster (147) with Abe Black, he was really scared of the roller coaster but he broke his limits. Another example of breaking his limits was with Mr. Black when they went to ask “Ruth Black (who) was on the eighty-sixth floor of the Empire State Building,” (243), if she knew anything about the key. Oskar at first was not willing to go up that high but Mr. Black convinced him too.
I agree with Kitty W when she says, "Oskar was never a child in his father's eyes, but a young man filled with potential, a thinker.", and that, due to his very structured upbringing, he is quite mature for his age, but it does not seem as though his father considered him to totally be a mini-adult. Oskar is obviously unusually mature both emotionally and knowledgeably, but I would like to point out that he is still learning, which is the basis for this whole story. It's easy to see that although Oskar is very mature, he is still a child in many ways. One great example of this is when his father tells him the story of the 6th borough. At first, Oskar does not believe the story and says "I know there wasn't really a sixth borough." (221) but after his dad states some "evidence", such as "the peculiar fossil record of Central Park. Like the incongruous pH of the reservoir. Like the placement of certain tanks at the zoo, which correspond to the holes left by the gigantic hooks" (221-222), Oskar begins to believe him, with child-like wonder as his father tells him that the rest of the borough was frozen in Antarctica. He asks "Do you think any of those things I dug up in Central Park were actually from the Sixth Borough?" (223) It's obvious to see that, despite his mental maturity, he is still and impressionable child, with a lot of room to grow.
This also has to do with what Anna F said about the possibility of Oskar being racist. I agree with her opinion that Oskar is not racist, but merely aware of other ethnicities, and because he is still a young child, may not be aware of how to respond to those differences. Dictionary.com defines the word "racist" as "a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others; hatred or intolerance of another race" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/racist) When Oskar makes his observations about the Chinese waitresses who "smile even though there's nothing funny or happy," (42) as Will J quoted, is not a statement exhibiting hate; I see it as more of an observation. Oskar is simply noticing the differences in people around him, which is a normal behavior for a child. Even though some people might not find that statement to be nesscessarliliy polite, it certainly does not portray any hatred towards the waitress for being Chinese, or any sense of superiority from Oskar. Therefore, agree with Anna F in saying that Oskar is not racist, but simply observant, as well as still childlike.
Will J W brought up the racism issue that Oskar may or may not have. I don't think he was saying he is racist but simply asking it as a question to get something going, and what he started was really great, but what I don't think people have really touched on, which I think really ties in with racism, or any kind of ism for that matter, is Oskar's ability to trust people. He seems wary of some people like Arabs and people who could be associated with terrorism by the American people at this time. But at the same time he is trustworthy enough to give spare keys to the mailman and a few other people. He also really has no hesitation to step inside a strangers house when he is searching for answers about the key. I find it just odd really for a kid who's father was just killed in a time of mistrust in a lot of people, that he doesn't seem too phased. But then again it seems like he almost doesn't trust the woman who is the manager of the art store, mainly because at first he can't believe a woman is the manager. He seems to trust complete strangers at times more than his mother. He tells them all about the key and everything, but he doesn't mention it to his own mother. I just find it odd, people who at this time in his life should have his complete trust and be able to console him, don't. Instead he has a really intimate moment with a complete stranger who is three times his age instead of with his mother or grandmother. I would really like to hear what other people have to say on this because it honestly baffles me. This has been Stephen K W saying good luck and good night.
I am posting this blog in answer to Will J W's question. I agree with Anna M P when she said "He is quite mature for his age" I agree with that because the thoughts he has and the way he states his thoughts sounds very mature. Like what he said about the Chinese waitress "She smiles even though there's nothing funny or happy"(42) I know when I was 9 years old I would never have made an observation like that about someone. I think that also brings us back to the racism issue. I don't think Oskar is racist, I think he is afraid of people that are not American. Just because of the way his Father died, I think communicating or even seeing people of a different race frightens Oskar. I think he is afraid they will hurt him. So I think if Oskar took time to get to know people and not judge them, he would learn not everyone of a different race is mean.
Along with Stephen K, having Oskar put so much trust into certain people like the mailman and the pizza hut guy and give them a key after the incident in his life, I think is very strange. I think that Oskar thinks these people will just use the key for the purpose he gives the key to them in the first place. Maybe because he is naive or still has his innocence, the thought of these people using the key for any other reason, I do not think, even crosses his mind.
As for going to strangers houses to find clues to the key and the name Black and not telling his mom, I believe is not really a trust issue. I think Oskar wants the mystery to be just between him and his father and whoever he may meet along the way. When Oskar reminisces about his father and the clues and games they played, they were just between his father and him, and he just wants to keep it that way.
I disagree with Anna F's statement about Oskar being "a limiting person", because every person has limits, so I don't think that statement is specific enough to characterize Oskar. I did notice that she mentioned fear several times in her post though, so I would like to venture that Oskar is a fearful or cautious person. Because of the recent terrorist attacks, it is completely natural to assume that Oskar is frightened of another one happening. There is an example of this when Mr. Black suggests how to get to the Bronx. "The IRT train." "There isn't an IRT train, and I don't take public transportation." "Why not?" "It's an obvious target." (194) Clearly, he is fearful of another terrorist attack, and as a result fearful of public transport. There is also an example of this when Mr. BLack has to convince Oskar to get on the Staten Island Ferry. "In addition to the fact that it was an obvious target, there had been an accident pretty recently... Also, I don't like bodies of water. Or boats, particularly." (240) Once again, Oskar proves that he is paranoid of another terrorist attack, which is natural. However, he is able to overcome his fear and get on the boat.
Oskar Schell, to me, is not a believable character. His stand points on serious issues such as religion, life, and humanity are already decided and he is only nine years old. Oskar is a self-proclaimed atheist. He reveals this when he tells about a previous conversation with his father about life. In this same conversation he also shows that he is a pesimist because he starts to think that everyone on the entire Earth do not matter in the universe's big picture (86). I will, however, agree with kate m f and say that "Oskar is a dynamic character because wherever he goes he makes an impression." Although Oskar can be harsh, sexist, and racist, his blunt sense of being always brings out other people's fears, tears and wishes. He is a very impactive person. He makes Abby Black cry in her kitchen because of his bold disscussion and his extreme maturity(96).
Many people talked about Oskar not being willing and open to things outside of his box. Throughout the story I believe that he has changed in this aspect. On his quest to find the matching lock to the key he found, Oskar meets complete strangers. He is willing to ask them questions, get to know them, and trust them in a way. He goes to meet Abby Black and he has a lengthy conversation with him about the elephant picture (94). He is willing to listen to people and hear what they have to say. He is not as self-centered and I thought he was in the beginning of the book. Oskar also steps out of the box when he goes on the roller coaster with Abe Black (147). He hates roller coasters, but to learn things he is willing to ride it. I think the biggest step out of the box is with the man that lives in the apartment above him. When Oskar is talking with him, he is very companionate and caring. This is a new side of him. Oskar asked him to help him with his quest (164) this was a big step for Oskar. He will not even share this with his mother, but he will share it with a total stranger. He is gaining the ability to trust people again. I still believe Oskar has more changing to do in the rest of the book.
Oskar Schell is a very inquisitive. When he found that key in the vase he just somehow knew that it was just for him. Like his father left it ecspecially for him. Oskar searches high and low to find out where it goes. No matter what he does, Oskar finds himself asking more and more questions. Will he ever fill his intrusive feeling for this key?
Like Kate M F says, Oskar is a very motivated person. When his father was alive Oskar would spend all sorts of time trying to figure out the clues his father left for him. Oskar did not care if he did not know what he was looking for as long as he could just find something. In the book, Oskar states, "I spent all day walking around the park, looking for something that might tell me something, but the problem was that I didn't know what I was looking for" (8). He even goes up to people and asks them questions. When Osker's father dies, he changed. He became this whole another person. He lied to his mother and he ditches school. Oskar stays motivated but it changes to a new level.
In the book, P.Y. Longer Letters Later one of the main characters Tara Starr is a girl who is really similar to Oskar in some ways. They both are a only child. Oskar loses his father but Tara loses her best friend. They both go through hard ships and see what it is really like to lose the person that they really cared about.
Every person that Oskar meets he leaves an impression on them like how Kate M F said. When he met the epidemilogist, she cried when they had that visit. Oskar made sure that she could get ahold of him if she needed to talk. Oskar saw her beauty inside and out. Maybe when losing his father Oskar also gained something, a chance to see the inner beauty and simplicity of every human. This makes him a dynamic character.
Oskar Schell is a very motivated person. When he wants to do something, he does it no matter what. His dad would give him something to find and he would get it, whehter it involved it being in the house or at the park. He also wrote to Stephen Hawking because he liked him so much. I agree with Emily M. that Oskar's motivation changes when his father dies, but not in a bad way. It's not good to ditch school, but he does it because he needs more time and the key mystery is very important to him. He lies to his mom because he knows she won't let him do it, and he needs to get around it, and he knows he can do it because his mom is dating again. He is also a very curious person. He likes to get to know people very well, like Abby Black. Sometimes he gets too much in to knowing them. He wants to kiss Abby after getting inside(99). I do think that in these ways Oskar is a reliable person. He is very motivated and gets the job done. Although he is sexist, he is still a very reliable person.
I completely agree with kelsey b w as she explains that Oskar takes big steps throughout the book. One big step that I noticed in book was when Oskar and Mr. Black went to see Ruth Black (I mentioned this before, but it has more meaning when talking about steps through Oskar’s life). Ruth Black lived on the 86 floor of the Empire State building (243). After what happened to his father it was in Oskar’s nature to be scared of such heights, but for him to follow through and go up to Ruth’s home, was a huge accomplishment. I think to do that meant more than overcoming the fear of heights, I think it also had something to do with handling his fathers death. It helped him move on in some ways, such as enjoy the view from the window instead of thinking of how his dad died, “You can see most beautiful things from the observation deck of the Empire State Building” (245). Oskar realized that it wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought and now he can over come any hurdle in life that he comes across.
I'm leaving this post to comment on Kelsey B W's post. I don't agree with her when she said "When Oskar is talking with him, he is very compassionate and caring" I also don't agree with her that this is a new side of Oskar. I think throughout the book he is compassionate and caring. For example when Oskar lies to his Mother (38) he is doing that to protect her. He doesn’t tell his Mother about the key he found because he thought it might upset her. That right there shows Oskar is compassionate and caring. It also shows that he is being compassionate and caring throughout the whole book.
I disagree with Anna M who charecterized Oskar as being a fearful or cautious person. I think that any 9 year old who walked "three hours and forty-one minutes"(pg.87)to a stranger's house to look for what his key opens, cannot be called fearful. I would also like to comment on Will J's question earlier and say that I do not think that Oskar is a racist, I agree with Megan B that he is just very aware of people around him after what happened to his dad. I think if you would ask anyone whose lives were changed by 9/11, and they would all say that they are much more aware of their surroundings now. I also feel that Oskar may not feel comfortable talking to his mother about any of this because he does not think his mother loves him. He doesn't talk to his grandmother about it because I think him and his grandmother, although they are almost always together, have a hard time talking, which I find confusing. They love spending time together, but they always seem to talk about the same things.
Although I see Alyssa R's point that she makes for Oskar NOT being a fearful person, I do not think she provided enough evidence to prove me wrong. I say this because although he does indeed walk a very far way alone, he mentions being afraid. "It took me three hours and forty-one minutes to walk to Aaron Black, because public transportation makes me panicky, even though walking over bridges also makes me panicky. Dad used to say that sometimes you have to put your fears in order, and that was one of those times." (87) That proves that Oksar was not fearless on his three-hour journey, he just had to deal with and overcome the fear of bridges along with any other anxieties he may have been feeling during the trip. Just because he was able to overcome the fear this time does not mean is does not exist.
I’m posting this comment to go along with what Will J brought up about Osker being a racist. I don’t think Osker is quite old enough to be racist or to really understand what it means, just old enough to be aware of people who look different from him. Oskar hasn’t really showed hatred or intolerance of other races which is what the definition of racism is according to www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/racism. (Hatred or intolerance of another race or races) When Oskar makes the observation about Chinese waitresses always smiling even though there is nothing happy or funny and how Chinese people own Mexican restaurants but Mexicans don’t own Chinese restaurants, (p.42) I think Oskar is trying to characterize races not necessarily showing hatred. I don’t believe that Oskar is a racist, yet, but is just trying to figure out and understand them.
Also i disagree with Alyssa R when she stated that Oskar may not feel comfortable talking to his mother about any of this because he does not think his mother loves him. I think Oskar's mom loves him very much and that he knows it too. I think he doesn't want to talk about it with his mom or grandma because he doesn't want to let them in on his feeling because he wants to keep the connection he feels just between him and his dad. My other reason for thinking that is because Oskar feels pretty comfortable with talking to strangers about it (p. 301 Oskar tells William Black his secret that he hasn't told anyone before) because he doesn't fear that they will butt in and take away the connection he has with his father.
I disagree with Katheryn G. when she said Oskar is too young to be racist. I think that at age 9 you are able to understand the difference between races and have an opinion on them. I dont think that Oskar is racist, but I also dont think that it is because he is too young.
I do agree with her though that he is afraid that he will loose his connection with his father, but I dont think that that is the reason he wont talk to his mom and granma about it. Oskar wont talk to his mother, becasue he thinks she is trying to replace his father with Ron. He doesn't like that his mom "spends so much time laughing with Ron when she should have been adding to the Reservoir of tears." (52). Although he says that that is not the reason he can't tell his mom about the key, I think it has something to do with it. I also think that Oskar thinks his mom is lying when she says she and Ron are just friends. Oskar is very observant and knows that there is more than just a friendship there.
He wont talk to his grandma because he is afraid to bring back memories. He loves his granma very much, and he seems to always try to look out for her. I dont think he wants to worry her with the key.
Now that I have read more of the book, I agree with Nathan when he said he disagreed with my first post. I don’t think that Oskar’s mother is his motivation, I think it is getting his father back through his search for the lock. Although he cares about protecting her, they do not have a good relationship and he is very angry with her and how she is acting with Ron, and how she never asks where he is going and when he’ll be home.
I disagree with Rachel when she says that Oskar's way of being so forward gives people the wrong impression of him. I think by him being so forward, people are more likely to help a nine year old boy who wants to “stop missing hid dad” instead of being put off by it. The women seem to have a soft spot for Oskar and often invite him in, like Abby Black. It makes him seem very trustworthy that he puts all of his cards on the table.
I agree with Megan when she says that Oskar is not necessarily racist, he is just more aware of people after 9/11. I also agree with Katheryn when she says that Oskar is trying to characterize races, not hate them. I also don’t think that he is sexist because he never really shows any examples of being sexist that I’ve noticed.
