After discussing theme in class, provide the theme that your group developed through close analysis of the text and your plot map. Then, defend your theme. Why does this theme make sense for the novel? How does this theme relate to the contemporary American lifestyle?
The main theme of this book is extremely loud and incredibly close, the title symbolizes his anxiety and his determination all wrapped up together. Extremely loud is pointing out the airplanes the sirens anything that makes his anxiety go crazy. Incredibly close is what he wants to be stay close to his father and he thinks that he will be closer than he is now if he searches. From the text pg.#? “8 minutes thirty two seconds away.” This is how long the sun’s rays take to get to the earth. If the sun exploded we would live normally for eight minutes after it exploded. He wants to stay eight minutes away forever.
ReplyDeleteHow do you think this relates to us as readers?
DeleteGoing off of what Libby said but what would be the life lesson? To risk going outside of you comfort zone? Or putting family first?
Deletei dont think he wants the 8 minutes to stay away for ever he wants 8 more minutes with his dad.
DeleteWhen people lose close family members who they love, they are often blind to appreciate the people they have in their life in the present that love them. This theme makes sense for this novel because Oskar lost his father, whom he was very close with, in the 9/11 attacks. On page 172, Oskar says, “‘Are you still mad at me?’ His mother says, ‘No.’ She was never mad at him. Oskar then asks, ‘What were you?’ His mother says, ‘Hurt.’” The grieving over this loss and the quest to find anything that ties him to his dad, makes him blind to appreciate his mother and understand that she loved his father too and is going through the same hardships as Oskar. This theme relates to the contemporary American lifestyle because this was an event that actually occurred in American history just 16 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Oskar doesn't appreciate all that his mother does do, but do you also think there is more she can do? Maybe even just trying to spend more time with him, or being more tolerant towards his questions?
DeleteYeah I guess she could spend more time with him but I think that she's afraid that if she tries to it will separate them even farther apart, possibly to the point where Oskar would never talk to her again or run away from her.
DeleteDo both of you think that his mom could schedule time and make Oskar spend time with her just to let Oskar know that she's their to help him through this?
DeleteI agree, Oskar does not appreciate all the things his mom does for him. I believe that he is kind of blinded to what she does for him because he is unhappy with her being with Ron.
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ReplyDeleteLoneliness can drive people to do things that you would not do if they had healthy connections to others. This is the theme in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close because it relates to the characters in the book and the audience, this specifically applies to Oskar. Oskar has felt lonely ever since his dad passed, and he’s struggles to build connections with people, and when he does, they never compare to the relationship he had with his father. Since nothing compares, Oskars on the quest with the key to try and keep his bond with his father strong, even after his passing, but his relationship with his father is something he keeps to himself. In reply to his mother, Oskar once says, “It doesn’t make me feel good when you say that something I do reminds you of Dad.” (43) This shows that he wants to keep his thoughts and feelings surrounding his father to himself.
I think that deep down Oskar doesn't want to keep his feelings to himself I think he just doesn't know how to show it the right way. He shows it by bruising himself and when his mother sees the bruises he hopes to make her feel sorry for him. He doesn't understand that she has a different way of dealing with problems. His mother tries to laugh and spend time with people. If you agree, do you think Oskar will ever realize this and change how he interacts with mother and how he feels about her?
DeleteI agree that Oskar does not know how to express his feelings to other people. I think as he gets older and matures more he will start to realize that the way he is acting will not solve his problems.
DeleteI feel that he has his own way of dealing with this, just like all, but as he goes on in his journey, he will mature and learn things as he goes.
DeleteOscar wants too solve the quest that is all he cares about.
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ReplyDeleteA parent's deaths affects the children in a way that makes them try to do everything they can even if it means stepping outside of their comfort zone to socialize with others. Which would help them stay as close to their loved ones as possible. When Oskar says “Eight minutes thirty-two seconds...” (66). Oscar was referring to once the sun explodes we would only have eight minutes thirty-two seconds left before everything would go black, and this is what he has been looking for with his dad. The author added this to help show us what Oskar is looking for and how this key will help satisfy him them most. I can relate to Oskar and how he would go outside of his comfort zone and start talking to random people just to be closer to his dad. I wonder how long will Oskar keep looking for his dad and to what extent will he take it to?
I think that Oskar will do everything in his power to find what the key fits. He has faced fears over and over just to find possible people who might know his dad. I think that this shows how far he actually is willing to go.
