Wayne Dyer, an American philosopher once said "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change,” (Wayne, Dyer), regarding one’s general perception of life. My perception on life is always changing with each passing year as it is being re-evaluated and looked upon differently through new experiences and knowledge. This notion is not only lived out in my life but, it can also be seen in literature such as Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Foer. Main characters in that novel, all face life changing grief and loss. Specific events that traumatize and distorts one’s reality, shape the perception that life can become scarier than death.
My most prized possession and gift growing up was my bicycle. Everyday after …show more content…
In an instant, this event had changed my thoughts and view on bikes forever. For a while after, the thought of being on a bike had petrified me as whenever I see or ride a bike, I am reminded of the pain I had once experienced from the accident. Ever since that day, I no longer look at bikes as the fun loving times they once were, but now as a disaster waiting to happen. This change in perception is also seen in the characters of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Many of the characters face unexplainable grief and loss, to the point where they are traumatized and cannot return back to their former self. The grandfather, Thomas Schell Sr, is so shocked and disturbed by the loss of Anna and his unborn child, that he is unable to ever face circumstances where he might lose something again. He writes that “‘how only hours before I lost everything, I had everything’” (Foer 215), which expresses the emotional downfall he faced. He was so disturbed by this event that he loses the ability to speak. The grandfather’s perception of life and love have shifted so dramatically to where he writes “‘I’m so afraid of losing something I love that I refuse to love anything’,” (Foer 216) showing that his view on life is
My most prized possession and gift growing up was my bicycle. Everyday after …show more content…
In an instant, this event had changed my thoughts and view on bikes forever. For a while after, the thought of being on a bike had petrified me as whenever I see or ride a bike, I am reminded of the pain I had once experienced from the accident. Ever since that day, I no longer look at bikes as the fun loving times they once were, but now as a disaster waiting to happen. This change in perception is also seen in the characters of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Many of the characters face unexplainable grief and loss, to the point where they are traumatized and cannot return back to their former self. The grandfather, Thomas Schell Sr, is so shocked and disturbed by the loss of Anna and his unborn child, that he is unable to ever face circumstances where he might lose something again. He writes that “‘how only hours before I lost everything, I had everything’” (Foer 215), which expresses the emotional downfall he faced. He was so disturbed by this event that he loses the ability to speak. The grandfather’s perception of life and love have shifted so dramatically to where he writes “‘I’m so afraid of losing something I love that I refuse to love anything’,” (Foer 216) showing that his view on life is