I think that Oskar being so determined to find the lock is good because it’s his way of holding onto his father’s memory, but when he says, “That gave me heavy boots, because it reminded me of the lock that I still hadn’t found, and how until I found it, I didn’t love Dad enough” (251) when he and Mr. Black are in the Empire State building, we see he is trying to prove his love and if he fails he doesn’t love his dad. I think this is so sad because Oskar doesn’t understand that finding the lock really proves nothing because he shows through the whole book how much he loves his dad.
Alesha E W
I agree with Kate when she says that finding the lock is not important at all. Oskar will always love his dad. Oskar has always loved his dad. That will never change. The whole mystery of the where did the lock come from sparks curiousity in Oskar. He thinks it will help himself accept the fact that his dad has died. I believe Oskar is a very loving kid. He loves his dad very much and as every little kid is like, he doesn't understand why his dad was taken away from him. Every boy deserves to grow up with his father. The not knowing WHY bothers Oskar. So, the detective part within is sparked. (the detective was creative by his father). He becomes curious and starts to solve the secret. He was taught to figure out every answer, collect all evidence and go through every explaination. This is how he starts his journey to find the answer. He says, "then I did some research on the internet about the locks of New York, and I found out a lot od useful information" (40). Which he finds out all the crazy numbers of how many locks in New York. How many people have the last name Black. All this is important but makes Oskar more upset. So the information doesn't really help. But this is the kind of person Oskar is, he needs to know everything about everything. He is a very curious, parinoid person. He is very determined and doesn't miss a detail.
OK--a new decree. You are no longer allowed to use the phrases "I agree" or "I disagree" in this post (and, hopefully, other posts). Work to open your posts with stronger, more meaningful statements that reflect your actual point rather than a simple/general phrase.
Note this example from another topic:
"STUDENT X said, 'Minor characters help to shape who Liesel is.' One of the minor characters who especially does this is Max. They have quite a bit in common. . ."
This shows the blogger agrees without the overly simplistic (and now repetitive) phrase "I agree." There are many other examples like this on this topic and others on the blog. Note them, and do not fall into mundane traps or repetitive forms.
Cheers.
With all of the answers to my question, it supports my belief that Oskar is not racist. I found it interesting when alyssa r stated, " if you would ask anyone whose lives were changed by 9/11, and they would all say that they are much more aware of their surroundings now". This statement can be used not just for my question but for the debate about Oskar being afraid. I do not think Oskar is afraid, I think he is just aware of the dangers or accidents that could occur in his daily life so he can be ready for them. Going through every possible thing that could go wrong in order to be prepared for it, does not mean he has fear.
It is definitely true that Oskar is changing. He is a dynamic character. At first he seemed naive and innocent. He came of as being racist even though he was not, and might not of understood how he was acting. Also, he would try to answer questions when there was no answer. As I continue to read the story Oskar says, "it didn't even matter if I existed at all"(86), which demonstrates that he understands that not everything matters or has an answer. Oskar even states, "I wouldn't be sexist, or racist, or ageist, or homophobic, or overly wimpy . . . I wouldn't lie unless I absolutely had to"(87), which shows how he is maturing and has a better understanding of the world around him. In order to let go of his father and this mystery, Oskar must put all differences aside and start to become more knowledgeable of the world and his life.
That last comment was actually by Will J W. For some reason it signed into my account from last year. So its Will J W and not Will J P.
In addition to what many others have said about Oskar being a very naive young boy. I believe that Oskar, even though he has been through some traumatic things in his short lifetime, is truly still an innocent child. At the beginning of the story Oskar seems to have no filter when he speaks and he simply tells it like it is. To me this seems to tie in with his innocence because he does not realize that in the real world words can be offensive and often are not okay to use in civilized conversation. For example on pg. 35 Oskar thinks: "I was going to ask her if she was humping her friend, and if she had said yes, I would have run away, and if she had said no, I would have asked if they heavy-petted each other, which I know about." and just like Alexandra M said, even though Oskar does not actually say this aloud, it is still an incredibly blunt and unfiltered thought. However, as the story progresses and Oskar's quest to find the lock for the key begins, Oskar begins to change. I feel like this whole journey he takes trying to figure out the key is changes him. While he is also leading up to closure about his father's death, in a way he is loosing his innocence. It seems to me that reaching a conclusion for his father's life will also end up stripping Oskar of his innocence.
Oskar is idealistic. There is a scene in the book on page 150 when Oskar is talking to Ada Black and she starts making him feel self-conscious about himself and his ideals. Oscar first asks her something about how how it makes her feel to know that there are a bunch of millionaires living in a city with a bunch of homeless people. I don't think he asks this to make her feel bad about herself, but she takes offense to it and tells him she gives to lots of charities. Then because she is still hurt she continues to criticize him about how he has things he doesn't need and so on and so forth. i really liked this part because even thought Oskar is the main character and just a young boy he gets on my nerves sometimes because of his way of thinking and looking at things. At times it seems like he feels like he is better than people. This scene was good because like i said in earlier posts Oskar is going on a journey and he will mature, and just this scene where Ada kind of puts him in his place is a big step for him to mature and see the world better. Oskar even says himself, "The conversation was beginning to make me feel self-conscious"(150). This is good because if he starts to see that he is idealistic and hypocritical and he says he lives his life in a good way but really goes against a lot of the things he says, then he will grow and change into a better, more mature, young man by the end of the book and his Hero's Journey will be complete. This has been Stephen K W saying good luck and goodnight.
Oskkar Schell is alone and is afraid that someday he will have moved on which scares him because he does not want to forget his dad. So far, Oskar recreates his Dad when the key in the vase becomes another scavenger hunt like Reconnaissance Expedition, the game he and his father played together. Everything he finds is a clue because he is afraid that something he ignores is going to make him lose the game and ultimately lose his father. When he first starts out, he determines that 162 million locks are in New York City (41). Then he moves onto the envelope with "Black" written in red pen and ventures off to the art store where he finds his Dad's signature on the test pads. He becomes more hopeful because it's something that makes him feel that his Dad is has not left him completely, it's like he's still playing games with him. Even the telephone he saves with the messages from that day are kept preserved because Oskar can return to them whenever he wants. In the end, I think that Oskar will become more acceptant of others (right now he is an atheist, sexist, and rascist) because he meets all of these people along the way that will change his mind about how he looks at people. Maybe the key is a symbol that unlocks Oskar and will open him up to world to new ideas and will let the world see him.
This part of the story reminds me of Christopher in "The curious incident of the Dog in the nighttime" because the two of them are obsessed with detail. Christopher is very precise with everything he does with numbers and maps while Oskar is very accurate about how long it will take him to interview all of the Blacks.
I am posting this to comment on the phone messages Oskar saved from the day his Father died. I think that Oskar keeping the phone messages from the day he died is a way to keep him from moving on. I think Oskar wants to move on but he is afraid. He doesn't want to move on and forget his Father because they were so close, but eventually he is going to have to learn live with his Fathers death. He doesn't need to dwell on it.
From my personal experiences with a death in the Family it is hard, and you don't want to forget the person that has passed away. Eventually you learn to live with the pain of that persons death and remember them for who they were, not what they could have been. In saying that I think in time Oskar will be able to move on with his life, but it might take him a while.
Will J W said that he doesn't think that Oskar is afraid,he is just aware of his surroundings. I think that because he is now so aware of what is going on around him he is scared. He is scare because he is realizing he doesn't know everything and is becoming aware of the uncertainties in his life. Haley S W said that he is afraid of moving on and that is the reason that he keeps the phone messages that his father left that morning. To Oskar, I think that moving on means that he ill forget all about his father. He is unable to see himself moving on in his life, or his mother moving on, without entirely deserting the memory of his father. I also think that he is afraid of the responsibilities that he has now that his dad has died. While he truly doesn't have all of these responsibiities, he thinks he does because he is now the man of the house. Hhe thinks he has to protect his mother and that is why he hides the phone messages so well and does the other things to try and protect her. To me, Oskar's once secure and stable world was shattered the morning that his father died. Now he is looking at this new dark, uncertain world, and he truly is scared.
I love Okars mind. I think it is so faninating that he can jump topics so often and still have them connecting in the end, he's like a teenage girl but with substance in his head instead of just usless nothing. As he grows and tradgedy shakes his worl he doesnt let it phase him like another person would. On the topis of losing his speach, i have to disagree with Kate M, his is upset that he loses certain words, he just learns to take it as it is because he knows that it's something that he cant change. That's another aspect of his personality that I like, he doesn't try to fix things that he doesn't have power over, i think we should all be more like Oskar, he doesnt care about all the little things.
It seems odd to me that he was grown up long before he had to be. Oskar doesn't deal with his fathers death like a normal 9 year old would. He deals wiht it with a maturity level that he had no reason to adopt. It seems odd to me that he grows up before he has to. Some of us have had events that cause us to have to grow up and act far beyond his age, but before any real world shattering event he is still a man, not a child.
Something else i have noticed is Oskar's motivation in the story for finding the lock that goes with the key. Like Haley S W said, Oskar likes the idea of finding this lock because it gives him the sense that he is still playing his father's games like the Reconnaissance Expedition. Oskar feels like it is another one of his father's mysteries that he is trying to solve, and Oskar goes along with it because he wants to hold onto the feeling that his father is still with him. He treats this key as if it is one last thing that can connect he and his father. Ultimately, the quest to find the lock will end, therefore separating he and his father for good, in a way. Because after this there won't be anymore keys to find locks to or mysteries to solve. However I feel like Oskar doesn't realize this. All he wants is to hold onto his father for as long as possible, but he is being naive not to think about what will happen when he finally finds the lock. Oskar is hoping that whatever the key unlocks will bring him closer to his father, but we know that this is impossible. That is why i think the lock will bring him some sort of closure on his father's death. Because ultimately he will realize that nothing can change what happened to his father, so maybe he will start to accept the fact that he is gone, and focus on who his father was instead of what he could have been.
I completely agree with Maddie about the way that Oskar's mindset affects the way that the story is written. It is written so randomly but yet all of the stories tie together. It could go from the plot about Oskar wandering around New York, to a story from his grandmother's childhood and then back again. Yet all of the stories are connected because of the way that Oskar's personality.
I also think that Oskar's personality is very interesting because at some points it's very immature yet sometimes he acts very mature. He acts immature in some areas of the story like when he interacts with people that he is meeting with the last name Black. One example is when he goes and visits the lady and asks to kiss her. That is a very immature thing to ask considering he just met her. But he also acts very mature. As everyone knows, Oskar asks a lot of questions and has a very mature mindset in the way he solves issues.
I completely agree with Maddie about the way that Oskar's mindset affects the way that the story is written. It is written so randomly but yet all of the stories tie together. It could go from the plot about Oskar wandering around New York, to a story from his grandmother's childhood and then back again. Yet all of the stories are connected because of the way that Oskar's personality.
I also think that Oskar's personality is very interesting because at some points it's very immature yet sometimes he acts very mature. He acts immature in some areas of the story like when he interacts with people that he is meeting with the last name Black. One example is when he goes and visits the lady and asks to kiss her. That is a very immature thing to ask considering he just met her. But he also acts very mature. As everyone knows, Oskar asks a lot of questions and has a very mature mindset in the way he solves issues.
Following the basis that Nicole C P started, and agreeing with Maddie P P, the look into Oskar's mind throughout this book reminds me of a diary. The photographs that appear throughout the novel to illustrate some part of his life furthers this, along with the simple comments like " which i know about, unfortuantely(11)." He states his life just like he would be writing to a diary, almost in the sense that he is talking to himself and putting pictures in there simply because he wants to remember them. I really enjoy this style of writing, and it made the book, and Oskar himself, much more easier to understand. I believe this is what Foer was trying to accomplish. We all pretty much aggree that oskar is a complex person, and it shown even more so because he seems to be narrating his own story, so you see things literally through the eyes of a nine year old.
Laura W said that the book is like a diary. I think this is an interesting way to put it and I agree with her metaphor. Along with making the book easier to understand with Oskar's blunt comments and pictures, it makes it easier for the reader to connect with the Oskar and the story. Because the book is written like a diary it is easier to enter his world and eventually learn to like, or dislike, him and his way of thinking.
This reminds me a lot of Christopher and The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night Time because it also has a blunt and random story but also pictures, which allow us to see exactly what he is seeing and we can enter his world better, like Oskar.
Because we see things literally through Oskar's eyes, like Laura said, it makes his character more believable. It also makes him seem more reliable knowing that we are reading what he thinks and what he feels.
I would like to comment on what Laura W and Breanna C about the way that this book is written. I love the metaphor that this novel is written like a diary. It makes complete sense to write it like this so that so that everyone can relate to the protagonist in the story better. Also, it helps you understand how Oskar relates to Christopher in the book The Curious Incident with the Dog in the Nightime. As we all know, Oskar has a very interesting way of thinking and the pictures in the novel help us relate that same mindset into Christopher and the book that he is in.
I would also like to point out the way that Foer uses the pictures in the book. He puts them in places where they are important. One example is on page 166-167. This is where Mr. Black hears the birds. By putting these pictures hear, it catches your eye and makes you pay attention. One more example is on the random pages that there is a picture of a door handle. It makes you go back and look at all of the pages with that picture. (29,115,134,212,265)
I would like to go back to stephen k w's last comment and say that i agree with him about saying that Oskar is an idealistic, although i think that Oskar should learn to be aware of the way his words will be precieved because he tends to say things that seem rather harsh. I do not think that he necessarily means to do this but, he needs to be aware of his words. There is a perfect example of this when Oskar accuses Ada Black of being selfish with her money(149). It doesn't seem to me that Oskar means to intend harm with his words, but he should learn that it is tipical of people to become defensive of their actions. After Oskar scrutinizes Ada about her lack of charity, she retorts by saying that Oskar himself is fairly rich. The thing that I like about Oskar is that he starts to relize that Ada may be right about how his condition of living is pretty good. Other people might continue to fight their cause and make themself look like a hypocrite, but Oskar is mature enough to see that he might just be wrong.
(for some reason my acount that i started with is not letting me post. that was alex p w. so now i will be using this account.)
Oskar Schell has a very black and white veiw of the world and is very straightforward in the way he does everything. Haley S states that oskar is an atheist. Oskar may say that he's an atheist but i beleive that hes trying to tell himself that he is so he can keep his views black and white. If he accepts that hes not an atheist his life would be changed drastically.
Kathryn G talks about Oskar being "too young to be racist", i think that a nine year old is perfectly capable of recognizing differences in races and also capable of 'exploiting' them (for lack of a better term). He may have the ability to be racist i dont beleive, he just distinguishes the differences between races.
