For this post, I want you to write about whatever interests you with respect to the novel.
Here's what interests me at the moment: I find that I have a hard time talking about this book sometimes. I can analyze Oskar & his psychological makeup, and how the hurt and pain and confusion and guilt result in his endearing idiosyncrasies, crazy outbursts, and the obsessive quality of his lock-and-key search. I can talk about the things that make me laugh, like the Hamlet scene and the session with Dr. Fein. But I have a hard time talking about the things that really move me, and there are a lot of them, because I don’t know what else to say except that they move me. The chapter from the grandmother’s perspective, My Feelings (p. 174), is like this. Thomas and grandma have such opposite responses to the tragic losses of their lives, one drawing an iron curtain around himself (nothing), the other become a moth flying toward a light (something). One lacks courage, the other confidence. Grandma can certainly be frustrating in her lack of independence and confidence. On the other hand, though, I understand her. I understand why she would give a trick-or-treater dressed as a ghost two $100 bills because she was paying the ghost of Anna to go away. (It’s like Holden Caulfield paying the nuns $10, as if money can buy back your innocence.) I understand why she would be willing to compromise a lot, practically everything, to feel the security and comfort and warmth that comes with basic human connection. And while Thomas’s inability/unwillingness to live is also frustrating, it makes more sense after hearing his account of the firebombing of Dresden. How could he live after that? After losing not only the love of his life, but his unborn child, his family, everything. Add to that the guilt of leaving his family to look for Anna. I won’t even mention having to shoot an ape, twice, who looked at him with “understanding” but not “forgiveness.” The two of them are like magnets pushed apart by some repellent force (something, nothing; something, nothing). The conversation in the airport, played out by pointing to phrases already written in the notebook, is heartbreaking. Nobody pointed at, I love you — because nobody could. It is a very sad thing, in real life not just books, to hear older people look back at their life with wistful regret. If I were able to live my life again, she says, I would kiss my piano teacher. And send ugly photographs. Makes you want to do things — listen to the voice that speaks to the beating of your heart.
What interests you?
I think Oskar's perspectives and situations are so much easier to discuss because they are so much easier to relate to. Although none of us lost family members on 9/11, many of us may know people who did, all of us had timely seen the towers fall, all of us experienced nation-wide sorrow, and many of us can relate to the loss of a loved one.
ReplyDeleteThe grandmother’s story and grandfather’s story are more difficult to stomach due to the pure tragedy of the situation; it is almost beyond our capacity to relate to because we have no personal experience with it. None of us have experienced anything remotely similar to the bombings in Dresden.
We may have seen documentaries, pictures, or even read about the conflict in Germany. We may know that skin melted of those near the bombings. We may know that thousands of loved ones were lost. We may know that deep emotional scars were left. But we will never firsthand experience it nor will we firsthand experience how it immediately affected the morale of a nation.
What makes the conclusion of the grandmother’s passage, “My Feelings,” so jarring, though, is when she does relate her story to us. She makes it known that she regrets so much of her life. She didn’t regret anything having to do with the tragedy in Dresden, though. She regretted little things that we all could relate to. Kissing a teacher, jumping on a bed with a sister, or risking humiliation for the sake of making human connections (mailing an “ugly” picture to a laborer). This is the part that hit me the hardest. Up until this point, the grandmother’s situation was understandable but foreign. In this passage she made her story relevant to anyone.
Even from the grandfather’s perspective, “Why I’m Not Where You Are 4/12/78,” the tone of regret is noticeable. “When your mother found me…I wanted to tell her everything, maybe if I’d been able to, we could have lived differently, maybe I’d be there with you now instead of here….Maybe, but I couldn’t do it….And here I am, instead of there…thousands of miles from my life...”
What interests me is that Thomas and the grandmother made the true tragedy not the massacre of friends and family in Dresden, but the accumulation of “little” tragedies. It gets me thinking, “Even though my family was not massacred, how many tragedies will I have accumulated by the end of my life?”
one comment so far!!!!!!!! go period 4 go lol
ReplyDeleteugh this is sooooo disappointing. how can period 1 talk trash if period 4 fails by not posting any blogs.
ReplyDeleteLame
sincerely,
period 1
The thing that stands out the most to me while I read the novel is Oskar’s curiosity, inventiveness, and tenacity. All of these three attributes are displayed in the novel consistently and make it clear that he is not an ordinary kid. He constantly shares his ridiculous ideas with the reader, for example the invention of a tear collector in New York City, or a ring to show others what mood you are in. Although these strange ideas may seem a bit pointless at first, as I read more I notice that these inventions or ideas have a deeper meaning. After the death of his father, Oskar begins to reach out to random people in order to keep emotional stability. His ideas of the ring or the tear collector show that he is willing to share his emotions with the world. There is also a sense of companionship in the novel. Instead of turning to his mother, or to Ron, Oskar decides to search for people who he doesn’t know. The scene when Oskar visits the 103-year old man who has been locked up in his apartment shows how Oskar is bringing companionship to people who need it, and bringing them back to life (when he turns on his hearing aid).
