Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Though the book, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, primarily examines how grief affects various characters, the theme of love is explored as a double-edged sword in which it can either heal or cause pain to an individual. Ultimately, it is worth taking risks when it comes to love, as it is a humanizing experience and an opportunity to learn, though moving on is often difficult due to the grief one may experience from the pain it can cause. With this in mind, the story explores how love can be corruptive, yet healing. Love is shown to be corruptive through Oskar’s grandpa, who abandons Oskar’s grandma and unborn son out of fear. “I’m so afraid of losing something I love that I refuse to love anything” (Foer 216). Traumatized from war, and…

Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close contains important themes that must always be remembered. In case of an emergency, this novel must always be kept on hand. After the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, many people lost loved ones and had to cope with their losses. Similar to after a zombie apocalypse, people will be distraught after losing loved ones, and must find ways to grief and accept their losses. The social, cultural, and historical content within Foer’s novel must…

Grief is a great sorrow. The ways in which grief manifests itself can take many forms. In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, By Jonathan Safran Foer, Oskar Schell and the rest of his family experience some sort of grief. The Schell family expresses their grief very differently from each other. Oskar becomes anxious. The Mom becomes distant. The Grandpa becomes withdrawn. The Grandma desires privacy. In the end they are able to overcome their grief. They do this through their relationship with…

Over 15 million American citizens suffer from some form of long term depression, not to mention the thousands of others who suffer from seasonal and occasional depression. However, almost every person has experienced the guttural feeling of grief. Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, is a mastermind at depicting grief through the eyes of others. Oskar, a nine year old boy who lost the most important person in his life to 9/11, has been trying to find a reason to…

On September 11th, 2001, 8:45 a.m. eastern time, thousands of families lives were changed forever. Terrorist attacks occurred in the U.S. at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon building in Virginia, and in a hijacked passenger jet in Pennsylvania. Bringing almost 3,000 deaths, it was the largest loss of American life due to a foreign attack. Jonathan Safran’s captivating novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, documents this time through nine-year-old Oskar Schell’s…

Parents and kids often disagree in real life and stories, in a book though it creates conflict and captures the reader bringing them into the story. In the book, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close written by Jonathan Safran Foer. The main protagonist is named oskar, a young boy living in New York City the time period is the early 2000’s mostly takes place during September 11th 2001 and the following years. Oskar's father with whom he was close and looked up to, died when the plane came…

When one thinks about the book Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by a well-known author Jonathan Safran Foer, it is hard not to think of it as a story that shows courage and struggle. Of course, the courage it portrays is not the type of courage one thinks about at first. It is not about the courage one shows in a physically challenging situation, it is about the courage of living through the most heartbreaking experiences like the death of a loved one. The struggle portrayed in this book is a…

In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, the use of dialogue sheds light on the author’s characters’ lives and their struggles. The characters in ELIC have experienced setbacks at some point in their lives- Oskar and his mom loses his father to the 9/11 attack, Grandma is left behind by Grandpa and is left to take care of their son and, later on, their grandchild. Ron also loses his wife and daughter due to a car accident. Throughout the novel, the characters try to…

Joshua True Mr. Woodman English 11 August 4, 2017 Coping with Trauma Throughout multiple works of literature, writers have shown many forms of dealing with psychological trauma. Whether it is based off of real life experience or fictional creativity, trauma can be a terrible, life-altering experience. However, as shown in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, the authors show how characters can cope with personal trauma by…

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…