AuthorJonathan Safran Foer
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SettingNew York City
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GenreHistorical Fiction:
While 9/11 and the bombing of Dresden are both events that have occurred in history, the story of Oskar Schell and his grandfather are fictional. Post-Modernism: This novel can be considered post-modernistic because it follows many postmodernist attributes and values. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has the narrator as the character of the novel, who comments on his own intelligence and bookishness. Also, two of the narrators, Oskar Schell and Thomas Schell Jr, has a disrupted stream of consciousness as they go off on tangents and usually focus on the sense of absence in his life. |
Importance of TitleOskar says "extremely" and "incredibly" frequently throughout the text. "Extremely loud and incredibly close" also describes the 9/11 attacks as the event affected Oskar and his surroundings both physically, mentally, and emotionally.
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Character Descriptions
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/4/4/26446188/1401249175.jpg)
Oskar Schell:
Oskar is a precocious 9 year old boy and the main narrator in the story. He is on a search for the origin of a key he finds in a blue vase that once belonged to his father. Oskar is severely depressed as he has been traumatized by the death of his father due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Because of his depression, Oskar gives himself many "bruises" throughout the book when he feels sad. Along his journey, Oskar meets many inspiring people and eventually learns to deal with his father's death. The reader's can assume that Oskar has Asperger's Syndrome, a severe type of autism.
Oskar is a precocious 9 year old boy and the main narrator in the story. He is on a search for the origin of a key he finds in a blue vase that once belonged to his father. Oskar is severely depressed as he has been traumatized by the death of his father due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Because of his depression, Oskar gives himself many "bruises" throughout the book when he feels sad. Along his journey, Oskar meets many inspiring people and eventually learns to deal with his father's death. The reader's can assume that Oskar has Asperger's Syndrome, a severe type of autism.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/4/4/26446188/8317487.png)
Thomas Schell Sr. (Grandfather):
Oskar's grandfather, Thomas Schell Sr., is a survivor of the 1945 Dresden bombing and is one of the three narrators within the story. Thomas Schell Sr. is mute (he lost his ability to speak upon arriving in America after surviving the bombings) and therefore has to communicate by writing everything down on his notebook. His only source of narration in the novel is through letters that he writes to Thomas Schell Jr. These letters explain why he left Oskar's grandmother and unborn child.
Oskar's grandfather, Thomas Schell Sr., is a survivor of the 1945 Dresden bombing and is one of the three narrators within the story. Thomas Schell Sr. is mute (he lost his ability to speak upon arriving in America after surviving the bombings) and therefore has to communicate by writing everything down on his notebook. His only source of narration in the novel is through letters that he writes to Thomas Schell Jr. These letters explain why he left Oskar's grandmother and unborn child.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/4/4/26446188/4812873.jpg)
Thomas Schell Jr. (The father):
Oskar's father is Thomas Schell Jr, the owner of a jewelry store. Thomas passed away in the 9/11 terrorist attack but his body was never recovered. Oskar and his father had an extremely close relationship and Thomas often set up a scavenger hunts for Oskar to go on. When Thomas passes away, Oskar tries to remain close to his father by going on a quest to uncover the lock to his father's key.
Oskar's father is Thomas Schell Jr, the owner of a jewelry store. Thomas passed away in the 9/11 terrorist attack but his body was never recovered. Oskar and his father had an extremely close relationship and Thomas often set up a scavenger hunts for Oskar to go on. When Thomas passes away, Oskar tries to remain close to his father by going on a quest to uncover the lock to his father's key.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/4/4/26446188/1401249166.jpg)
Grandmother:
Grandmother, an unnamed character, is the mother of Thomas Schell Jr and the protective grandmother of Oskar Schell. She narrates her story of growing up in Dresden and being in a relationship with Thomas Schell Sr. through letters written to Oskar and Thomas Schell Jr. To Grandmother, Oskar is the center of her life and she spends a lot of time communicating with him through walkie talkies when they are unable to see each other in person.
Grandmother, an unnamed character, is the mother of Thomas Schell Jr and the protective grandmother of Oskar Schell. She narrates her story of growing up in Dresden and being in a relationship with Thomas Schell Sr. through letters written to Oskar and Thomas Schell Jr. To Grandmother, Oskar is the center of her life and she spends a lot of time communicating with him through walkie talkies when they are unable to see each other in person.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/4/4/26446188/1401248716.jpg)
Linda Schell:
Linda Schell is the depressed mother of Oskar Schell. Following the death of her husband, Linda attends self-help groups for those who have lost a family member. Throughout the novel, she is seemingly disconnected from her son.
Linda Schell is the depressed mother of Oskar Schell. Following the death of her husband, Linda attends self-help groups for those who have lost a family member. Throughout the novel, she is seemingly disconnected from her son.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/4/4/26446188/9416609.jpg)
William Black:
William Black is Abby Black's ex-husband and the man who knows about the lock to Oskar's key. In the novel, it is revealed that William's father, Edmund Black, was the originally owner of the key. Following Edmund's death, however, the key went to William Black. A while later, William accidentally sold a blue vase (with the key inside) to Oskar's father, Thomas Schell. He has since been hunting for the vase and key because it unlocks Edmund's safe-deposit box.
William Black is Abby Black's ex-husband and the man who knows about the lock to Oskar's key. In the novel, it is revealed that William's father, Edmund Black, was the originally owner of the key. Following Edmund's death, however, the key went to William Black. A while later, William accidentally sold a blue vase (with the key inside) to Oskar's father, Thomas Schell. He has since been hunting for the vase and key because it unlocks Edmund's safe-deposit box.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/4/4/26446188/1559202.jpg?1401249327)
Abby Black:
Abby Black is the first Black that Oskar meets on his journey. At first, when Oskar asks her if she knows anything about the key, Abby lies and says she has no clue. However, a few months later, Abby leaves a voice mail for Oskar admitting that her ex- husband William Black may know something about the key.
Abby Black is the first Black that Oskar meets on his journey. At first, when Oskar asks her if she knows anything about the key, Abby lies and says she has no clue. However, a few months later, Abby leaves a voice mail for Oskar admitting that her ex- husband William Black may know something about the key.
Sources:
Foer, Jonathan Safran. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Boston, MA: Mariner, 2005. Print.
Foer, Jonathan Safran. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Boston, MA: Mariner, 2005. Print.