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting part of the novel is Oskar’s search for the lock which matches his father’s key. I highly doubt that after visiting hundreds of people with the last name ‘Black’, Oskar will find the answer to his question. However, I do think that his search has turned into something much greater and of much more importance than a silly scavenger hunt. It seems that he learns a part of himself after each visit. For example, after visiting the young woman with the picture of the elephant, Oskar is forced to reflect on his own life and how he truly feels about his father’s death. The lady asks him: “I wonder what the elephants were feeling. Were they angry, scared…?” Of course, the story of the elephants symbolizes Oskar’s feelings about his father, but he dodges the questions by stating that he doesn’t know or doesn’t remember. By the end of the novel, I think Oskar will be able to answer those questions with confidence instead of hiding from his deepest feelings.
and to period 1,
ReplyDeletedon't hate on period 4. It isn't our fault that Mr. Harrington chose us as his favorite class.
Edit Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletePeriod One responds:
Ben: That's a terribly generic comeback!
Jenna: I think it's kind of sad that only two of them posted.
Tony: Gonzo is in denial.
Tony: Drew says 'zor'
Drew: Shutup, Tony.
Well, having just devoured this entire novel in one sitting, I think it is safe to say that it interested me profoundly.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that was most fascinating to me was Oskar's search for the lock.
At first I didn't really comprehend what it was that Oskar thought he would find, and what this mysery object could possibly do in terms of reversing the impossible damage of his father's death.
Ultimately, of course, he was not looking for a literal locked door, but rather just trying to unlock his feelings of grief and a part of himself he had hidden away to cope. I thought it was interesting when Oskar went to Mr. Black's house and stood near the bed adorned with magnetic nails, a graveyard of days past when love was pined for and remembered. His key was pulled towards this bed faintly, and it seemed as though it was a sign that he, too, was locked up and imprisoned with daily grief. Though he didn't use physical reminders to commemorate his father, not a day went by that he didn't think of him.
The key gravitated towards Mr. Black's bed also to remind him that life does go on. There are others, like Mr. Black, in the world who deal with the loss of a loved one, and there are infinite days to be lived, nails or not, that could turn out happy and full of hope.
Oskar's key eventually symbolized his journey to unlock himself by putting himself back into the world. No longer in quiet desperation, Oskar reentered the world and put his heart out again and took risks by trying new activities and facing his innumerable fears (like the skyscrapers).
The lock itself became insignificant and he found that what he had been searching for all along was not necessarily a lock or a final clue, but a path and a journey- to closure, acceptance, and the embrace of the vivid life he himself still lived.
For those of you who haven't finished, I won't spoil the ending, but let's just say that the search is much more significant than the result, and Oskar's metaphorical key had been turning all along since his first step of his mission, slowly unleashing and freeing his mind and soul.
TAKE THAT, PERIOD ONE!
NOW WE HAVE THREE ENTRIES!
p.s. ...we're still his favorites :)
Oskar is definitely one of my favorite characters of all time. He is constantly viewing the world in his own way and literally marches to the beat of his own drum… or tambourine (insert Emily’s laugh here because she would be the only person to pity laugh for me). Anyway. Oskar’s alternative perspective on life is incredibly refreshing and entertaining to read about. I feel like Oskar and I share a similar thought process and my only concern is that I relate so much to a nine year old. I can’t help thinking about Holden Caulfield when I read about Oskar, however. Although they are both extremely different characters, Oskar and Holden are similar in the way that they view the world and other people differently, are lightly considered outcasts, and silently suffer from the tragic loss of a beloved family member.
ReplyDeleteI also love how Oskar is so open to strangers, and how he is constantly creating new ties with incredibly different people. I honestly really wish I could meet this kid. Anyway, one of my favorite parts in the book so far was when Oskar looked out into the audience during his performance in Hamlet and saw all the people with the last name Black there. Their appearance in the audience showed how deep of a connection Oskar had with these people. On the contrary, I find it a little unrealistic how some nine year old kid can just walk around NYC and meet all these normal people. I would be a little concerned walking up to some strangers’ door and talking to them, let alone going into their house alone. Sounds a little sketch, but it does make for a great story.
Even though I agree with Oskar on most things, the way he treats his mom bothers me. I don’t think he really understands that she was affected by her husband’s death as well; she just doesn’t cope with it in the same way that Oskar does. Plus Oskar is being a little selfish in regards to his mother’s life. He is so caught up in the past and himself that he isn’t considering his mom’s feelings. She deserves to be happy too.
