Short Summary: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer follows a young boy named Oskar Schell as he embarks on a quest across New York City to find answers about a key left behind by his father, who died in the 9/11 attacks. The novel intertwines Oskar’s journey with the stories of his grandparents, creating a complex narrative of trauma, memory, and healing.
Book Information:
Title: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Author: Jonathan Safran Foer
ISBN: 978-0618329700
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Contemporary, Literary Fiction
Published Year: 2005
Plot Summary:
The novel begins with Oskar Schell, a precocious nine-year-old boy living in New York City, struggling to cope with the sudden death of his father, Thomas Schell, who died in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. Oskar is deeply traumatized by his father’s death and plagued by guilt over the fact that he was home when his father called from the Twin Towers in his final moments, but he couldn't bring himself to answer the phone.
Oskar’s relationship with his father had been close and filled with playful, intellectual games. His father would often challenge him with puzzles and riddles, instilling in Oskar a curious, exploratory nature. One day, while rummaging through his father’s belongings in search of some form of closure, Oskar finds a small envelope labeled “Black” containing a key. This discovery sets the young boy on a mission to find out what the key opens and, in the process, uncover more about his father’s life.
Oskar becomes determined to solve the mystery of the key. The only clue he has is the word “Black” written on the envelope, which he assumes to be a surname. Armed with this small lead, Oskar embarks on a quest across the five boroughs of New York City, visiting hundreds of people with the last name Black in hopes of finding out more about his father’s hidden life. He methodically plans out his journey and even fabricates stories to gain access to strangers' homes and lives, all in pursuit of his goal. Along the way, he meets a colorful array of characters, each of whom has their own story of loss, grief, or trauma.
During this journey, Oskar’s complex relationship with his mother becomes more evident. Oskar feels distant from her and resents her for moving on from his father's death by dating another man. He believes she could never understand his pain, though the reality is that his mother, too, is grieving silently, allowing Oskar the space to cope in his own way.
Parallel to Oskar’s quest is the story of his grandparents. The novel includes multiple narratives, including letters written by Oskar’s grandfather, who is a survivor of the Dresden bombings during World War II. The grandfather, a man who is so deeply traumatized by his experiences in Dresden that he becomes mute, has spent his life writing letters to his unborn son (Oskar’s father), explaining his inability to speak and his profound guilt over the war. He is a complex figure, both present and absent in Oskar's life, having left before Oskar was born.
Oskar's grandmother, in contrast, is a nurturing figure who deeply loves her grandson, though she, too, carries the burden of trauma from Dresden. Her letters reveal her own history and her fraught relationship with Oskar’s grandfather. The alternating viewpoints of the grandparents serve as a backdrop to Oskar’s present-day story, creating a multigenerational exploration of grief, survival, and the ways in which trauma is passed down.
As Oskar continues his search, he encounters William Black, a man who eventually reveals that the key belongs to a safe deposit box left behind by his own father. It turns out that the key has nothing to do with Oskar’s father, and this discovery devastates Oskar. He had been hoping for a moment of revelation or closure that would reconnect him to his father, but instead, he is left with the realization that some mysteries of life, and death, remain unsolvable.
Towards the end of the novel, Oskar confronts his feelings of guilt over his father’s death, and in an emotional climax, he finally listens to the messages his father left on the answering machine during the 9/11 attacks. These final moments force Oskar to confront the reality of his loss, but they also allow him to begin the process of healing. His journey has not brought him the answers he hoped for, but it has given him the tools to move forward with his grief.
The novel concludes on an ambiguous note, with Oskar imagining a world in reverse, where his father would rise back up into the Twin Towers, and everything tragic that happened could be undone. This fantasy serves as a poignant reflection of Oskar’s deep desire to control the uncontrollable, and his struggle to find meaning in a world filled with chaos and loss.
Themes:
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Grief and Trauma: One of the central themes of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is the exploration of grief and how it manifests differently for each character. Oskar's obsessive quest, his father's unanswered phone calls, and the mute silence of his grandfather all reflect the varied ways people cope with loss. The novel juxtaposes the trauma of 9/11 with the trauma of World War II, creating a multigenerational perspective on grief and survival.
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Communication and Silence: Oskar’s journey is filled with moments of both communication and silence. His father’s final phone messages are hauntingly silent for much of the novel, and his grandfather’s muteness symbolizes the unspeakable horrors of war. The novel explores the limitations of language and how silence can be as powerful as words in conveying emotion.
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Search for Meaning: Oskar’s quest to find the lock for the key is symbolic of his larger search for meaning in the aftermath of tragedy. His journey is not only about solving a mystery but about finding a way to make sense of his father’s death and the randomness of life.
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Intergenerational Trauma: The novel delves into how trauma and grief are passed down from one generation to the next. Oskar's grandparents' experiences in Dresden haunt their relationship and shape their ability to connect with Oskar and his father. The echoes of war, loss, and survival reverberate through the family, showing how historical trauma continues to affect future generations.
Conclusion:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a deeply emotional and intricately woven novel that explores the aftermath of tragedy through the eyes of a young boy grappling with loss. Jonathan Safran Foer masterfully interweaves Oskar’s journey with the stories of his grandparents, creating a narrative that spans generations and continents. The novel’s exploration of grief, trauma, and the search for meaning resonates with readers, offering a poignant reflection on the ways in which we cope with the incomprehensible. While the novel’s structure and multiple perspectives can be challenging at times, the emotional depth and unique voice of Oskar make Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close a profound and unforgettable reading experience.