However, later in the novel when Oskar visits the Empire State Building he imagines how a terrorist would fly a plane into the building and how he would be able to see the pilot’s face, “who would be a terrorist” (244). There is no further description of the pilot, other than that he is a terrorist and that his eyes would tell Oskar that he hates him (244). Out of context, the terrorist could be of any descent because of the lack of description. In context with the aforementioned anxieties, however, it is safe for the reader to assume that by terrorist, Oskar means an Arabic terrorist and thus becomes another depiction of the “us versus them” mentality.
Furthermore, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close’s cast of characters is predominately white. …show more content…
In Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, trauma is deeply rooted into the domestic household. The narratives do not move beyond the personal struggles of the Schell family: Oskar and the loss of his father, and the grandparents and their difficulty to come to terms with what happened to them in Dresden. The novel is apolitical in its descriptions of historical events which, together with a lack of engagement in the trauma of others and a lack of narrative integration and counter-narratives, further encourage the domesticated approach to trauma. The Submission is able to move beyond domestication due to its subject matter, a design contest for the official 9/11 memorial which is won by a Muslim American, the counter-narrative provided by the characters of colour, and its direct approach to the political situation post-9/11 in regards to racial prejudice and general fear. Authors can still choose to omit the wider geo-political framework around 9/11, but by doing so they not only risk that domesticated or personal trauma as the master narrative of 9/11 becomes even more solidified, but also not telling the full story of 9/11 and its affects in all its nuances. Thus The Submission can be considered the type of novel that Gray and Rothberg desire in 9/11
Furthermore, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close’s cast of characters is predominately white. …show more content…
In Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, trauma is deeply rooted into the domestic household. The narratives do not move beyond the personal struggles of the Schell family: Oskar and the loss of his father, and the grandparents and their difficulty to come to terms with what happened to them in Dresden. The novel is apolitical in its descriptions of historical events which, together with a lack of engagement in the trauma of others and a lack of narrative integration and counter-narratives, further encourage the domesticated approach to trauma. The Submission is able to move beyond domestication due to its subject matter, a design contest for the official 9/11 memorial which is won by a Muslim American, the counter-narrative provided by the characters of colour, and its direct approach to the political situation post-9/11 in regards to racial prejudice and general fear. Authors can still choose to omit the wider geo-political framework around 9/11, but by doing so they not only risk that domesticated or personal trauma as the master narrative of 9/11 becomes even more solidified, but also not telling the full story of 9/11 and its affects in all its nuances. Thus The Submission can be considered the type of novel that Gray and Rothberg desire in 9/11