As for those who speak of Oskar being fearful, he is afraid of certain things such as bridges, airplanes, tall buildings, germs, etc.(36), but i dont think that makes him a fearful person. He is just more cautious about certain things after his fathers death. I wouldnt characterize any 9 year old, who is meeting every stranger with the last name Black in the city on his own, as a fearful person. The only thing that i feel Oskar is genuinely fearful of, is losing his father completely. Which is why he is looking for the lock. There is nothing truly important about the key other than the fact that its from his father and its one of Oskars last connections to him.
Alex Z W brings up a very legitimate point when talking about Oskars blunt honesty. Although he is often right about he is saying he has yet to learn to say things in a non-offensive ways towards others. He is very frank about what he has to say and often does not hold back, which people are often taken aback by and become very defensive, as Ada Black did.
I agree with Garrett E when he says that Oskar is a very blunt child but I think that every child is blunt when they are Oskars age. Children don't really think about what they say before they say it because if they dont intend it to be mean; in their mind it isn't mean so why would they think about what they're saying. I think that Oskar is saying things the way he sees it, and maybe he thinks that he's helping people when he tells them what he sees. Children are known to tell others their flaws but not in a harsh way because there is still innocence a child and in their thoughts.
I also agree with Nicole C when she says that the story being written like a diary makes it easier to relate to Oskar. I think it helps the reader to stay connected with the narrator while reading. I can see a significant likeness with Christopher and Oskar.
I disagree with Rachel S P when she says that Oskar has been consistantly compassionate and caring throughout the book. I think if he were compassionate, he would understand his mothers relationship with Ron and not criticize it. The only time he tries to understand is towards the end of the book. Also, if Oskar cares so much about his mother (enough not to tell her about the key) then why would he, on page 171, tell her that he wishes she had died instead of his father. That to me, is not compassion or caring.
However, I have noticed brief periods of caring and compassion. Like visiting his grandmother a lot and inviting Mr. Black to accompany him on his expeditions. These are some caring gestures, but I still do not think that Oskar has been consistantly kind and compassionate throughout the book.
I think that in the end of this book Oskar really matures and figures out that he really loved his dad no matter what he found. I think this mainly because hid dad was connected in some crazy way to this key, but it was more by accident than anything. I wonder if he even knew it was in there. I also think this because Oskar has a moment with his mom in the end when he finds out that she knew about the key all along and it’s a very mature and much needed conversation. They both cry and learnt hat they were both keeping secrets from each other, and it strengthens their relationship. I think that we’d all agree that Oskar is a very complicated boy, but in the end, he learns the simple statement “In my only life, she was my mom, and I was her son.”(324) I feel that Oskar is beginning to see that he can move on but still love his dad, and that he still has his mom in his life and that is really important.
Oskar also forgives his mom I think in the conversation about how his mom and Ron met. I think Oskar realized that his mom wasn’t forgetting his dad; she was just helping someone who in turn was helping her. It’s really good for Oskar to have realized this because now he and his mom can start over and try to build a new, healthier relationship and help each other deal with their loss.
I wanted to comment on the way Oskar views the world. My thought is that Oskar is not actually afraid of the world at all. Like Garrett E said Oskar might be afraid of things like tall buildings and germs, but he is really only being cautious. In reality i don't think that any of these fears have to do with his one true fear. After his father died i think that the only thing he is really scared of in the world is being separated from his father completely. He never says this up front, but by the way that he so desperately searches for the lock to go with the key you know that he really does fear this separation. Oskar's father was really the person who he loved most in this world and he was so quickly taken away. Possibly all the rest of these fears are covering up for what he is really afraid of. Never seeing his father again terrifies him.
Garrett E said, "The only thing that I feel Oskar is genuinely fearful of, is losing his father completely." I agree that Oskar is fearful, but Oskar is fearful of things that cause sickness or death. The way he sees it as an 'atheist', there is no after life or eternal heaven. "I believed that once you're dead, you're dead forever, and you don't feel anything, and you don't even dream." [p. 4] Therefore he wouldn't do anything or go anywhere that could jeopardize him living. Examples of this would be "suspension bridges, germs, airplanes..." [p. 36]
Ashley L is right when she says 9 year old children don't think about what they say but I think Oskar has some sort of condition that causes this to happen. I can't imagine a nine year old asking a 48 year old, married woman if he can kiss her. [p. 99] However on page 37 he laughs at the word fire-retardant. "That made me crack up a little, even though I know there's nothing funny about being a mental retard." Since he 'knows about' being mentally ill, I wonder if it is possible that he could be one and not realize it. I don't believe there is anything seriously wrong with him, I think he just has a different and altered perception of things. For example, he invents random things that no one would ever think of on their own. On page 3 he talks about making a skyscraper that moves up and down with an elevator that stays in place, so that if a plane hits the building, you could still get out safely. He also thinks about making an underground cemetery so we don't run out of room on earth.
I disagree that he is compassionate and caring, as Rachel S suggests. He loves his mom and grandmother and wants desperately to be loved back, but he doesn't express it. He can't bring himself to say "I love you" aloud to his mom. "'Mom?' 'Yes?''Nothing.'" [p. 36] I think that he doubts her answer would be "I love you, too." He seems jealous in a way of Ron, his mom's boyfriend, jealous for his dad that his mom loves someone else and has moved on, and jealous himself because she doesn't seem to care about him any more.
Again, back to the age factor: Garrett E is right, no 9 year old would travel all over New York if he or she was a fearful person. But I think he is able to roam around the state because he is innocent and doesn't believe people themselves could hurt other people. I find this ironic because an airplane or a tall building didn't kill his father, terrorists did. It doesn't occur to him that one of the Blacks could possibly be a bad person. He is fearless and friendly with people no matter their race or age. He is the only 9 year old I know that could sit down with a perfect stranger and engage in a mature conversation for hours.
Reading further along in the novel I have come to realize that Oskar has become much more friendly and outgoing with strangers or childhood figures he barely remembers, having Oskar as our narrator I find him very unreliable, due to the fact that everything he says is opinionated.
Oskar has had several changing experiences so far, but I doubt these would have happened without his father's cookie-crum-trail.
I think that loosing his father was the best thing that could have happened to him, although Oskar feels great loss and depression, he has grown up and stepped out of his comfort zone. For example, Oskar is pretty stubborn when he is told what to do but in his father's clue there is the word "Black", Oskar walks two and a half hours to this lady's house with the name Black just in hopes of her maybe knowing something.
I think as Oskar is undergoing tremendous change, he must ultimatley find who he really is using these changes to define it.
I think the answer Oskar is trying to find is going to be very special, or else why would his Dad had meant for him to miss so much school, knowing that Oskar would. Between the traveling long distances and speaking with unfamiliar people Oskar is becoming just like Christopher, all to just find one answer. The two characters show great passion in finding what is right and doing whatever it takes to get there, but there curiosity is going to be there biggest help.
Christopher believes there is an answer to this key, he has faith in it, Oskar does not have faith at all normally, he has an athiest outlook and personality. That is why Oskar is changing because he is putting faith in something only he can trust his Dad with who is not even here.
Oskar Schell is a unique boy, and is extremely mature beyond his age. Through the events of losing his dad, he has slowly set himself separate form the world. It is as if he set this blanket between him and the real world, and he is in the process of realizing some of the good that is coming out of his dads death.
Oskar is viewing the world as if nothing in the world is good anymore. He has a very negative approach to the world, and is appalled that his dad is gone.
Oskar is only motivated by the people he truly cares about in his life, which include his grandmother,mom and most importantly his dad. The only thing Oskar wants to do is keep his dads spirit alive, and the key is what is keeping his dads memories alive.
Reading on in the book, I've come to realize that Oskar is dependent on no one but himself, and is constantly blaming himself for most of his life mistakes. He is slowly realizing that good is coming out of his dads death, like meeting new people and finding his inner confidence.
Going back a few comments to the one that Emily K stated, "I think that loosing his father was the best thing that could have happened to him..." I have to disagree knowing that losing a father couldn't possibly be a highlight in a person's life.even though he has matured and changed, his father's death definitely didn't make life any better.
I feel that Oskar's strange way of acting when he listens to his father's last messages comes from his own denial. When he hears his dad's voice on the machine saying, "Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?.."(301) and he doesn't pick up the phone, it leads you to the idea that Oskar does not want to believe this is happening. This denial also continues on to when Oskar and his family are in the car on the way to the funeral. While the whole family is meloncholy and mouring over the death, Oskar acts perfectly fine talking and joking around with the limo driver. He acts kind of happy and complete, as if his life were perfect. When Oskar begins his search for the lock that belongs to his father's key, he travels hours day after day making it his main priorty in life to find it. I think that this expedition illuminates how Oskar is, in a way, still searching for his father and wondering if this key could unlock another part of him thus, prove that his dad is still there.
After reading a few comments about how people perceive Oskar Schell, I have come to realize how many dynamics he unknowingly posseses. Oskar feels like he is someone very small in a very big world, and understands the depth of the Big City. However, I question whether he knows how big the world actually is. Garrett E made a good point as to how black and white the world Oskar leads is. For instance, it kills him that there is not an answer to everything, such as is existance. After asking his father why he is there, his father could not give him a straight forward answer, whcih is what Oskar craves the most.
Oskar was heavily relient on his father for happiness and guidence. He loved the games his father played with him and he loved that his father was always smarter than somebody. When his father passed away Oskar lost all hope in himself. This makes me wonder if he is a reliable person himself. After his father's death, He became paranoid of his surroundings. For instance, the Arabs on the subway make him nervous.
As for the Arabs making him nervous, a few pepole have been questioning his veiws on racism. Katherine G states that he is not old enough to understand the meaning of racism. I could not dissagree more. Oskar is s kid that knows what a pacifist is, understands sexual tendencies, and wants nothing more than to understand the world around him. At no point in the book have i felt that he is too immature to grasp the concept of racisim. Granted that Oskar is naive to the fact that that there are, in fact, bad people, he clearly knows what racism is. Oskar is a lonely, misunderstood, naive, mature, incredibly curious nine year old boy, who has had a corrupt childhood do to the tragic death of his father.
There are several different ways a person can grieve from a tragic death of someone close. Depending on the type of person, whether it’s a child or an adult, people react differently to the same situations. Some people might like to talk about their feelings while some would rather pretend it never happened. There are those that constantly cry and those that you may never see shed a tear through the whole thing. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to mourn, but there sure are different outcomes in the end.
In this book, I defiantly have noticed a variety of ways that the family copes with the 9-11 tragedy and Thomas Schell’s death. Brook W stated that, “While the whole family is melancholy and mourning over the death, Oskar acts perfectly fine talking and joking around...” To me, I find Oskar to be very independent and in control of this situation. Although he has no problem expressing his ideas and views about things going on in the world around him, I feel like he has difficulty showing his true emotions about his father’s death. Besides the normal “heavy boots” and the occasional “I miss Dad” Oskar resorts to his mission on finding where the key belongs and inventing things to surpass his sadness and true emotions. Oskar also tends to mourn with anger and frustration towards the people that are closest to him, such as his mother and grandmother. For example, on page 171, Oskar shouts to his mother saying, “If I could have chosen, I would have chosen you!” I don’t think he means to aim these unforgiving words at his other on purpose; however, he is old enough to comprehend the pain he inflicted on her by saying it. It just goes to show that Oskar grieves over his father in a completely different way then the rest of his family.
Oskar is also very defensive of his father and I think this is another way he deals with the tragedy. He feels important and protecting when he defends his father. When Oskar’s mom was telling him that his father’s spirit is still in the coffin so it doesn’t matter whether or not his body is there, Oskar jumps right in and says, “Dad didn’t have a spirit! He had cells…He had cells, and now they’re on the rooftops, and in the river, and in the lungs of millions of people around New York, who breathe him every time they speak!” (169). He wont let himself pretend that his father’s body is in the coffin because he feels that he would be disrespecting his father by believing something that is not true. His literal way of thinking is yet another way Oskar gets through the mourning process.
With that being said, I would like to ask the question of: How do Oskar’s mom and grandma grieve differently than Oskar? How do they mourn the same? Which people do you think deal with the death the best? The worst? I know this isn’t exactly on the topic of Oskar himself, but I think we all can agree that this topic has been over used and talked about so I thought I would ask a question along the lines of Oskar himself.
Sarah J makes a very good point when she says that Oskar was very reliant on his father. Obviously, Oskar is quite a complicated child. In the flashbacks of the times when Oskar and his father are together, tucking Oskar into bed, Thomas Schell seems to fully understand Oskar; in fact I think the way they both think is very similar. After the loss of his dad though, I think Oskar loses a part of himself. His dad was so much like him, and Oskar depended on him, and he admired him. "He shrugged his shoulders, which I loved." (pg.23) He does not have anyone to make sense of things with anymore.
A few people mentioned the topic of Oskar and compassion. It was Rachel S who said she believed Oskar was a compassionate child. Gabriella M said he is not because "...if he were compassionate, he would understand his mothers relationship with Ron and not criticize it." Gabriella also gives another example when Oskar in a fit tells his mother he would have preferred her to die rather than his father. I would say I have to agree with Gabriella, and I would also like to expand a bit on that. If Oskar was compassionate, he would have answered the phone for his father on September 11, who was pleading him to answer it. Sure, Oskar has fragile feelings that seem relatively sensitive. All the while considering this I do not think that by no means this categorizes Oskar as compassionate. There are points in the book at which Oskar shows some compassion, but it is not a constant quality found in him. In order to be compassionate, one has to have a selfless quality, but everything Oskar does seems to be centered around him.
In response to Katie W's questions, I think the family mourns similarly in a sense of pure anguish. No matter how they deal with it, the bottom line comes down to the tragedy and their grief over it. However, the way they mourn and cope with the loss is also different between them. Oskar's mother and grandma cope with the loss by finding humanly comfort in someone. Oskar, on the other hand, gets through the mourning by inventing things, and occasionally giving himself bruises. I do not know which way is the best way to deal with death, but I think Oskar's habits are very interesting, simply because they are just different.
Christen N points out that Oskar is obviously very reliant on his father, i would agree with this statement. Oskar and his dad have the same mindset, they are extremely smart and enjoy to have in depth conversations about little things. No one else seems to connect with Oskar in that way, they just don't get the way he thinks or why he does certain things.
When Oskar goes on his hunt to find the lock that goes with his key, he finds a man who lives in his apartment building, just one floor above him. Mr. Black has odd things that he does also, he reminds me a lot of what Oskar says about his dad.
I also agree with Christen N when she says, "In order to be compassionate, one has to have a selfless quality, but everything Oskar does seems to be centered around him. " Oskar doesn't seem to care about his mother's happiness or his grandmother's, he just wants to do what's best for himself.
