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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Essay
Course: 21st Century Novels (LITT25892GD)
13 Documents
Students shared 13 documents in this course
University: Sheridan College
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Suffering Individual Trauma
In the novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, written by Jonathan Safran
Foer, two of the main characters, Oskar Schell and Thomas Schell Sr., both experience
individual trauma but only Oskar is able to succeed in communicating that trauma while
Thomas Schell Sr. tries and fails. Oskar Schell tries to communicate his trauma by not
answering his father’s call, returning the key to William Black, and even digging up his
father’s empty grave but through these actions will be successful in communicating his
grief. Thomas Schell Sr. will leave Anna’s sister who is pregnant with his son, helps
Oskar on his quest, and will end the novel by leaving Anna’s sister again, all of these
are his attempts to communicate his trauma but he will be unsuccessful in his
endeavors. Oskar will have successful but still will crave closure on his father’s death.
Oskar Schell throughout the entire novel has to deal with the trauma of his father
dying in the tragic events of 9/11 and by the end of the novel is successful in
communicating his personal traumatic experience. Oskar is searching for a resolution to
his trauma is trying throughout the novel and succeeds in the end by finding closure.
Oskar first tries to communicate his trauma by failing to answer the phone when his
father is calling from work after 9/11 has occurred. Oskar tells William Black, “’But this is
the thing that I’ve never told anyone. After I listened to the messages, the phone rang. It
was 10:26. I looked at the caller ID and saw that is was his cell phone… I couldn’t pick
up the phone. I just couldn’t do it. It rang and rand, and I couldn’t move. I wanted to pick
it up, but I couldn’t” (Foer 301). Oskar’s first attempt at trying to communicate his trauma
is a failure but he continues to search for the truth behind his trauma. Oskar holds a key