DeleteOskar is very determined to find what the key opens, and will do anything he can. Oskar will keep meeting anyone he can to see who knows his father, and I feel that he will stick till the end.
DeleteDealing with death is very prevalent throughout the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly close. The theme shown is, death can often make people feel at a loss or lacking in purpose until, they are able to mature and accept their situation. This is the theme for the novel because Oskar has to be able to mature during his mission to be able to fully except his father’s death. Oskar in the beginning of the novel is lost and searching for himself, “ A lot of the time I’d get the feeling like I was in the middle of a huge black Ocean, or in a deep space but not in a fascinating way.”
ReplyDelete(foer, 36) This quote just shows how Oskar is not accepted his father's death and still struggles from it on a daily basis. Oskar continues to feel this until he is able to grow up through his mission. He matures throughout his mission by meeting other people, facing his fears, and gaining new knowledge through his experiences. The reason for Foer making this the theme was to help people who could possibly have dealt with similar feelings to Oskar after a death. I think that many people can relate to Oskar especially after the tragedy of 9/11. I also believe that if Oskar doesn’t mature from his mission he will never be able to overcome his dad's death. If Oskar does not go on this mission what do you think will happen to him? How would he be different?
I think if Oskar does not go on the mission he will continue to be unhappy and push away the people he cares about. He is already becoming distant from his mother. He may not want to be around his grandmother or friends either.
DeleteDeath is a frightening thought for many people, and the loss of a loved one can leave someone’s life in ruins, but learning to cope can pull a person out of their depression. In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Oskar must learn to cope. Oskar loses his dad in the terrorist attack of 9/11. He was very close to his father, and says, “Being with him made my brain quiet” (Foer 12). Oskar was emotionally dependent on his dad, and when he died, Oskar’s life was destroyed. He could not cope with the sadness he was feeling and admits, “Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I gave myself a bruise” (Foer 37). Oskar cannot find a way to bring happiness back into his life. Later in the book Oskar begins to feel better when he has a new mission to work on. He searches New York for a person by the name of Black, that can identify the mysterious key. He and Abe Black go to an amusement park and Oskar reports, “It was an almost perfect day, except that Abe didn’t know anything about the key or about Dad” (Foer 149). Oskar is beginning to find joy again in his life. He meets new people and learns new things. Oskar was very distraught when his dad died, but as he travels New York on and exciting adventure he learns to be more positive about his life. I think by the end of the book Oskar will have moved on from his Dad’s death.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up is not always easy, but you will always continue to mature and gain knowledge. This is the theme in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close because it parallels Oskar and how on his journey, he will always be gaining knowledge and meeting new people that he gets to know. “While we were in the car I told him all about how I was going to meet everyone in New York with the last name Black” (Foer 149). This quote shows how Oskar is willing to meet anyone on his exploration and he wants to figure out as much as he can to find answers. Even though his dad has died, I feel that that is in the past, and Oskar has moved on to find things that distract him, and he is succeeding. I believe that this will finally help him get over his dad’s death and he can finally learn more and move on. This is a form of Oskar coping with what life will throw at him, and how he chooses to deal with it.
ReplyDeleteThe theme my group and I developed for Extremely loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Foer, is though not always ideal, hardships that create the feeling of isolation best allow one to mature and discover themselves. This theme is something we see throughout the entire book. Oskar is a nine year old boy that is going through situations no nine year old should ever have to endure, and within this process he is learning an abundance of knowledge about himself and the big pond he was thrown into. This theme relates to contemporary american style because all americans, whether they were born here or are immigrants, have hardships thrown in their path that they he the choice of learning from or letting it control them. Especially in modern times due to the fact that learning from your mistakes and discovering yourself is talked about a lot more than it used to be for everyone, including women and minorities. I believe having the subject be hardships instead of the loss of a loved one fits the story the best due to the fact that the story is not about Thomas Schells death, it is about Oskar’s exploration and learning new things as he goes along. Would anyone else agree or disagree and why?
ReplyDeleteI agree and I find that for a child who has mental issues he is very impressive in the fact of how he handles the loss of his father.
DeleteI think our theme is family trauma and tragedy and how it affects a young child with some mental issues, The reason we think this is the fact he loses his father who is beyond close with and is on the adventuring lying to his mom to have another “8 minutes” with his dad but the entire adventure he doesn't realize his mom is just like his dad. The reason this relates to american contemporary is the fact lots of children lose parents whether it death or divorce the torture can be the same
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