As for Katie W's question, i think that Oskar mourns by trying to keep himself connected with his father in every way possible, which is why he feels the need to go and find the lock that goes to the key he found. He doesn't want to share the memory of his father with anyone, which could be part of the reason why he hides the phone where the messages his father left are recorded. You never read about him crying over his father's death. HE is just set on finding out everything about his father's death, when it happened, how did it happen, where was he when it happened, what were his thoughts. He wants to know everything about his death.
Another thing that I thought was really interesting about Oskar really more than anything else is his inventions and what they mean to him. They seem to be sort of double-sided. He makes thinks up these inventions to comfort him in a way, and they all are in some way connected to terrorism or the 9/11 attacks. But they also take away from his comfort. He explains how he invents ways that he thinks his father died so that he can just know how it happened and he thinks this will bring him some kind of closure, which is why he is going on this "journey". He thinks somehow this key and whatever it goes to will tell him how his father died, but until then all he can do to comfort himself is to invent. On page 256 in the book Oskar says, "I need to know how he died." And then his grandfather, or atleast who I believe so, but they haven't really said it yet, replies by saying, "Why?" And Oskar says,"So I can stop inventing how he died. I'm always inventing." Oskar racks his brain trying to come up with how his father died, and you can clearly see he is tired of it, he just wants to know. This brings me to my first post, where I stated that I didn't think he would find any answers or closure, and I still believe this to be true. He is still on his "journey" and he hasn't found anything, but this is part of the journey, he is down and out but he will overcome and come to terms with his father's death and know that he will maybe never know how his father died, but just learn to love and cherish his memory and continue his father's legacy through living his own life. This has been Stephen K W saying good luck and goodight.
Osker Schell is a very intrusive person. Most people, let alone most children would not go searching around the whole state looking for an answer. If i was in Osker's position and found a key that dropped out of the vase (page. 37 ) I would keep the key, maybe ask my mom about it and then probably forget about it and think nothing of it, that is was most people would do. Osker also saw the name black on an envelope so he decided we would talk to every black there is in New York. That is a very time consuming thing. Also Osker likes to know everybody, like the 'mail lady' as he refers her too. By giving her the mail key, i don't think Osker things about the bad in people and he thinks everyone is good. Or maybe he just has trust in the people he does know. The majority of children learn not to talk to strangers, yet Osker talks to almost everyone he comes across not having that thought in his mind thinking 'They could kidnap me'. Another example of that is him going into all of the Blacks houses. Osker wasn't thinking about the bad that they could do to him when doing so. He doesn't think about the bad in people. Which is a good, yet bad trait in a person. Not judging someone before meeting them is a good thing, but not having that guard up is not. He is smart, but thinks into situations too much. When his mom and Ron were laughing together and Osker got really mad about it, and then he finally confronted her about it (page. 70) he was made about it and he thought his mother had found someone new when all she was really doing was talking to him, but Osker thinking too much into that situation made him think it was something totally different. Osker is very mature for his age and does not think like most children.
Vanessa talked bout how Oskar is very mature for his age. I believe that is true. He is this way because its how he was raised. His father taught him to think about everything, always wonder why. But Oskar is still just a little boy. He still gets scared and still likes the comfort from his mom and grandma. Like on the bridge, when he had to walk across town; he was very scared but still very brave for walking the distance by himself. I think he wants to be older and more mature but he isn't big enough, tall enough, and he doesn't have the experiences that come with growing up. Oskar is just doing what he was taught. Its all he knows.
Oskar schell...where do i even begin. I supposed I will first adress the many previous posts saying that oskar is very mature for his age. In part, I agree with this statement (made by vanessa and then followed up by Aleshae) but then there is a part of me that feels inclined to disagree on a certain level as well. A I read the novel, i continually see things that show that although oskar often presents himself in a very mature way, he is still a 9year old at heart. For example, on page 42-43, oskar asks to zip up his mother's dress, and then procedes to list every thing in the (or his) world that makes him sad. If he were truly mature, he would not keep his mother who he "knew was in a hurry" with all these petty problems (most of which really do not even efect him directly.) To me this speaks about how, although he continually is trying to be strong and find the lock, he is still a little boy who needs the confort of his mother (not that we all dont, but him in a more immature way) With this being said, I think that oskar, though yes, he was forced to grow up in a few ways far to quickly, here is still many things about him that make him a little boy.
Oskar Schell is a curious and observative person. Normally when others would give up on a task, he would be found enduring to the end. Not many "normal" people would look up a last name in the phonebook, walk to every one of those contacts' houses and ask them about a key that they found in a vase on the highest shelf of a bookcase in their parent's closet, but Oskar Schell did. Usually a person would find the key and ask their parents or who it belonged to about it. Or they would look up the name in the phonebook and call all the contacts from their home phone instead of having to waste time going across the state to find an answer. This is what makes Oskar curious and persistant.
He is observative because he notices his "father's" name on all the papers in the craft store. He interrogates the shop worker for answers about the name and he looks at every paper and finds his "father's" name on every paper. He also notices the name "Black" on the envelope and examines the shards of vase after it breaks. He observes the people he talks to, he observes his surroundings, and he's always inventing new and crazy theories or items/objects. Such as the Reservoir of Tears, or his talking anus, or the skyscrapper that moves instead of the elevator moving.
He is a dynamic character. He goes from being Oskar Schell at the beginning who knows a great deal about his dad and wants to know more about the world and how his dad really died in 9/11, to Oskar Schell at the end who went on a quest for self knowledge and gained it. He learned more about his father, about his family, about life and of people. He went from being a kid to a more mature being. He learned more and he grows out of some of his fears. He tried new things and went against his theories. A good example of this is he took the subway and used the elevator at the Empire State Building when Mr. Black couldn't go back down the stairs. He grew up.
He's a very reliable kid. He's loyal and doesn't understand normal concepts like "You can't kiss somebody you just met who's several years older than you". He doesn't understand a lot of the talk that people use around him, so this makes him Nieve or child-like. Or innocent. When his fellow students ask him if he would rather have a hand job or a blow job from Emma Watson (Hermione), he doesn't understand completely why anyone would want either and he goes into what he knows and what he doesn't know about "the birds and the bees". This makes him reliable because he doesn't understand why people would betray others or go against their word. He's loyal and sticks to what he says. He takes everything he hears seriously and sometimes has to ask about certain things he doesn't understand. He was very upset when Mr. Black told him that he wouldn't be accompanying Oskar anymore on his journey for the lock. On page 254 it reads, "'I think I'm finished.' 'Finished with what?' 'I hope you understand.' He stuck out his hand for a shake. 'Finished with what?' 'I've loved being with you. I've loved every second of it. You got me back into the world. That's the greatest thing anyone could have doe for me. But now I think I'm finished. I hope you understand.' His hand was still open, waiting for my hand. I told him, 'I don't understand.' I kicked his door and told him, 'You're breaking you promise.' I pushed him and shouted, 'it isn't fair!' I got on my tiptoes and put my mouth next to his ear and shouted, 'F*** You!' No. I shook his hand..." This shows you that Oskar keeps his promises and expects others to do the same. He doesn't give up and he doesn't expect anybody else to give up. He expects everyone to be like him: reliable, trustworthy, loyal and true. He's a very reliable person.
One last example of Oskar's Character is on page 201. Oskar is talking to his therapist, whom he hates, and he says, "'I feel too much. That's what's going on.' 'Do you think one can feel too much? Or just feel in the wrong ways?' 'My insides don't match up with my outsides.' 'Do anyone's insides and outsides match up?' 'I don't know. I'm only me.' 'Maybe that's what a person's personality is: the difference between the inside and outside.' 'But it really is worse for me.'" He thinks the world is worse for him because of what happened to his father and everything that's going on in his life at that moment. So in a way this does make him limiting because he's close minded in some areas of his personality. He doesn't open up to some people's ideas and only likes what he thinks or what he determines.
Throughout the novel it has become very apparent to me that Oskar has made a transformation within himself. He has grown up and has learned that things he was afraid of before are not really scary. he learns that he can live a little; he takes the elevator and rides the subway. I think that merrilyn makes a good point when she says that this book is a quest for knowledge because it is. Oskar has new experiences in the novel and he ultimately learns from them. His experiences in the novel help him get to know his Grandfather (even though he didn't know it)and it also helps him find closure with his fathers death. Oskars experiences through the novel make him a better person, help him to be more understanding, and help him mature.
The way Merriyln describes Oskar Schell, as a reliable person is something that grabbed my attention. Oskar is a nine-year-old boy that, at his young age, has already been exposed to parts of the twisted world. With this exposure, I believe it makes him seem more mature and maybe even more reliable. However, he is still a young boy and retains that childhood innocence. Children are human beings that seem more reliable because of the pureness that lies inside of them. With age, people become more tainted because of the affects the world has on them. A little child however, is still in a shelter, away and protected from the negative effects of the outside. Even though Oskar has stepped outside his shelter, it has only been for a moment. He is still gullible and still very childlike. The people around him still cater to his every need, and although independent with some things, he still looks to those around him for answers. An example of this dependency is seen on page 44 when Oskar has just begun his search for the lock. He is speaking to the woman at the art supply store when he asks her about the envelope and the name written on it. She replies to him saying, “Well I don't know that it means anything. But look, when someone tests a pen, usually he either writes the name of the color he's writing with or his name. So the fact that 'Black' is written in red makes me think that Black is someone’s name." These words essentially start the most important part of Oskar's entire search. Without others helping him, he would have gotten absolutely nowhere. People may rely on Oskar but he relies on them much, much more. This is all because he is still an adolescent. He has not experienced all the struggles of life yet. Parts of him are still left to be exposed to the cruel world. He seems so reliable because of his lack of exposure to the world and because he still obtains the one thing that can only be found in a child –pure innocence. It is the one thing that everyone wishes they could get back. He does not know all the deep things that make a heart grow harder with time. He has yet to experience how hard life actually gets. The more he sees that, the harder it will be for him to stay reliable. He has only hit the tip of the iceberg in losing his father. Maybe the tables should be turned. Maybe those with more experience should be relied upon since they hold the knowledge to help in a situation and empathize with the problem. However, they also hold the ability to destroy a situation and deceive others because of their exposure. Therefore, who is more reliable? Those more experienced and more exposed, or those less exposed but also less experienced? In Oskar’s case, we see that it goes both ways. He relies on others but they also rely on him. This way things seem to even out. The experienced help the less exposed with their knowledge, and the less exposed help the experienced with their pureness and their innocence.
I disagree with Cristina W in that I do not think there is much more that Oskar could be exposed to that would take away his innocence. Personally, I think that life does not get much harder for a nine year old boy than losing his father. It is apparent that Oskar is not innocent at all because he hides the answering machine with his father's last messages on it. On some level, Oskar understands that those messages would kill his mother more than the secret kills him. No innocent child would understand that much emotional pain to the point that he would go out and buy a new message machine and hide the old one in his closet. Cristina wrote, "With age, people become more tainted because of the affects the world has on them. A little child however, is still in a shelter, away and protected from the negative effects of the outside. Even though Oskar has stepped outside his shelter, it has only been for a moment. He is still gullible and still very childlike". This is a really good point, but innocence wise, a child is no longer a child once they have stepped out of their shelter. This contradicts itself because it talks about how the world has tainted people, but children inside their shelter are still innocent. I take this to mean that once a child leaves their shelter they cannot go back inside it. Because of this, I am convinced that Oskar is no longer an innocent child.
Ashley L has brought up a very interesting thought. She says "Oskar has made a transformation within himself" and I agree. Oskar Schell has dramatically transformed and changed throughout the novel and it mainly had to do with the search for the lock. Since the 9/11 attacks, Oskar had feared tall buildings and elevators because it was a reminder of the attacks where his father died. However, because of his determination to find what the key unlocked, he went through what he would call drastic measures to find what he was looking for. On page 244, Oskar says "As the elevator takes you up, you hear information about the building, which was pretty fascination, and I normally would have taken some notes, but I needed all of my concentration for being brave." He knows that the only way to find out what he is looking for is to go out of his comfort zone and to take chances. He is willing and determined to do whatever he needs to do in order to find more information on the key and his father, and the only way to do this is to acknowledge that he needs to take personal risks. He realizes that he can ride on the elevator and stand on the top of the Empire State Building and he will still be ok. By taking these actions, it helps him mature.
However, Oskar is still a 9 year old boy and is still a child. Oskar has gone through experiences that have forced him to mature, yet he still hasn’t had enough experiences to actually grow up. He is still a child and he still has the innocence of a child. He is unable to comprehend the seriousness of certain situations. For example, on page 6 we learn that Oskar has given a house key to the mailwoman, and his mother confronts him about this. His mother says, “What if she had stolen your things?” “She wouldn’t.” “But what if? “But she wouldn’t.” Oskar isn’t able to understand that people may seem good but end up being worse than you think. Oskar thinks that if someone seems like a nice and genuine person, then they are. But we all know that isn’t the case. We, of course, know how tricky and deceitful the world can be, and without this knowledge, Oskar will stay naïve, innocent, and thus childish.
For some reason my name was coming up as Becca, but it should be Rebecca N W now. Sorry about that.
Christina W W made a statement about how Oskar is "is still gullible and still very childlike". I agree with this because a lot of times he asks older women if they "could kiss for a little bit"(99). Most grown up men wouldn't ask a women if they could kiss. As much as he is childish and gullible he is also very knowledgeable for only being nine. He knows a lot about the world around him and isn't afraid to talk about it to anyone.
At one point, Oskar talks about all his fears since 9/11 and mentions Arabs. Garrett E P said that this doesn't mean he is racist just that he "distinguishes the differences between races". Agreeably, I believe that nine year olds have the ability to think that other people are 'bad' and they don't realize they are being racist.
Oskar Schell, being a nine year old, is reliable and believable as a real person. Whenever he says he wants something, he will go out and he won't stop until he gets it. I guess you could say he is ambitious. As a real person, Oskar definately should be considered one. He knows more about everything than a lot of other people do and he doesn't take it for granted.
When maggie says, "I believe that nine year olds have the ability to think that other people are 'bad' and they don't realize they are being racist." it got me thinking about the mind of a 9 year old. How do they relate to the world in a way different then all of us? The conclusion i came to is that most 9 year olds only have the ability to "hate" things that effect them directly, where as adults can "hate" things that dont even effect them in a remote way. This is no exceptiong with Oskar, which again, goes back to the Arabs, and that he is afraid of them. He sees them as the people that killed his father, and thats why he fears them. Not becuase the world tells him to hate them, but because they caused him direct pain.
