ENG2D1 - Culminating Assignment: Book Club Thinking Notes

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Book Title: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Book Club Meeting #1 Notes Book Club Meeting #2 Notes

Page range: 163 Page range: Finish book

Due: May 31st, 2022 Due: June 10th, 2022

Assessment (No feedback will be provided):

Criteria Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
(50-59) (60-69) (70-79) (80-100)
Knowledge and Understanding /10

RLS1. Reading for Meaning: read and
demonstrate an understanding of a
variety of literary, informational, and
graphic texts, using a range of strategies
to construct meaning
Understands the most significant explicit Consistent understanding of the explicit Good understanding of the explicit Thorough understanding of the explicit
details of the text - the theme, main details of the text - the theme, main details and implicit of the text - the and implicit details of the text - the
message and purpose message and purpose. theme, main message and purpose. theme, main message and purpose.

RLS2. Understanding Form and Style:
recognize a variety of text forms, text
features, and stylistic elements and
demonstrate an understanding of how
they help communicate meaning
Accurately identifies text features and
elements, but without accurate
connections to meaning.
Accurately identifies text features and
elements of style, but more detailed
connections to meaning are required.
Accurately identifies text features and
elements of style, and correctly connects
each to the meaning of the text.
Accurately identifies all features of the
text, and implicit elements of style, and
insightfully explains how they have been
used to support the author’s purpose
and audience.

Communication A mark out of 10 will be communicated to you via a separate oral communication rubric at the end of every book club meeting.

Before Reading

Preview/Features Preview/Features Analysis:

Analysis: There are images included throughout the book. These images are printed on the entire page and have no
Author Background: caption. There is no table of contents included in the book. There are some pages which are mostly blank with
Purpose: one sentence written in the middle of the page. The book has 326 pages. The novel seems to have a good
Prior Knowledge: balance between dialogue, description and images.
Predict:
Author Background:
 The author of this book is Jonathan Safran Foer, an American novelist. Jonathan Safran Foer is best known for
his novels: Everything Is Illuminated, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Here I Am, and his non-fiction works
which include Eating Animals and We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast. Foer also
teaches writing at New York University. He was born in 1977 in Washinton, D.C.

Purpose:
The purpose of this novel is to entertain the reader. The novel may have a moral lesson or message it is trying
to convey to the reader.

Prior Knowledge:
The protagonist's father was killed in 9/11 which was a series of four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks
that occurred on September 11, 2001. 9/11 killed thousands of people and was extremely devastating.
Following the tragedy, New York City created The National September 11 Memorial Museum to honour those
lost in the attack.

Predict:
I believe that the novel will follow Oskar as he copes with the death of his father. I also believe that the novel
will include how Oskar’s family members choose to cope with the death of his father such as Oskar’s mother
and grandparents. The title of the book may be referring to the attack's impact on Oskar. Meaning that Oskar
will hold the attack close to him and it will always have a loud meaning to him.

Book Club Meeting #1:

As you’re reading, apply during reading strategies. Be sure to label what types of strategies you’ve used. You should be using the strategies
consistently throughout this section. Add rows as needed.
Strategies Annotations Page #
Observations, Inferences, Questions (must answer), Predictions (must confirm), Connections, Vocabulary, PACTS, PAIRS

Observation → The first page of the book is a picture of a keyhole with an ornate doorknob. Could this be the door that Oskar’s dad’s key Image
Images opens? #1
& Question
Answer:
The doorknob is one of the doorknobs found in Oskar’s Grandparents' apartment. (Confirmed on page 175)

Observation → The second page in the book is a black and white image of a group of birds flying. Birds symbolize freedom and eternity. This Image
Images may be foreshadowing the end of the book as Oskar comes to terms with his father's death and feels free from the situation. #2
& Inference
Observation → The third page of the book is another black and white image. The image is a blurry photo of an apartment building. Could this Image
Images building be where Oskar lives? Does Oskar’s father’s key open an apartment door in this building? Or is this building the place #3
& Question where another main character lives?

Answer:
The owner of this apartment is never confirmed. However, I can infer that either Oskar or his Grandmother live in the
building as there is a lot of discussion of their apartments in the book.

Observation → PACTS The book is told from a 1st Person Point of View. We see this as Oskar talks about himself and shares events that he has 1
experienced. He also uses words such as “I”, and “me”.

“I wonder if everyone’s hearts would start to beat at the same time”

Observation → PAIRS Oskar explains how he is very talented at playing the tambourine. He describes how a man named Ron offered to buy him a 3
& Question drum set to make him happy. After offering to buy him a drum set, Ron took Oskar’s yo-yo off his desk and Oskar yelled at him
saying “Yo-yo moi!” and took his yo-yo back. Oskar explained how what he really wanted to say to Ron was “You’re not my Dad,
and you never will be.”