In terms of the grandparents, I feel like I should dislike the grandfather for leaving his wife and unborn child, but I feel rather sympathetic towards him. I don’t consider him to be a jerk for leaving because I think he really cares for the grandmother, even though he doesn’t love her. The way in which the grandmother and grandfather touch is the only way in which they can truly understand and communicate with each other. I don’t think that he should have left the grandmother so suddenly, but his motives for leaving were justified because you cannot live a fake life.
Thus far, there is really nothing about this book that hasn’t interested me. I find myself using the words “incredibly” and “extremely” much more often lately. First, I love Oskar. His mind fascinates me. I wish I were born with his clever little mind. I love to read about his thoughts and inventions and ideas. But it also makes me sad that he is so torn up and psychologically traumatized by his father’s death. It is understandable, of course, and I have never been in his position so I can’t say I know what its like to lose a father. He tries so hard to hold onto his memories and not to move on, and connects with anyone and everyone who is in the same that position he is. Many of the people he really bonded with are people that he can relate to or understand. He learns about himself through these people. He finds himself, even though he has less luck finding the lock to the key.
ReplyDeleteI also love the parallelism of Oskar’s story to the grandfathers. They play off of each other very well, exploring even further the effects of loss and great tragedy, which is an incredibly important theme in this novel. Most of the characters in the book are frustrating in some way, but at the same time I feel guilty for being so frustrated with them. It is hard to judge anyone who has been through such a traumatic experience as the grandfather or the grandmother. Despite the fact that I have never witnessed or experienced such a jarring tragedy, I am still somehow able to relate to their story. It not the actual experience that I think I relate to, but the effects of it. The sadness, the quilt and the regret that the grandmother, grandfather and even Oskar felt afterwards are what I can relate to. The regret for simple things. Like Mr. H said, it makes you want to do something. It makes you want to make sure you don’t do something or not do something that you will regret one day. It is scary to think that something as seemingly insignificant as jumping on a bed could cause so much regret.
I love the pictures and doodles and other fun elements in this book. They are not only fun, but also bring out symbolism and deeper meaning in a way that words can’t. I might as well go ahead and be cliché: A picture is worth a thousand words after all (and one hundred dollars?)
The thing that I was most intrigued by was Oskar's foreigness with his mother, but openness with complete strangers. Oskar hid his missions from his mother and grandmother, but when asked by strangers, Oskar was completely honest. Oskar told "the renter" his entire story. He completely trusted many complete strangers, such as the mail woman and the owner of the mysterious key, whom he gave keys to his apartment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maddie. Oskar is the man (in a good way). The things he invent make me chuckle and even sometimes giggle. His way of thinking and whole lifestyle as embodied by his strange ideas are all so far outside of the box. He was daring and determined on his mission, forging a letter to his French teacher and even digging up his father's grave.
It gives me heavy boots to think about the tragedy in Oskar's life though. It affected his inventive (big) mind. he used his creativity to escape, yet stay connected with his father's death. When the search was finished, Oskar knew that he wouldn't be able to hold on to the memories of his father for much longer.
Apart from Oskar, I can't decide exactly how I feel about Oskar's grandfather. While on one hand he left his wife, he also suffered the devestating loss of his love, Anna and their son. He probably never loved his wife, but how could he? She was too similar to Anna. Since she wasn't actually Anna, she would never be perfect and lovable in his eyes. But does this pardon the fact that he left her and her son? I don't know.
I like turtles.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I like this book, because it has emotions and stuff. You know, tears and laughter and stuff.
It like, I don’t know, it does something that feels extremely similar but incredibly not.
Maybe an emotional rollercoaster, which would be fast and have a lot of inversions because rollercoasters flip, which I know about.
Anyway.
I tended to connect more to the grandfather than to Oskar, or the grandma, or anyone else for that matter. I don’t know why but he did.
He lost like everyone else.
He had left people multiple times.
Really I should have connected more with Oskar.
Technically speaking; he is around my age, and spoke of things relevant to me.
He was odd and ‘unique’ (a growing trend that I am on the bandwagon for)
But the grandfather still hit home more, so to speak.
Maybe it was because he couldn’t speak. Maybe.
What about killing animals?
What about it?
Maybe that’s why, because I could never think of killing an animal aside from a snail on accident.
They get in the way, what can I say?
Anyway.
Maybe he couldn’t handle things. I know a lot of people like that.
Maybe because he was quiet. Really, really quiet. Or maybe I just liked the fact he used his hands more than his voice.
But the monster in Pan’s labyrinth used its hands more than its voice, and that scared the crap out of me.