The loss of a father means the loss of a role model, a protector, and a friend. The loss of a father means finding yourself will always be trial and error. Oskar reminds people of his father because of his stubbornness, his pessimistic nature, and his logic. Yet, because Oskar lost this model of himself, he lost a part of who he was as well. Like Brook W W said, "even though he has matured and changed, his father's death definitely didn't make life any better." How could it? Life without a dad is life unprepared. He has left a son raw and hurt who must face the reality of death and the awareness of pain so great that adults couldn't handle it. His journey has changed him, from beginning to end. Oskar, as many have pointed out, is willing to let his mother love again, is willing to accept Ron, is even willing to let go of that treasured key. But his journey to maturity was premature. Unnatural. No child should have to see the world as it truly is: hostile and unfair. At that age, the world should be exciting, the thought of planes and stairs and tall buildings should invoke pleasure, not horror. Erica M P is right when she says, " It seems to me that reaching a conclusion for his father's life will also end up stripping Oskar of his innocence." Childhood innocence is not refundable, especially for Oskar, a child who, even in the beginning, did not dream in happy colors, but in inventions and plans. So, who is Oskar at the end of the book? Is he a child, or is he un-definable: a child with heavy burdens already deepening his footprints with their weight. I think he is still a child, who still imagines and yearns for the impossible, except that his wishes do not involve unicorns or the will to fly. His fantasies are for time to reverse, for tears to travel back into eyes, for "the smoke to pour [back] into the hole that the plane was about to come out of" (325). His wishes "on a star" are the wishes of us all.
Now that I have finished the novel, my opinion of Oskar has changed considerably. Oskar clearly has many, many issues; understandably, because he lost his dad at the age of 7, losing a parent is hard enough as it is. Adding the circumstances of Oskar’s father’s death it is natural to expect anger, the need for others to grieve with him, and the need for closure; sending him on his quest for the lock. During the novel I sympathized with Oskar but I couldn’t seem to see past his angry fits and, at times, his annoyance to the people around him. For example when Oskar told his mom that he wished it had been her who died (p 171). It angered me the fact that he took his grandmother for granted at times. When they are on their way to the funeral and he gets irritated because she keeps touching him (p 4). After all that she has been through, the least she deserved was to have a thankful grandson, who she loved more than life itself.
However as the novel came to an end and Oskar started to mature somewhat I found myself deeply grieving for this fictional character. The bond between a father and son is tightly woven into intricate designs that nobody else can imitate. Oskar has to deal with not having a dad for the rest of his life, and even though at times he doesn’t deal as well as he could, I have to give him props. I would be doing a lot worse than him. Once he finds out that the entire search was really, to some extent, in vain he doesn’t lose it, or go crazy, but subconsciously realizes he has to let go now, to start moving on, to remember, but also to live. I would definitely say that this search helped him find some pieces of himself and help him, at least temporarily, establish a purpose.
Death never solves any problems. It never makes anyone happier, or give someone a reason to get out of bed. It can destroy the ones still living by taking the easy way out: alcoholism, drugs, suicide. Yes, there are days when Oskar chose to sit around feeling sorry for himself, like when he told his mom that he didn’t want to go to school (p 42). Then, there were days when he went searching for something he believed was important to his father. There are only a few people who can empathize with Oskar’s character. Those who have lost a parent at a young age could certainly empathize. However based on the circumstances of Thomas’ death, some how that would make going on with life extra hard. Oskar ultimately finds closure in the end. Even if it wasn’t exactly how he thought the search would turn out he found what he was looking for. Life came to him again. In a way his dad came to him again. I agree with Kitty W that losing a father means losing a role model, protector, and friend, but that’s life: love and loss. And this book ultimately portrays the two biggest factors that shape life: love and loss.
Oskar Schell started out by seeming very mature for his age of 9, but once the story went on, you could see that there is still very much for Oskar to learn. Like Rebecca N W brought up, Oskar made copies of keys for the mailwoman, as well as the Pizza man, UPS guy, and guys from Greenpeace [7].
Oskar is very brave, in my opinion, because not many 9 year olds would be able to go out into NYC and talk to strangers just because they want to find information about a key. This shows Oskars mature side, but also his childish side, as the key may not even have a secret, and he could be on a long search for absolutely nothing at all.
Oskar could seem like a very reliable person because if he wants something, he obviously goes after it until he has it. However, Cristina W brought up a good point about how Oskar would be nowhere without certain people, like the woman in the art store, who presents the idea of Black being someone's name [46].
I think Oskar is also still relying on his father in a way, as he wouldn't be able to continue some parts of his search without what his father told him before he died. For example, on Oskar's very first journey to see the first Black resident in New York, he could either take public transportaion, or walk over a bridge. He doesn't want to do either, but would rather walk across the bridge. "Dad used to say that sometimes you have to put your fears in order, and that was one of those times." [88]
I also liked how Molly R brought up the fact that Oskar has a reason to be afraid of Arabs. She wrote that he hates them, "Not becuase the world tells him to hate them, but because they caused him direct pain."
In my opinion, this is an example of his maturity because he found this hatred all on his own, and didn't listen to anyone else about the fact that he should dislike them.
Many have commented that Oskar immediately comes off as highly mature and intelligent. While I wholey agree with this, the first thing I thought of when I began reading was how frantic, how desperate he seemed. He clearly has plenty of random thoughts normally, but it almost seems like he's trying to fill up the space with as many thoughts as possible, trying fill it up because if he doesn't then he will be forced to think about the reality of what has happened. This is a fairly childlike coping method (although I believe many never grow out of it).
Oskar giving keys to his apartment to people like the doorman and the mailwomen [6] seems like a way of trying to take care of things when he is suddenly feeling out of control and lonely. Oskar is deeply depressed although he doesn't often present it in a fashion we would expect of a nine year old, and, even though he only mentions it offhandedly, he will give himself bruises [37] when disappointed or frustrated with himself.
"Maybe that's what a person's personality is: the difference between the inside and outside." "But it's worse for me." "I wonder if everyone thinks it's worse for him." " Probably. But it really is worse for me." [201] Oskar has put himself into this very secluded mindset, feeling that he is the only one truly feeling intense pain. He believes his mother isn't missing his dad, or grieving at all because she spends time with Ron. Oskar doesn't realize until the end of the book that he has been helped and watched over for his whole journey.
@Hannah L brings up an interesting statement when she says that Oskar giving the mailwoman and doorman keys is a way "to take care of things when he is suddenly feeling out of control and lonely". Oskar has the mind of a nine year old and he doesn't want to face the facts sometimes it seems like. If giving his key to other people will help him then he will do just that so he can stay away from some problems. Also, giving himself bruises is his way of taking stress away. Oskar is a very geuine person in the sense that as a nine year he has a lot of stress to take away. He probably doesn't realize it that much, but Oskar is helping everyone along the way with the simple things like turning on Mr. Black's hearing aid (165). All in all, Oskar shows that as a nine year old he will help as much as possible due to the fact that his dad died.
There have now been 92 posts on this topic--impressive. However, this topic is fairly exhausted. Unless you have something fresh, unique, or otherwise enlightening, you should strongly consider selecting a different topic on which to comment.
Cheers.
I know we have to kinda change the flow so I wanted to get this offmy chest. As I read, i can't halp to think that Oskar is a messed up kid. I think he has some issues. I know his dad died and everything but it no excuse to get out of hand. I am thinking of the play, when he imagines smashing the other boy's head, and blood is splashing everywhere. He does this just because he is confused and nothing makes sense. A little boy shouold not think so violent. It was very disturbing to read. This child needs help. His mother should be with him more and ce comforting him.
I know everyone has their issues but they should be taken care of better and without violence.
There are other ways of living after losing a loved one.
I have to say that i agree with Alesha. As i read, and keep saying that Oskar is still a child despite how mature he acts, i still see certain times where i wonder about this kid's mental health.
One example that i found was on page 230, when "planes going into bulidings," "Bodies falling" and other like statements are repeated over and over. Oskar is obsessed with the death of his father (not healthy) he constently remembers that "the coffin is empty" and all this obsession is manifested in his seeminlgy seperate obsession with finding the lock that goes with the key.
To me, he seems as though maybe he needs a little more help then we could have guessed in "getting over" the loss of his father.
I just wanted to bring up something real quick. Every time Oskar gets close to a really important clue, he changes the subject. The going gets tough and so he gives up and switches subjects starting with "Anyway." I just thought the way that he would constantly change subjects into a topic that is way out of the ordinary was strange.
I also have to agree with Molly R. She talked about how Roger has mental issues which makes you curious and want to find out the full story. The fact that he remembers such vivid details and talks about them all the time is creepy and unusual. He repeats visuals of his fathers death repeatedly and cannot stop thinking about it. I do think he needs more help than what meets the eye. He is very mature for his age but is still young and naive because he is a kid.
From past experiences, the bad usually out weighs the good, so the horrendous event that Oskar witnessed would probably reoccur itself in his mind all the time. I feel sorry for the things he has to relive, but also envy the his abilty to keep his spirits up after the tragedy. He is a very bright kid for his age and has the will to find out more of what is around him. He is always willing to learn something new and expand his never-ending passion to grow.
I agree with Hannah L P When she says, "It almost seems like he's trying to fill up the space with as many thoughts as possible, trying fill it up because if he doesn't then he will be forced to think about the reality of what has happened." Now I want to consider why he reacts to his fathers death in such a mature way.
According to Pediatrics for parents, "The older the child, and boys in general, showed more "school impairment" than younger children and girls, and the death of a father was associated with lower self-esteem." Oskar's character to me seems more mature than other nine year old children. Oskar seems to be school impaired when his father died, which is the characteristic of an older male according to the quote. Oskar continuously shows his lack of interest in school when he says, "I told mom I couldn't go to school because I was too sick" (38). He does not like to associate with other children and wants to stay away from school. According to pediatrics for parents, the older males reacted in this manner and therefore Oskar seems to show that he is indeed more mature for his age. When Oskar does decide to go to school his classmates tease him and believe that he is wierd. Oskar seems mature to me because he does not have a lowered self esteem. Teachers noticed a low self esteem in younger children associated with the death of a father, but Oskar seems to try and maintain his confidence. This is shown when he says, "I knew they were cracking up in the bad way, which is at me, but I tried to maintain my confidence" (189). The whole class laughes at him, yet he has the confidence to teach in front of the class, which seems like a more mature reaction to death. Oskar is trying to get the best out of what happened, and to do what his father would want him to do.
I do not agree with Kristin p v when she says, "He is very mature for his age but is still young and naive because he is a kid." Oskar is a child, but that does not make him naive. That is why Oskar is so uniqu and intelligent. He knows what is going on around him all the time. For example, when Oskar fights with his mother about the empty box that is burries, Oskar realizes that his fathers body was not found and that his father is gone forever. He seemed to accept this better than his mother. Oskar still has many problems because of his fathers death, and his life is changed forever, but he knows exactly what is happening in his life.
When I first began reading this story, I immeaditely took notice that Oskar Schell is one unique character. My first observation was that his name is spelled differently than what I am used to. I'm used to "Oscar" but his name is spelled with a "k." He also has a rare personality. Oskar is very friendly to strangers, but very stand off-ish to his family. Usually in real life, or in other literature that I have read, the protagonist is usually closer with his/her family than other random strangers. I think he is scared to open up his heart and love his family because he lives in fear that they will be taken away from him one day, just like his father was. Oskar is a very curious boy who's I.Q. seems to make him appear much older and mature than he actually is. I do not think he is believable as a real person because he is far too intellegant for a nine year old. Oskar seems to know thousands of random pieces of information, and he has an outstanding memory. Oskar looks at the world as one giant puzzle; everything in the world links to each other and they are all related. He is a brilliant inventor and detective. Oskar is all the time looking for clues that will help him solve the mystery of the key. I believe other people portray Oskar as charming, but rather nosey, because he "snoops" in every apartment he sets foot in. As unique as Oskar is, I still find him to be an enjoyable character to read about because his different personality qualities.
I think Oskar is a very interesting and unique character, believable but definitely not as a nine year old. Of course he is going to be a bit messed up, anyone would after going through what he went through. I don't think he is really as bad what Aleshae W was saying because although he does occasionally have some extremely disturbing thoughts he doesn't actually act on them. He is an incredibly strange child to begin with and then to top it off he suffers this immense tragedy that makes him a very unique child, to put it lightly. But I think he is just too strange to actually be believable as a nine year old. I don't think nine year old, no matter how bold they may be, would ever ask a grown woman to just randomly kiss him (page 99). I agree with Sarah F P that he is a very entertaining character to read about, just not believable for his age. I also think that a part of the reason he is rather stand-offish towards his mother isn’t just because he is afraid of losing her but also that he is pretty mad at her for moving on and being friends with Ron. Oskar just doesn’t understand how she can do that because he is still so desperately attached to his father. Although he does sort of search for new people to put in his life to try and fill in the missing spaces in his life.
I agree with this idea of Oskar having some mental issues but at the same time he's very normal. Everybody has disturbing thoughts sometimes, espeaially when they're depressed and Oskar told his mom that he is depressed. I think he is crying for attention. Throughout the book he will bruise himself when he feels sad or invisible. Also, him being in the play and having a small part didnt make him feel good, until the teacher told him he will steal the show. He likes being the center of attention, but rarely gets it. It makes sense because his Dad payed him all of his attention and after he died very few people seem to have time for him except grandma because his mom is always with Ron. Plus Oskar gets bullied at school which would give him another reason to feel depressed. Rachel H P said that he searches for new people to put in his life which i agree helps fill that missing spot because these people he meets seem to care and give him their full attention, which is what he needs.
As i was reading through some of the recent comments, I couldn't help but notice the comment by Alesha E. She wrote, "As i read, I can't help to think that Oskar is a messed up kid. I think he has some issues. I know his dad died and everything but it is no excuse to get out of hand." After thinking about this statement I started to lean towards Jordan B's statement that Oskar is quite normal. Most of the times that oskar shouts out to his mother or claims to have "heavy boots" comes from the way that Oskar copes with his faher's death. After dealing with such drastic change, you can only expect that Oskar acts a little strange. Everytime that Oskar freaks out over his mom inviting Ron over or having to visit one more house because the person's last name is Black; it ia all a part of oskar's grieving and healing process. These little "journeys" all make Oskar a more mature and less depressed person in the end. As Katie W said a while back,"There are several different ways a person can grieve from a tragic death of someone close. Depending on the type of person, whether it's a child or an adult, people react differently to the same situations." in this particular situation i believe that Oskar reacts with the strange things he does. When he does not answer the phone, or wonders why his mother does not care to ask where he is going. All of these things are Oskar way of dealing with this drastic change. He is not have issues or a mental problem. Oskar is only grieving as any normal human would do.
