Corey’s Comments (group member since Apr 26, 2011)

Corey’s comments from the Extremely Sad and Incredibly Depressing group.

Jonathan Safran Foer crafted Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with the intention of highlighting the tragedy of 9/11. Young Oskar Schell takes the audience on an adventure of loss and acceptance drawing parallels between almost everything he encounters. One of the more obvious parallels occurs between the attacks of 9/11 and the horrific bombing of Dresden, Germany alongside a short description of the Hiroshima bombing. Foer’s descriptions of the attacks are intense and detailed. However, due to the enormity and shock, the attacks of Dresden and Hiroshima both overshadow the 9/11 parallel that he is trying to make.

Foer attempted to link the story of Dresden and 9/11 to draw a parallel between Oskar and his grandfather. Oskar’s loss of his father centers around the events that took place on 9/11which paralleled his grandfather’s loss in Dresden. Foer’s description of the Dresden attack was a symphony of destruction. For instance, one page was filled with horrible imagery of “humans melted into thick pools of liquid, three of four feet deep in places” (Jonathan Safran Foer 211). Every word that describes the attack is precisely written to make the reader feel as if the bombing were happening around him/her. Simply put, the bombing of Dresden was beyond any regular attack. One would think that the attack on 9/11 could, for lack of a better word, top that. Foer doesn’t seem to really touch upon the horrors of September 11th in the same way. Dresden was so shocking that it could only be rivaled by Hiroshima.

In the novel, Oskar is presented with a story about the bombing of Hiroshima. The horror of Hiroshima was depicted in the same manner that Dresden was, grotesque and vivid. Foer described a girl a was trying to help her friend but, “her skin was peeling off. The maggots were coming out all over. [She] couldn’t wipe them off, or [she] would wipe off her skin and muscle” (189). Like Dresden, the Hiroshima story was supposed to parallel 9/11 and the feelings of loss that Oskar experienced. Once again I believe that the parallel is lost between the stories. The novel implies a connection between 9/11 and the characters, but never really goes into depth about the World Trade Center attack. When I was done reading the book, the stories of Hiroshima and Dresden were seared into my mind. The events were so well told that it outweighed what had happened in New York. I understand there is supposed to be a connection between the three events, which all point to 9/11, but the other events were so distinct, that the connection is lost. Sure, the parallel exists, but when I think about the book I don’t look at 9/11 being the important event that the story is centered around. Instead, I look at Hiroshima and even more significantly Dresden. The city of Dresden was leveled by thousands of bombers with an enormous payload and Hiroshima was hit by one bomb from one plane that leveled a city and the World Trade Center towers were hit with one plane each and no bombs were used. Once again, the overshadowing effect seems to resurface.

When I took a closer look at the novel and followed it up with some research, I found something that could be an ulterior motive behind Dresden and Hiroshima. Both attacks were massive in scale. They both include melting bodies and suffering beyond the human capacity. It is strange that these two attacks are far more detailed and vivid than the September 11th incident. For me it could only mean one thing, that 9/11 was a back-story to some kind of teaching lesson. Maybe Foer wanted to stress Hiroshima and Dresden because people didn’t really know about it? That would seem out of the ordinary because Hiroshima is one of the most infamous war decisions to date. Dresden seems to be the one piece of the puzzle that doesn’t quite fit the MO of Foer’s finely spun web.

Just like Foer’s parallels, the two attacks seem to have a parallel inside themselves. Both Hiroshima and Dresden were attacks by the United States of America. That seems odd in relation to 9/11 because the United States was attacked on its own soil. Dresden was raided by 3,600 planes, which dropped 650,000 incendiaries, alongside 8,000 lb. high-explosive bombs and a hundreds more 4,000-pounders. The command to bomb Dresden was given by the United States with help from the RAF (Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom). Hiroshima was bombed by one plane using an atomic bomb. That command was also given by the United States. As a U.S. citizen I hate to say this, but I think there is a reason Foer used, arguably, two of the largest air attacks ordered by the United States. Karmic retribution comes to mind. Foer may want to force people to open their eyes and see how much damage the United States has done and Americans deserve the loss that occurred at the World Trade Center. This may sound ridiculous, making Foer out to be an American-hating author, but it is hard to deny that two of the three attacks were initiated by the U.S. and were far more vivid and memorable than the 9/11 tragedy. Another reason that could supports Karmic Retribution could be because both of the attacks led by the U.S. were supposedly for military gains. Many people have argued that the incidents were overkill and ended up being acts of mass murder. The majority of people who died in the process were civilians and had no ties to the military. 9/11 was an act of military and religious action according to the Taliban. The novel implies that the United States was due for a loss of life like other countries, which were previously attacked by the U.S.

Foer may not hate America, but he did put parallel’s throughout the novel to tell their own story. I believe the parallel is permanently lost between the two attacks (Hiroshima and Dresden) and 9/11. Dresden and Hiroshima could simply be counterpoints to the September 11th attacks and an overall message to the American people.

I am assuming Oskar is telling his story in retrospect and he found out that the renter was his grandfather?

Were all the chapter's that the Grandmother narrated letters to Oskar?

Hola senor. Kinda late don't you think.

What is the letter from Simon Goldberg mean. It is addressed to Thomas Schell. Oskar (the grandfather) is writing the original letter, so whose letter was he receiving?

Does Thomas' dad life and experience mirror his son's? The loss of life and the explosions and smoke. All of the visuals seem to be the same, the only difference being Thomas' dad lived through the bombings.

Do you think that the grandfather can't talk because of the traumatic experience in Dresden?

I don't think Oskar feels guilty. I think he is just upset that his mother didn't put her family first in his mind. That could be wrong, but that is how I read it. Oskar may have wanted his mom at home because with her there maybe they could have saved his dad?

I know, I don't know why anyone else is here. I think he says what's on his mind and doesn't really factor in the social norms. I think it makes him seem more authentic. Also could be the fact that he wants to feel some sort of love and/or affection? Maybe because he thinks his mom doesn't love him anymore because in Oskar's mind she doesn't love or remember his dad.

The Grandma is Anna's sister... At least that's what I think because all of her stories are about how she is distant from her husband (due to the fact that her husband wants to be with Anna).

Does anyone think there is a parallel between Hiroshima and the devastation in Japan with the attack at the Twin Towers on September 11th?

The Hiroshima interview was played during Oskar's class. It was some sort of project they were working on. Maybe it had to do with finding someone they were looking for like Oskar and his dad?

I think both sides of the story were really different. I felt like her grandma indicated that he came back right before he left and had sex with her and then left immediately after that. Thats what i was thinking...

I thought that the grandfather's story ended with him leaving and her coming after him, which sort of happens, but doesn't. If that makes any sense at all.

Okay, can someone fill me in on what happened in Dresden or where in the world Dresden is?

Hi

Why do you think he left her? At the ending pages do you think that the Grandma went after her husband or tried to stop him?

What is the significance of Oskar's letter to Stephen Hawking and why was it used to 'calm' him down?

As I was reading through the book I was wondering whether or not the author was looking back on his life or if he was telling it as it happens. I am pretty sure he is looking back, because his thought process jumps around, but his dialogue is so sharp for someone so young. Another thing I noticed were the random bits of information he would disclose. For example, he held the map down with V8. Seems rather specific, like the games he and his father would play. Seems peculiar.