Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Characters

The book has three narrators which are also the main characters. The book’s central narrator is the nine-year-old Oskar Schell. Oskar is a very optimistic boy who doesn’t get discouraged by anything. On the other hand, he can’t relativize and takes everything seriously what gives him – as he calls it - “heavy boots”. He is the undisputed protagonist of the book and a very round character. At the first pages you get to know him very well, but despite that remains his behavior unpredictable.

Though he is an extremely intelligent boy who keeps most of its feelings for himself. This becomes very clear when his dad died in the World Trade Center during the 09/11 attack. He tries to control himself and hides his sadness and grief as best he can.

Oskar's high intelligence is seen mostly through his huge imagination and curiosity. He loves inventing impossible things and solving mysteries, but this skill is both blessing and a curse. He can distract himself from his problems by solving some intriguing puzzle, like the key he – accidently – found in his father's closet. But he also has trouble getting over his father's death because he is constantly trying to imagine how his father died. He feels he cannot rest until he knows the answer.

He is very optimistic and he doesn’t get discouraged by anything. On the other hand, he can’t relativize and takes everything seriously what gives him – as he calls it - “heavy boots”. He is the undisputed protagonist of the book and a very round character. At the first pages you get to know him very well, but despite that remains his behavior unpredictable.

Oskar’s grandfather (also referred to as “the renter”) is a flat character. Though you get to read some of his personal letters to his son ...

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...y the whole journey of finding out what the key unlocks was a waste of time. But then I reconsidered the thing and thought that the true meaning of the key was not the lock the key unlocks. Although solving the mystery didn’t lead to a message from his father, the journey helped Oskar working out his issues about his father's death in the World Trade Center during the attacks on 09/11. The journey brought him closer to his father.

Also the search for the key forced Oskar to face many of his fears, like riding public transportation or talking to strangers.

I think this is what Foer wanted to emphasize by letting the key unlock something that didn’t have to do anything with Oskar’s father. Oskar’s journey was more important than the destination because it brought him closer to his father and made him overcome many of his fears.

Works Cited

enotes.com

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