I believe that Oskar is a disturbed 9 year old boy. Before his father’s death, he was perfectly normally because he had the attention he craved, his hero to look up to, and the footsteps he wanted to follow in. But after September 11th, his perfect world came crashing down. He no longer had his safety net to fall into. I agree with Jordan B. that Oskar craves attention. I believe that this is why he changes his age throughout the book to better fit his situation, so that he gets the attention he has been longing for. For instance he lies to Abby black telling her he is 12 rather than 9 because he wants her to think that he is old enough for her to love him (97). I also agree with Sarah F. Oskar doesn’t want to let his family get to close enough to him that if they were taken away it would hurt him. By the end of the book he realizes that he needs his family even if they do get taken away. But I do also believe that Oskar wasn’t trying to keep his family out, but he needs the space to try and find himself. Oskar looked up to his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps and be exactly like him. But when his father, his hero, was taken away from him, he had no one to look up to. When Oskar was looking for his father he was really looking for himself. And when he finds himself at the end of the book he realizes that he has to let go of his father to stay close to him.
Brooke W say's, "[Oskar] does not have issues or a mental problem. Oskar is only grieving as any normal human would do." I fully agree with this statement. Alesha E. pointed out in her comment that she thought Oskar was kind of a messed up kid, and i thought that at first too, but as i read on in the book and got to know Oskar more as a character, these thoughts changed. If i were to read this book without knowing Oskar is 9 years old, i would peg his age quite a bit older. I don't see him as a 9 year old boy because he is a very smart kid and he doesn't think like a young boy usually does. This is the only odd thing i found about him in the end of the book, because like Brooke W and Jordan B. i see that Oskar is grieving his father's death. Grief does funny things to us as human, and so this easily can be the root of Oskar's weird habits.
With the statements of Brooke W and Corrie S I, as well, agree with both of their point-of-views. Oskar could very well be portrayed as a child with something wrong with him, just as Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog. I saw similarities between both of them, even though Oskar is a normal child (if you could say that), while Christopher has autism. Both of these characters seem much smarter than your average children, as Christopher is a whiz at puzzles, and Oskar seems to know everything about everything!
Moving on to the character of Oskar in the novel, I noticed a trend in the family’s generations. The Grandfather, father, and Oskar himself all seem to be very brilliant characters. This is probably where Oskar got this very interesting sense of curiosity and brains. I certainly see where people could say he could have a mental problem, but you can also see a lot of the same characteristics of his father, in the time Foer gives us to get to know him in the “flashbacks” Oskar has.
I do not believe Oskar is a "messed up" child. He just craves attention. My little brother is just like him. My brother even tries to get attention nevatively by screaming and crying and lying. My brother is ten years old so the age even matches up (almost). My brother is in playes and loves to act just like Oskar. That helps him vent. My brother is very smart and is always asking questions about everything and probably knows things he shouldn't, just like Oskar. The only difference is that my brother hasn't experienced a loss like Oskar. My brother is perfectly normal, just a little dramatic and creative. Oskar seems like a perfectly normal child that is just trying to get attention. To maybe fill in the void that his father left behind.
In the beginning of the book i did think of Oskar as a "different" child as if he did have a mental problem. He has a very interesting way of doing things and getting attention. Now that i have been able to get to know the character of Oskar, i have realized that he is normal, he just wants answers to all the questions he has, and he is doing this all for someone he loves, his dad. When he visited Abby Black, he felt as though she had an answer to the envelope and the key. He was very pushy in getting in the house, which i thought was weird, but he said, "Would it be ok if i came in?... why not... What kind of something."(91) He was very nosey. Then to get in the house he said, "I'm extreemly thirsty... There's a deli on the corner...Actually I'm a diabetic and i need some sugar asap."(91). He lied to get inside to snoop around. When i read that, i thought he was weird and different, but later on i realized that his interesting ways of doing things was what he thought was the only way to find clues for the key.
Jackie C P said she, "Noticed a trend in the family's generations." I agree, he is very smart like his father and grandfather and very curious also. I noticed that his grandfather had his weird ways just like Oskar does. For example his grandfather doesn't talk he writes, but he was once able to talk. Oskar talks, but he doesn't believe in any other transportation except for walking or taking a taxi because of accidents that have occured in the past. Such as the Ferry accident a couple years ago.(240)
After reading several other recent posts questioning or defending Oskars mental health i find it difficut to label exactly what is going on. Although Oskar is odd, i wouldnt go as far as to say that he is mentally ill. Yes, Oskar does posses a very unique thought process and is quite socially akward, but that should not bring a nine year olds mental health into question. The only event, which Aleshae mentioned, that truly where i second guessed Oskar was the Shakespeare play in which he imagined beating a fellow "actors" head in infront of the crowd. As Aleshae stated his fathers death is not an excuse for such disturbed thoughts. Aside from that instance I believe that he is just eccentric, not maniacal.
I agree with Garrett E. and brook W. I don’t think that Oskar is mentally ill. I think that he is just confused like a deer in head lights. He doesn’t know how to take his father’s death so he tries different approaches. Like Alesha E said about the play, it is unacceptable to think so violently, but he was mad and wanted to be noticed. He didn’t know how else to express his rage. But he never did end up doing anything to the other boy. I do have to agree it is disturbing to think that a nine year old boy would think like that. Oskar is a manipulative boy like Rachel H describes when he wants to get into Abby Blacks house. I don’t think this is weird. I think that he was just following a hunch he had, and also he is nine and curious he wants to learn and find answers not get more questions. Everyone grieves but they all heal in different ways. Oskar is just like every other human being.
I do believe that Oskar matures a little during the story but I wonder if he really is only maturing. Or, is he starting to get over his father’s death and learn to live like he used to before the tragedy happened, just without his father being there.
Through out all of the blogs that have been posted many of the people are saying that Oskar is "mental" or has issues, well, if you were nine and your father died in 9/11 don't you think you would have some emotional issues too? But see, I don't think that Oskar has issues, I just think that he is smarter than the typical nine year old. Through out the entire book he talks like he's 18 and uses words that most of us don't even know.
Oskar, in a lot of ways, uses his intelligance to portray his feelings. A lot of the inventions that he thinks of shows of ways to get rid of sadness, or help people with bad events. "What about a device that knew everyone you knew? So when an ambulance went down the street, a big sign on the roof could flash 'DON'T WORRY'" [page 72] I don't think his intelligance is "mental", I think it's a way for him to cope with his father's death.
Ali C points out Oskar's inventions that he creates in his mind throughout the book. I noticed these inventions also, the one big thing I noticed about them was that many of them were to keep people safe in one way or another.
In the beginning of the book Oskar talks about a pocket that you could put every one and everything in that you care about. On page 74 Oskar says, "We need enormous pockets, pockets big enough for our families, aand our friends, and even the people who aren't on our lists, people we've never met but still want to protect." Oskar seems to care about every one, as it shows in this quote. He doesn't want anyone to be sad.
I agree with Ali C when she says you would be just like Oskar if your father died in 9/11. I think Oskar is just traumatized and coping with it like any other young boy. He may use different word choice than most of us would use but that is just his way of accepting his father's death even though he may not portray that.
I do, though, agree with Garrett E when he says that his fathers death is no excuse for such disturbing thoughts.
I don't agree with Olivia H W when she says Oskar had a perfect life before 9/11. No one has a "perfect life" and just because some things weren't said that doesnt mean his life was perfect. The kid obviously had some hard times. But I do agree with the fact that part of his problem was the attention. Before his father died, he did have attention from his family and dad to fall back on. Now with his dad gone he is lost within his own world with no safety net but his own.
I like the way that Ali C explained Oskar's mental problems. It makes sense that he would have problems after loosing someone that he was really close to. Oskar and his father would play games and do everything together. Loosing someone so close would be incredibly hard on a person. This would explain why he can be really nervous around people he doesnt know. Plus, it also would exlain why he hates going into public places. He wouldnt want anyone close to him like his grandma or mother to go through what they are going through again but with Oskar gone. A subway station is a logical place for a terrorist attack and he always keeps that in mind
I definitely agree with Ali C. I do not think Oskar is mental in any way at all. He’s just a kid trying to deal with his father’s death which would be hard for any one to deal with. Every person deals with their own problems in their own way. This does not make anyone crazy or mental; it just makes them an individual. I know that when I go through hard times of any sort the first thing I do is try to make other people laugh to act like everything is okay. This is exactly what Oskar does, and it’s a natural response to the way people react.
I felt bad for Oskar because of how depressed he was. He mentions it a lot throughout the book and also how lonely he is and how all he wanted was for his mom to wonder where he was, even though he finds out at the end of the book she does know. But it was sad to see that he thought he was all alone going through his father’s death and didn’t have much of anyone to talk to. I think if he talked to someone or just had someone to go to besides his grandmother he would have been much happier. Instead he wanted to deal with the loss by himself, which makes it harder.
I also noticed throughout the book that Oskar always wants to be safe, and help others. He always wants other people to be happy and wants to be the helpful one. He helped the older man with his hearing aids and said he “would be as gentle as he could” 165. He didn’t have to help anyone on his search. I’m guessing he doesn’t want anyone to feel what he felt, even though everyone goes through a loss.
I like what Samantha S says “Every person deals with their own problems in their own way. This does not make anyone crazy or mental; it just makes them an individual.” This really sums up the book. Oskar’s grandfather dealt with his problems by refusing to talk at all, his grandma tries to keep everything a secret, his mother tries to laugh and smile around people but cry by herself away from everyone, and Oskar tries to find a way to never let go of what he loved. I was thinking like most everyone else when I first started reading the book, this kid has some issues; but now I think that this is just his way of dealing with all the changes that have happened to him. It always hurts the most the first time, and it makes it even harder when you love a person as much as Oskar loved his father. Honestly I think that Oskar took his father’s death rather well.
I completely agree with Olivia H that "Oskar Oskar took his father’s death rather well." Most 9 year olds would not have been able to handle anything like this the way that Oskar did.
I agree with most people that Oskar used his "inventions"to help him cope with his father's death. I liked how Ali C put it. "A lot of the inventions that he thinks of shows of ways to get rid of sadness, or help people with bad events." He is always thinking of something to help other people. At age 9, I think that most kids only think of themselves. I don't mean this in a bad way, it is just that they don't really know how to help others yet, and they are still a little confused on what they need to do for themselves. Oskar is the complete opposite of that. He works hard to think of things that can help other people. I think that most people are like this at a young age, because their parents still do most things for them. With no father, and a sad and confused mother, Oskar has to learn to take care of himself at a young age. This helps him to grow and become more mature at a young age. Oskar is a very giving kid and is always willing to help someone in need.
I agree with Samantha S also, everyone deals with there grief in their own way. I think Oskar is realizing how much it hurts to loose someone who you love dearly and so now he's pushing everyone who he's close to and who he loves away, he doesn't want to be hurt again. Just like when he tells his mom that he wishes she had died instead of his dad. I think he's feeling anger and resentment against her also though, she's been pushing him away and not paying any attention to him either. From his point of veiw, if he can push her away now, it won't hurt as bad if anything else happens like 9/11. He's just protecting himself.
He does this towards everyone, Oskar never really gets to close to someone. Number two on his top ten "love the most list" is his Grandmother, in which he is really close too. But when he does his school play, he resents her and never stands up for her. Oskar pushes her into the bottom of his "enormous pocket" to protect himself.
I think these are the only ways he feels he can handle everything.
I like the point Ali C made about how Oskar is pushing everyone away as to protect himself from getting hurt if something ever happened to one of them. Ali talked about the passage from the book on page 171 where Oskar tells his mom,"If I could have chosen,I would have chosen you." In the sentances before this, Oskar is talking to his mother about Ron.
Oskar's mother keeps saying that her and Ron are 'just friends'. And whether or not this is true, Oskar thinks there is more going on and he hates that. As many young kids do, Oskar sees his mom with one guy, his dad. The fact that his mom could possibly be with another man.
When Kelsey B said that Oskar is depressed over his fathers death I halfway agreed, yes he talks about bruises and heavy boots but should we automatically assume that it is depression. From what I know about depression is that when you are depressed you keep to yourself, you're not talkative and other similar symptoms but to me Oskar doesn't show these signs. He is still talkative and lively even in the limo on the way to his fathers funeral. It is not that it didn't affect him i don't think he is depressed. Oskar seems to have too much of a stronge personality to break down. At 9 years old he is more independent and outspoken than most adults, so I think that the death of his father affected him in more of an "eye-opener" in the sense that he seemed sheltered before from any harm of danger or death until the death of his father.
I disagree with Breanna, I agree that heavy boots mean depression but he’s kind of denying it by using the alternate name. At the same time he is keeping it to himself the whole time because he never admits to anyone that he loves his dad and is afraid to move on without him. Oskar wasn’t necessarily talkative in the limo, he was just trying to hide his true feelings. He was making to jokes to cover up how much he really hurt inside. Oskar has to be depressed. He just lost his dad in a terrible incident, and he’s only nine years old. He also appears to be strong to other people, but when reading how he really feels, Oskar is breaking down on the inside and screaming for help. I agree that he is very independent, but he almost has to be because his mom is a wreck and is trying to move on too soon.
Death is an eye-opener for us all. As Oskar shows throughout the book he takes much more precaution. He does not want to go up the elevators and is afraid of heights. He begins to invent things such as a trampoline type object that can be at the bottom of the elevator and shoot the elevator straight out of the roof if it falls down. I believe the death was a major eye-opener for him and I also believe he truly is depressed, as he admits on page 171.
Oskar's "heavy boots." Many comments say it is all about deppression, but I can agree that his fear and anger of anything related to his father also plays a part.
When Oksar is talking to Mr. Black about his Biographical index cards, he gets really angry when his dad does not have one. He says, "It's just that why would you have one for him and not one for my dad? . . . My dad deserves to be in there" (159). Then he states thatit gave him really heavy boots. After reading this passage i realized that most everytime Oskar has "heavy boots" his seems either scared to talk about his dad or is angry that no one feels that same way that he does. in this case I believe that Oskar is somewhat angry that Mr. Black does not feel the same way or appriciate his dad the way he does. Therefor it gives him that"heavy boots" feeling.
I agree when Sami S. stated, "He just lost his dad in a terrible incident, and he's only nine years old. He also appears to be strong to other people, but when reading how he really feels, Oskar is breaking down on the inside and screaming for help." I think that Oskar is really looking for someone to relate to him and grieve the same way that he does. When he feels that he has heavy boots, he needs someone to be there for him withiout judgement. His constant fear and anger are part of his healing process. Moreover, he is only looking for someone to connect with. In the end of the book I think that Oskar's grandfather reminds him of his father, making him feel safe and far from "heavy boots."