I liked the redundancy. I liked the weirdness. I liked the silence and voice and verbs and adjectives. I think I liked the letters, especially the blank ones but I don’t know maybe I’m just being optimistic.
I liked the ending but didn’t at the same time. I like to ruin things for people but I don’t like being called out for it.
I liked the times when he said anyway, because he seemed like he was moving on.
I liked the deception and the straightforwardness.
I think I liked the persistence, or maybe I was annoyed by it because he wouldn’t move on.
ReplyDeleteI think I can. I think I can.
I think I can’t.
Say that is, you know, what I mean about the book and all. I don’t think I can really place what I like about it.
It just is. Like biomes in zoo tycoon, or gravity. They aren’t there for interpretation, theyre there for the fact that theyre there. There’s no reason to make sense of them being there because well.
They’re saying their reason is to be there when they’re there for their sake of being there. There.
But anyway.
I think that I like the book because it doesn’t really want to be interpreted or to be understood in any specific way. Or at least it isn’t really trying to, I don’t think.
Oh wait, dang it. I just clicked a brain switch and now I get something in the book that I had completely and ignorantly ignored because my ignorant reading is ignorant.
So there’s a really kid book feel to it even though he talks about his dad’s death and all these horrible awful things. At least that’s what I got out of it. Maybe to you it was a mature novel, like Heart of Darkness, which I know about.
Anyway
I think that since it seemed to have a child feel to it, it needed a child moral to it so that it could seem more complete and more full and more able-to-go-to-sleep-right-after type of book. And the more I think about this glaring moral that I noticed and remembered a couple lines up, the more it makes sense because its true and it would fit perfectly into this book because it’s a central thing. Theme? Thing.
Anyway.
The moral that I’m talking about is that you should always spend every day like it was your last, or that you should treat people like it is always their last day, because who knows? Maybe they’ll be bombed, or have a plane fly into their building, or ride an unfinished roller coaster, or be trampled by elephants the next day.
It’s a basic moral and that’s why I call it a child moral because it has no profound intense thing to it, and it could be expressed in a children’s book (like Dr. Seuss, which I know about) and it could completely be understood by a child.
I’m not calling it childish though, because sometimes the most important lessons are taught by children to adults, because adults only care about numbers, and not about roses or lambs in boxes with muzzles over their mouths.
Yeah.
What interests me the most about this book is Oskar’s ambition and intellect. As a young kid, to come up with “inventions” such as the Reservoir of Tears and the birdseed flying suit is extremely creative. Not only does he come up with inventions, but he also enjoys tricks and games that he used to play with his father. Throughout the novel, Oskar is trying to find the lock that fits the questionable key that Oskar found in his father’s blue vase. It could be entirely significant or it can be the lock of a hidden cookie jar, yet Oskar is determined and driven to figure this out. So where does this determination come from?
ReplyDeleteOskar and his father were very close to each other and had a one of a kind relationship as not only a father and son, but also as friends. On 9/11, the horrific day that took the life of Oskar’s father, the poor boy’s life changed. Confused and not knowing how to react, Oskar becomes very sensitive and irritated, especially with his mother. The most difficult part about this entire situation is that nobody can relate to Oskar and what he is feeling, which plays a factor in why he is so comfortable around strangers rather than loved ones. Towards the end of the story we realize the insignificance of the lock and irrelevant result. However, it is clear that this journey and adventure has made Oskar more mature and has lead him to closure with his father. Losing someone or something you love is heartbreaking, yet in the end, life goes on soon Oskar realizes this. He becomes a self-thinking and mature individual that I admire.
THis book as a whole interests me. I haven't been this intrigued by a book in a very long time. Overall almost every character interests me. Oskar of course is the most interesting. He uses the expressions "heavy boots and light boots" to express how he is feeling in that moment. The relationship he has with people also interests me. You would think that after the death of his father that he would grow closer to his mother but instead he becomes off standish with her unfriendly. Oskar knows and understands more about strangers then he does about the people who are closest to him. THe grandmother is also very interesting because without her chapters of understand her life story and how she truly feels inside, the story would have less meaning to it.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed the pictures and other elements to the book that the author added in. Sometimes its more fun to imagine what they description is or where they are but in this book the pictures were extremely helpful and fun.
The last person who interests me the most is the grandfather. WIthout knowing about his life, their would almost be no story. The letters he writes, he reasoning for leaving, him not being able to speak all play a huge part in the book. What's also super ironic and interesting to me is how in the end, the grandfather is the one who continues helping Oskar in the search for the lock, yet Oskar has no clue to who he really is. But really they both end up helping each other because the grandfather is able to learn more about Oskar and his son through Oskar and together they are able to almost set free their worries and mistakes that they feel they made.