Adding on the topic of Ashley L's comment of how Oskar has made a transformation within himself, I think this is entirely true. Oskar has become self dependant and mentally stronger through the novel. Almost all of Oskar's newly inherited skills are from the quest for the key. From this quest Oskar learns responsibility and indepence. But mainly he gains independance from his father's death. Oskar had been very depressed and he had seperated himself from society but after the quest is fullfilled he is no longer holding on to what isn't there.
As many people have been commenting on Oskar's mental status. I agree with the ones who say he isn't mental at all. Oskar is just very different and individual in his own mind. His intelligence also makes him stand out and seem "different". The mental status that some people seem to see Oskar as is only the differences and higher intelligence he has own the modern 9 year old. The pressure and stress put on Oskar from his father's death make him distant from the community. All these things make Oskar the deep and complicated individual he is.
Oskar does seem depressed throughout the novel, which is understandable considering that he lost his father. As an nine year old boy it must be rather difficult to lose a father. At such a young age he is forced to learn that life is not fair, a hard lesson to accept. His feelings of depression are not exclusivly caused by his father's death itself but also by the loneliness he faces. Oskar cannot believe that anyone is faced with a problem as bad as his and through this mentality he isolates himself from the rest of the world. This feeling of lonliness is epitomized in the argument he has with his mother. He views the relationship between his Mom and Ron as an attempt by his Mom to forget about his Dad. Oskar goes on to say, "Either promise me that you'll never fall in love again, or I'm going to stop loving you" 171. I believe that Oskar is trying to salvage his last hope that someone is going through the same troubles as he is, but as his Mom defends herself his hope is shattered and he lashes out at his Mom, "If I could have choosen I would have chosen you!" 171. perhaps he believes that his Dad, when put in the same situation, would share his grief but none the less Oskar had just pushed away the last person that could have understood him leaving himself feeling incredibly alone. As a result he locks his emotions inside of himself, refusing therapy, rufusing help, until the emotions well up inside of himself to the point where he can no longer contain them. In several instances Oskar pours out all his problems and emotions to complete strangers, trying to cope with his loss. He makes serveral desperate attempts to find someone that understands him.
In his attempt to find someone who understands him he also tries to find closure to his father's death. He feels incredibly guilty about being incapable of picking up the phone to recieve his father's final message and feels that everything has been left up in the air. Through his search for the lock he attempts to understand his father better. He tries to fill the void left in his heart. Because Oskar is only nine years old there were a lot of things he was unable to experience with his father and a lot of things he could not understand about his father. Oskar feels this lack and attempts to fullfill it the best he can even though his father is now dead.
Throughout the novel Oskar says many things and does many things that don't seem believeable for a nine year old boy. The way he talks, his understanding of the world, his New York adventure all could be considered unrealistic however through reading the interview with Foer it becomes clear that he is not striving for realism. Foer says,
"I am not really writing a nine-year-old kid. That’s not what I am doing. Or not in a realistic way. In fact, that is something that sometimes when I talk to people about the book or in reviews they say. “It’s not quite realistic, what he [Oskar Schell] does.” And I think, “Yeah of course not. We can agree on that.” That wasn’t my intention. My intention was to create something that was believable. Something that you could really empathize with, someone whose journey you wanted to be along for." Foer is simply trying to convey a message and explore 9/11 through the eyes of a child who has lost his father. He created a character for the situation and not a situation for a character.
One idea that is hard for me to wrap my mind around is how Oskar sees himself. Like most other people, Oskar has issues and tendencies he doesn't understand, but unusual for his character, he doesn't seem to have any desire to find out why. Always curious and asking questions, it's difficult for me to imagine Oskar not wanting to know why or how something occurs. The first few times I noticed this was with Oskar's somewhat compulsive inventing. Time and time again Oskar would tell the reader, "I couldn't stop inventing," or "I didn't want to [invent], but I couldn't stop," (244). Oskar's lack of curiosity about himself is surprising to me and reminds me, yet again, of Christopher in "The Curious Incident."
Also confusing to me is why Oskar gives himself bruises, but doesn't wonder why no one else does. Maybe he simply doesn't notice? It is not why he gives himself bruises that confuses me, but why he hasn't done research on this behavior and why it seems to be so normal to him. Knowing Oskar's habits from the book, I can definitely picture him doing research on death and impacts of death, but he never mentions anything of it. Has he been exposed to his behavior on the internet? Or is it a naturally occurring action for him and why? Let me know if anyone has any ideas.
To answer Kate J W post I don't think Oskar is curious about himself because he doesn't think there is anything unusual about him. Besides he keeps his mind preoccupied with the mystery and his fathers death. His life has been consumed with the mystery. The key hangs around his neck to continually remind him of the task at hand. It's a heavy burden, like the ring on the necklace in Lord of the Rings. Like Oskar, Frodo consumes himself with taking the ring to wear it belongs. It's not that he has "been exposed to his behavior on the internet" it's just natural for him to behave the way he does. He's not weird he's just different.
I agree with Cicily when she says that Oskar is completely concentrated on his fathers death. I think a parents death is enough to keep any young child busy especially one like Oskar. He is a mystery-loving boy that is "obsessed" with his father's death. How is he supposed to act?
I agree as well with Brenna M.E. when she said Oskar is some what depressed becuase he does have great reasoning for it. But on the other hand, he is very chatty and doesnt let the sadness affect his personal life. He is still lively, but different. I do think it is just putting things into perspective for Oskar of how things can really turn out.
Kate J brought up a very good point about Oskar bruising himself. He is such a technical kid you would think he would be curious to why he is different from other people. It's hard not to notice that he's the only one bruising himself and acting in a different manner.
Cicily also said that Oskar doesn't notice that he's different. I think he just thinks that other people are different and what he does is completely normal. Oskar believes that the actions he does and thoughts he thinks are what any other kid would do and feel as well. I don't even know if he realizes any differences from him and other kids completely. Oskar's mind is focussed on his father's death and any other mystery that crosses Oskar's path. I really liked Cicily's comparison of Frodo, from the Lord of the Rings, and Oskar. It was well thought out and out of the box.
Kirsten P. said that, "Oskar is some what depressed becuase he does have great reasoning for it." I agree that he is sad about his father's death. He was very close to his father, and spent lots of time with him and it's very hard to lose someone you love that much, especially when it is one of your parents. It's good that Oskar has the personality he does. He never lets anything get him down no matter what. I think it's good for a kid not to be too sad about a loved one's death. I'm not saying it's ok to be sad, but Oskar can control his emotions which is great.
Starting a new topic for Oskar Schell, I would love to talk about how friendly and sociable he is. No matter who Oskar is around, he always strikes up a conversation with them. "Who's Larry?" from Mom. "The homeless guy in front of the Museum of Natural History who always says, I promise its for food after he asks for money..how you don't know who Larry is even though you probably see him all the time." From Oskar. This passage on page 42 shows that Oskar talks and gets to know everyone.
Most people who live in apartment buildings don't get to know their own doorman but Oskar makes an outgoing attempt to get to know his. Stan and him have conversations every time he passes whether going to his room or out of the building. On page 44 it shows their relationship is strong, "You look better then yesterday." Stan said. I told him to mind his own business. He said, "Jeez."
Earlier on in my post I was talking about how Oskar likes to protect people with his secrets, but in a lot of the book he talks about protecting people with his bigger pocket invention. On page 73 Oskar has a list of people that he loves most from 1-10, and this would also be the same list that he would like to protect in his pockets. I think that Oskar has his dad as number one on there still because his dad is the only one and the most important person to keep close to his heart.
Oskar likes to protect his mom from everything too, which I find surprising in some ways. His mom doesn't ever really pay attention to him and yet, she's number three on the list and he hides everything from her to keep her safe. Like the messages on the machine, if he played those to her it would; one, make things more realistic, two, show that he never answered the phone, and three, would just down right hurt her.
Protecting people, in my opinion, is what keeps Oskar going. His raisons d'etre. Reason to live.
Oskar is very protecting over everyone including himself because i don't think he wants anyone to feel the hurt that he is feeling. Like Ali C P brings up about the messages and how he keeps them away from his mom, he is protecting her from all the hurt that those messages could have caused her. But on page 301, Oskar doesn't answer the phone when his father calls one last time. I don't think he answered it because he was scared, and was protecting himself from the truth, from what was really happening to his father. Oskar has a good heart and really cares about how others feel, and his protective ways shows that.
Oskar is the same age I was when 9/11 occurred. I remember vividly, despite my parents' attempt at shelter, that event rocking my world. I did not lose a parent as Oskar did and I certainly cannot fathom his sense of profound loss. As children, we process traumatic events in a much deeper way than adults, because we do not have the coping mechanisms to logically sort out fear and the forboding of a reoccurrance of horrible, life changing events in out lives. I loved Oskar's inventions and ached for him as he tried to protect others from the same painful experiences. My favorite invention was the one where he makes the city indestructible so nothing bad can happen to anyone. I would love to live in a world where tragedies like 9/11 would be that of fiction and not reality.
To answer Kate's idea about the bruising, I think Oskar knows its not normal but he does it anyway. I remember he told somebody that he bruises easily which was kind of an attention getter. At the same time that's what he does to deal with the pain. He knows its wrong to do, but tries to not think of it, or hides it. When his mom changes his shirt when she puts him to bed, he wonders if she notices the bruises and hopes she doesn't ask him about them. On page 173 is the most he's ever talked about the bruises that much. I think his mom seeing them made them a little closer because she sees how much pain he really is feeling. I'm sure he has researched it but just pretends its not there, kind of denying that he has a problem.
I just read through some of last posts, and i noticed Ali C brings up that Oskar's dad was number 1 on the list that he creates of people he wants to keep safe. His dad is dead at this point, but to Oskar his dad is still as alive as ever. He always wants to protect him no matter what. Oskar's dad is his whole world and is the most important person to him.
Ali also says, "Oskar likes to protect his mom from everything too, which I find surprising in some ways." I also thought this as I was reading the book. Oskar's mom never seems to be very active in his life and whenever she is, Oskar doesn't seem happy with her. His mom doesn't seem much like a motherly figure to me. Throughout the whole book she never really seems to care where Oskar is going and you never read about her doing anything you would find a mother doing.
As I read back through various sections of the book I began to realize something, Oskar is the complete opposite of his grandfather. Oskar hides away the phone messages to protect his mother, while his grandfather confines himself in solitude for his own protection. Oskar went and bought his mother an entirely new phone while his grandfather tries to isolate himself from the rest of the world. "After a time, I only had a handful of words left." (17) He chose to almost completely shut down communication with the rest of humanity. He even created "nothing" places to try and disappear completely, "Only a few months into our marriage, we started marking off areas in the apartment as "Nothing Places"...They would be nonexistent territories in the apartment, in which one could temporarily cease to exist" (110)
After Thomas died the grandfather chose to move on, while Oskar struggled to make sense of it.
On the 'journey to solve the mystery' Oskar inadvertently receives help from others. Foer is making the point about how intertwined people's lives and fates are. While on his journey, Oskar's life spills into that of others and theirs does the same. The key doesn't fit his own lock, but rather it fits into the lock of a complete stranger. In a whole this novel proves that tragedy and loss are never dealt with by one individual, it takes an intricately intertwined society.
nathan s p said on june 11, " I don’t know any nine year old kids who would be brave enough to go around New York City by themselves and knock on the doors of complete strangers." i went to New York this summer and explored Harlem as well as oskar did in the novel. i agree that a nine year old has to be very brave in order to wander around a big city by themselves. when one is walking around New York, they find themselves being pushed around and overwhelmed by the gigantic buildings towering above. i can see why oskar carried his tambourine with him to walk around the city to make him feel safe because that city will drown a person. oskars tambourine is like a safety net which allows him to focus on what he needs to get done which is finding out waht the key unlocks.
Cicily C made a good point when she said that Oskar and his grandfather are completely different. But I don’t agree with how she sees they are different. I think Oskar’s grandfather is very reliant on people and has a tough time dealing with loss and pain. I mean he lost the ability to speak because he was so depressed about Anna. Whereas Oskar, who just lost his father, his close friend and hero, is only concerned with the puzzle he left behind. Oskar doesn’t seem to acknowledge the fact that he will never see his father again, especially since he doesn’t believe in an after-life.
Also, I agree with Jillian S. I traveled to New York this summer as well and places like the Bronx and Harlem really are frightening. But Oskar traveled everywhere without a second thought, as long as it could bring him closer to the answer he needed. It never seemed like he was conscious of his surroundings. I don’t know if this is because he was so focused on his mission or if he just wanted to feel as close as possible to his father. [If any one can answer that, please do!]
Going back to a few comments ago, Corrie S talked about “how friendly and sociable” Oskar is. I really think it stands out in the book because even though he is depressed, knowing people shows that he’s not always like that. For a nine year old boy to be able to walk around New York and converse with anyone without being the lest bit scared is very shocking.
Every time Oskar goes to visit someone knew he never really mentions or acts like he’s nervous. I would be terrified walking around meeting new people in New York not knowing anything about them. Not only would I be nervous, but I also wouldn’t know what to say to them. Oskar is very observant and mentions the elephant or other topics that can start up a conversation. Oskar must be rather social, because in general most shy people will not go up to strangers and start asking them questions. So I think the reader might be able to see how depressed he was by the loss of his dad just by looking at how he converses with certain people.
After reading this book I think Oskar viewed the world in the beging a little hurt but it might of came out as an angry person. Oskar would say something like this “ I read the first chapter of a brief History of Time when Dad was still alive, and I got incredibly heavy boots about how relatively insignificant life is, and how, compared to the universe and compared to time if I existed at all.” (86). I think why he says things like that is because he thinks it is the worlds fault for his Dad’s death. But when you get farther into the book he realizes that shutting people out of his life because they don’t help him find where the key goes to wasn’t right. The one thing he said to his therapist that “He wanted to change was to get friends and to not shut people out because they were morons.”(203). I think that Oskar has learned to let other people in. He starts doing that when he meets the renter.You may have thought that Mr Black was his friend in the beging, but I think Oskar had him as a friend in the beging was because he wanted to help Oskar dicover where the key goes to. But then once Mr. Black stop looking for the key Oskar got mad. After talking to the renter and when they dug up his Dad's grave he had to tell Mr Black that because he was his friend. In the end I think that Oskar has viewed the world in two different ways but has came out to find that it wasn’t the world’s fault that his Dad died.
I think the reason for why Oskar became friends with the renter. Is a little while after he notices the renter doing jesters that remind him of his father he thinks of him as a friend. I think the reason for that is because that the renter reminds him of his father.
During the book I think that his Dad has motivated him starting when Oskar finds the key. His Dad is the reason why he has looked for the key for over six months. And the reason why Oskar keeps looking for the key is because he hopes that he will find where it goes to and that it gives him great memories of his Dad so he won’t forget him.
I agree with Smantha S's statement that Oskar is friendly and sociable.
I think Oskar interacts with other people as a way to help him deal with his emotions, opposite from what shy people do, which is keep to themselves when they are nervous, angry, etc etc. An example of this is when he is in the limousine on the way to his father's funeral. There is a lot of sadness and tension in the car, so to escape it, Oskar crawls to the front of the limousine and talk to the driver, trying to make him laugh. "It was annoying me how Grandma kept touching me, so I climbed into the front seat and poked the driver's shoulder until he gave me some attention." (4) Another good example happens right after: "In the back seat, Mom was holding something in her purse. I could tell that she was squeezing it because I could see her arm muscles. Grandma was knitting white mittens, so I knew they were for me, even though it wasn't cold out. I wanted to ask Mom what she was squeezing and why she had to keep it hidden. I remember thinking that even if I were suffering hypothermia, I would never, ever put on those mittens... Mom squeezed, and Grandma knitted, and I told Gerald, 'I kicked a French chicken in the stomach once,' because I wanted to make him crack up, because if I could make him crack up, my boots could be a little lighter." Clearly, he uses social interactions as a way to deal with stress and sadness.
Samantha S also mentioned another good example of this when Oskar starts talking about things in Abby Black's apartment (such as the elephant picture) in order to relieve the tension between them, since Abby did not really want Oskar to come in. The two are having an awkward silence: "She put out some strawberries. I thought it was weird that there weren't any menus or little magnetic calendars or pictures of kids on her refrigerator. The only thing in her whole kitchen was a photograph of an elephant on the wall next to the phone. 'I love that.' I told her, and not just because I wanted her to like me." (94) It's clear to see that through his sociability and friendliness, Oskar is able to relieve stressful situations by making jokes or conversation.
As I was thinking about it some more I realized that Oskar has actually dealt with his fathers death incredibly well. So well in fact, that it is another reason I don't think Oskar is believable as a nine year old. He has never lashed out once, although he has pictured it in his head several times. He keeps his calm and remains extremely friendly. Which I don't think is very normal for a young boy who has suffered so much. It would actually be more understandable, in my opinion, for him to lash out or to act strange or shy.
I would also like to comment on what Vanessa G W said about when Oskar found the key. I think the reason he didn’t show his mom the key or ask her about it even though it might have been a much easier way to learn about it from the start is because he would rather spend the time searching because he felt that his adventures would bring him closer to his dad. Ultimately the key didn’t have much to do with his dad, it didn’t even really belong to him. But I think that Oskar needed that time that he spent searching for the key, he just wasn’t ready to let go of the last thing that gave him hope of remaining close with his father.
Rachel H. brought up a greet point about how it's hard to believe Oskar is a 9 year old. He is friendly to everyone and acts very maturely about everything, even his father's death, which he takes extremely well. However he does at some points bruise himself for various reasons, which proves that Oskar is in fact human. Oskar is very much like Christopher Boone in "The curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time". They are both very mature for their age, and act like it too. They aren't afraid to go and find something that's not in their control. Sure, Oskar is a lot more sociable than Christopher, but they both go way out of their way to solve mysteries that not a lot of kids would do, like walking all alone in New York City.
I would just like to comment on what Rachel H said about Oskar being so calm about his father's death. For a nine year old, you would expect them to lash out, shut down, or be lost within themselves. Oskar is not one of these things. He may give himself bruises or picture things or even rethink about memories but its all kept within himself. He never physically hurts anyone else. Oskar keeps to himself but in a safe way. I don't completely see how Oskar could only be nine, but I guess the way he is handling things is just another way of doing it. Other kids could lash out or such, but Oskar just does it differently.
Nick B. also shows how much alike Christopher Boone and Oskar are. They are both daring in a way. To travel or walk anywhere, especially at night, at such a young age. Oskar thinks of things a little differently and maturely. Christopher definately had some mental dissabilaties, but as for Oskar, I think he is just very mature for being nine. Oskar is different but doesn't realize it. He thinks he is normal and other people are different.
I'm very sorry to go back to a previous idea, but about that bruising... I was just wondering if anyone had remembered him saying anything about making them before his father's death. If he hasn't (as I suspect he hasn't) made these before, then he is in no way dealing with his father's death the way he should be, nor is he dealing with himself as he should. To me, this is an extremely important thing to notice about Oskar because I feel that he might slightly blame himself for his father's death. This is kind of a new idea, so bear with me, but i think it's possible that Oskar's search for the key is almost his punishment? He has this terribly daunting task ahead of him that he has such a need, not desire, to accomplish and he invents and hurts himself for no obvious reason except possible confused feelings about his father's death or just some personality quirks. Oskar himself gets angry with his mother for being happy and laughing with Ron, and maybe this is just how he keeps himself in-check. I know this is far fetched and I'm not exactly sure if I even agree with it, but it's just another way to see the book. :)
I was thinking about what Kate J W said about Oskar punishing himself by searching for the key's lock. I thought that was interesting but I don't think that is really what he was trying to do. I agree that he has more of a need than a desire to find the lock but I think that the reason he needs to do it is not to punish himself or make himself feel bad. I think he just needs to do find it because he can't totally let go of his father quite yet. It's as if he has to hold on to hope of coming closer to his father only because he isn't ready to completely let go of him yet. I'm still a little baffled by his bruises but the only reason I can think of is that he feels so much pain that sometimes he wants to be able to physically feel it and see it. I think the bruises aren’t an ok thing for him to do, but it’s perfectly understandable after what he went through.
Oskar Schell is an interesting protagonist because the kind of person that is curios and extremely strange for a nine year old boy.He is also direct,Forward,and literal in a sense that when he wants to ask a question even if its blunt and obtrusive like when he is visiting the house of Abby Black he asked her "Why are you sad?" "Excuse me" "You're sad.Why?" his bluntness is one of his traits that makes him believable as a child because generally children are honest, but throughout the novel he slowly lies more and more for the first time in his life, he even counts his lies.As strange as he is his character is believable even as a real person because even though he has an intellectual and somewhat strange personality the child in him still shows.
As the story progresses his journey is more apparent as the one thing that motivates him.His journey is what changes him throughout the book he has many difficulties but he does change, he repeatedly cant fall asleep in seven minutes until until the end of the novel as well he also starts to accept Ron showing his growth and healing toward the end of his journey.
The way that other people see Oskar varies, with those close to him thinking he is sweet if not a little strange, and others he meets thinking he is very problematic such as the Therapist he goes and sees who tells his mother he should go to an institution or at least thats what he thinks he hears. But all in all Oskar is a generally loved but vexing character for his family and the many blacks he meets.
You have a fresh, new, original idea Kate J and you should in no way feel sorry for bringing it up. You raise several good points, the only problem is that it does not seem as though you completely fleshed-out your idea out of a fear that you might be wrong. You bring up an excellent point about Oskar feeling guilty and feeling a need to punish himself, however I do not agree that it is a result of feeling responsible for his Dad's death. Instead, Oskar feels guilty about not picking up the final phone call and about keeping the messages a secret. He feels guilty about failure such as when he find outs that the lock has nothing to do with his dad. Oskar feels guilty when he experiences happiness, because he feels like sadness is the only way to stay close to his father (perhaps, in this way, Oskar views the bruises he gives himself like a tribute to his Dad, although he knows his Dad would not wish him pain of any sort). I do not believe Oskar's intentions of searching for the lock were to punish himself as much as it was to become closer to his father, however if by experiencing the pain, trails, tribulations, and sadness of the quest he feels closer to his father...
Well Jeff B, I personally have to agree with Kate J, I do think that bruising is because he blames himself. If you go back to the beginning of the book, he talks about not being able to answer the last phone call so he goes running into the street looking for help. I think that in Oskar's mind, if he could of found help or if he did answer the last phone call than maybe in some way he could of saved his dad. Now we all know that that isn't at all possible but from a nine year olds point of view, he's the one who let his dad die.
Bruising is a lot like cutting, they do it to feel something because they're either missing something in there life or they think it was there fault and that is the only way to take the blame without people fully realizing it. Oskar, if he doesn't get something right, bruises himself. Since he feels that the key has something to do with his dad, he needs to figure it out because that's the last bit of his dad that he has left. If he fails to find where the key goes, he's failed his dad. Failure in his eyes deserves punishment. Unfortunately, I agree when Jeff said that pain is the only way he feels he can be closer to his dad..
To go along with what Kate J and Jeff B are saying, I don't think that the bruises are meant to be a tribute to his father, but a reminder to himself that he doesn't want to feel happy. I'm not sure if I agree with the search for the lock being a punishment, but just simply a way to try to connect to his father again. Oskar and his father were very close and it is obviously hard to lose someone you loved very much, and you don't want to move on which is why I think that Oskar's way of continuously bruising himself is to remind him not to move on because he feels that he would be letting his dad down in that way.
I agree with what Ali C and Katie J when they say that Oskar is bruising because he feels guilty. You see this in a lot of the inventions that Oskar creates in his mind, most of them have the purpose of keeping people safe and he wishes he could have helped keep his dad safe too.
While I was reading the book I marked a lot of the times he bruised himself, and they all are following something that he did wrong or thinks he could have done better or if something happens that bothers him. It is just like cutting, as Ali pointed out.
As I read Katheryn G's post, I noticed you are kind of contradicting yourself. First you said, "I don't think that the bruises are meant to be a tribute to his father..." but then you say,"I think that Oskar's way of continuously bruising himself is to remind him not to move on because he feels that he would be letting his dad down in that way." To me, this is like a tribute to his father.
I put more thought about the kind of kid Oskar is and he hides a lot of his emotions and he defiantly does not fit into his grade. In the book when Jimmy Snyder says "Why are you so weird" (Page 189.) and his whole class laughs and Oskar says "but i tried to maintain my confidence" meaning maybe that might have effected Oskar because if it would not have effected him then he probably would have just ignored it. Also on page 192 when all of the boys are making fun of Oskar. When Oskar finally gives in and finally says "My mom is a whore" after Jimmy threatens to hurt him, maybe he was just trying to be the bigger person and to stop fighting or maybe it did hurt his feelings and he didn't want those kids to pick on him more. I don't think he thinks about him agreeing with him just feeds the flame even more because now they can say that Oskar's mom is a whore and they can say Oskar agreed with them.
Another thing I was thinking was maybe Oskar did the scavenger hunts to be closer to his father, but I think another reason why he does that is to get away from the real world in a way, to get away from school and the kids that pick on him when Oskar states " because I was so excited that the next day I'd be able to search for the lock". He seems really excited about doing that, and like I stated in another one of my blogs maybe because none of the blacks know him.
I am also going to go back to a previous idea just like Kate J and her idea about the bruising.
Kate mentions that Oskar blames himself for his father's death which is why he hurts himself and gives himself all of the bruises. I believe that he does punish himself for not answering the phone on 9/11 and maybe bruising himself is his way to remind himself of what he did. In this way, Oskar is much older than his years. The fact that he is blaming himself for leaving his father alone is such a mature characteristic that I'm surprised he feels that way.
I actually also disagree with myself on this point in the book. I also am partial to believing something else on this matter. When Thomas Schell died, Oskar's heart was hurt in the worst possible way. It seems that whenever he bruises himself, Oskar does it when he thinks of his dad. Unfortunately, I can't find a specific quote but I remember the instance. When Oskar sees Ron and his mother, he ends up bruising himself later that night. I also believe that by bruising himself, Oskar can feel the pain that his father felt in his last moments.
I am also going back to what Kate J says about Oskar and the way he gives himself bruises. I think Oskar feels guilty for not answering the phone the day his father died and he feels like he shouldn't move on because his father was in such pain, so how could he ever be happy again. That's why I think Oskar has such a hard time watching his mother with Ron because I think Oskar thinks that his mother is being selfish. I like Kate J's idea about how the search for the key is Oskar's punishment. I don't think Oskar allows himself to feel in a healthy way, so he goes on bruising himself so he won't have to feel. Oskar was impacted so much by his father's death, and I think the way he is handling it is probably the worst way to do so but he doesn't feel comfortable any other way. When he goes to see Dr. Fein he hates being there and he doesn't really want to talk about it because the way he sees it, nobody understands.
Thanks everyone for all your input! Personally I think this is one of the most fascinating aspects of the book, just because it's never the main idea. Always in the background, never confronted, and never resolved.
I do agree that his key search is him looking for more of a resolution than a punishment, but the bruises are very definite in my mind as both a punishment for not answering the phone, and a reminder that he is not supposed to be happy.
I like how ali c brought up the similarities of cutting and bruising because that was the first thing that came into my mind when he told us about his bruises. I think that Foer likes to be sneaky and put very important matters on an undertone of the book, which is why he made it bruising instead of cutting. Essentially, they are the same act with similar affects with just as much severity. Because we're hearing of this from Oskar's point of view, bruising sounds normal and unimportant even though it's quite a big deal.
I also liked how it was brought up that Oskar gave himself bruises when he did something wrong as well as thinking of his father. This makes me wonder if Oskar would be bruising himself if his father was still alive. Did this desire or need for perfection come with the guilt or is it entirely separate? My only thoughts are that maybe his failure to answer the phone brought to his attention all his personal faults and it down spiraled from there. I know it's last minute but any thoughts?
Oskar often does give himself bruises when something bad happens whether it has to do with his father or not. He does it because i feel he wants to feel pain for his dad. Also his mom and Ron are not helping the situation. Oskar believes that his mom is falling in love again and that really upsets him. He feels like his mom is not upset and has moved on, like she has forgotten about what she had. But after Oskar heard Rons story about his family on page 315, he has a different perspective on the whole situation. Then later on his mom says, "Dad called me from the building that day... it was the first time since Dad died that I'd seen her not try to stop her tears."(324) I think after seeing his mom cry he realized that everything he kept from her she was feeling too. They just needed to talk about things more. I think he realized that she understood. Then Oskar said, "It's OK if you fall in love again."(324) When he said that i think he finally realized that they were in this together this whole time. It has been a confusing path and now everything is starting to straighten out.
Oskar learned a whole bunch during this quest and in my eyes it only made him a stronger and wiser young boy. As a 9 year old boy he went through a lot and it was a confusing path. But all he needed was someone to talk to. I think he was lonely and just needed answers just like anybody else would.
About Oskar bruising himself, I really don't think Oskar is actually blaming himself or trying to punish himself. I think the reason he is doing it is because he feels so much pain he wants to visualize it and be able to physically feel it. I don't think Oskar blames himself for his fathers death, because he understands there was nothing he could do. He could have picked up the phone that last time when his father called and I agree he does feel guilty for that, but like I said I think the bruises are a way for him to physically feel and see his pain. Maybe it’s as if he would rather feel physical pain than the emotional pain.
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