Who is this Ron? Could Ron be Oskar’s mother’s boyfriend? Is this why Oskar was mad at Ron? Because he feels that his mother
is trying to replace his father with Ron?

Answer:
Ron is a friend of Oskar’s mother. They met in a group for people dealing with the loss of a loved one.

Observation → PAIRS Osakr’s inner thoughts seem to be quite chaotic. He will begin talking about one subject, and then move on to another, and 3
another.

“Isn't it so weird how the number of dead people is increasing even though the earth stays the same size, so that one day there
isn’t going to be room to bury anyone anymore? For my ninth birthday last year, Grandma gave me a subscription to National
Geographic, which she calls ‘the National Geographic.’ She also gave me a white blazer, because I only wear white clothes, and it’s
too big to wear so it will last me a long time.”

Observation → PAIRS Oskar mentions having ‘heavy boots’ multiple times throughout this chapter. “After everything I’m still wearing heavy boots, 3&5
& Inference and sometimes it helps to play a good beat.” (Foer 3). “Mom squeezed, and Grandma knitted, and I told Gerald, ‘I kicked a French
chicken in the stomach once,’ because I wanted to make him crack up, because if I could make him crack up, my boots could be a
little lighter.”
Could Oskar’s ‘heavy boots’ be referring to the expression “large shoes to fill.”? Oskar may be feeling that he cannot live up to the
expectations he believes others have for him since the death of his father, which is why his boots are ‘heavy’.

Connection to self On page 4 Oskar describes his first experience riding in a limousine. His first time riding in a limousine was on the way to his 4
father's funeral. I can relate to this because my first time riding in a limousine was on the way to a funeral. Since our first time
riding in a limousine was under less than pleasant circumstances, both Oskar and I did not get to enjoy the ‘fun aspect’ of a
limousine.
Observation → PAIRS Oskar seems to be quite mature for his age. He also seems very curious as he asks many questions and is always thinking of a 6
new invention. However, his constant questions can be annoying for others who do not understand him as well. His questions
can also anger the person he is speaking to, although he does not mean to make anyone angry. An example of this is on page 6
when Oskar’s mother is getting mad at him for giving a copy of their house key to the mailwomen. Oskar can tell he has made
his mother angry but does not understand what he has done. We can tell he feels bad as he did not mean to do so.

“She was obviously mad at me, but I didn’t know why. I hadn’t done anything wrong. Or if I had, I didn’t know what it was. And I
definitely didn’t mean to do it.“

Observation → PAIRS On page 14, Oskar says “We were let out early, because of what happened. I wasn’t even a little bit panicky, because both Mom 14
& Inference and Dad worked in midtown, and Grandma didn’t work, obviously, so everyone I loved was safe.” We can infer that when Oskar
says “because of what happened”, he is referring to the 9/11 attacks. Oskar said he was not worried because his father and
mother both work in midtown, however, since we know his father dies in these attacks we can also infer that his father was not
in midtown on that day.

Observation → PACTS The chapter starts off by saying “To my unborn child:”. We can assume that this is not Oskar speaking as it refers to an unborn 16
& Inference child and Oskar is only 9 years old, and because the date is 5/21/63 and Oskar was not alive in 1963. However, due to the date,
we can infer that the person who wrote this letter is Oskar’s grandfather, his fathers, father.

Observation → Text From page 19 to page 27, the pages are blank with one sentence written in the middle of the page. The purpose of this is to give 19 - 27
features the reader a visual of the man’s journal. The man kept many journals where he would write sentences that he was not able to
say, to help him when speaking with another person.

Observation → Image On page 29, there is an image of a door handle and a lock. The door handle featured in this image is similar to the door handle in 29
& Question the first image in the book. The image is in the middle of the chapter and the chapter does not mention anything that relates to
the door handle. Why is an image of a door handle and a lock, in this chapter? What is the meaning of this image?

Answer:
The image is of a doorknob found in Oskar’s Grandparents' apartment. The doorknob is a symbol of Thomas locking
his feelings inside.

Observation → PAIRS On page 32, the woman talking to the man who cannot speak, asks him to marry her. The man is caught off guard and 33
& Inference immediately refuses. The woman keeps on insisting while the man keeps refusing. However, on page 33, the man thinks back on
his life and how lonely he is. Finally, the man flips to a page that says “help”. While I do not understand what the man means by
flipping to the page that says “help”, I can infer that the man and the woman later get married as the man thought about how
lonely he is.

Observation → PAIRS, Oskar continues to mention his “heavy boots”. “Alliance Française, because he puts me in heavy boots” (Foer 35). “And you 35 & 38
Inference & Question could know if New York was in heavy boots” (Foer 38). Based on the way that Oskar used the phrase “heavy boots”, I can
continue to infer that Oskar is referring to the feeling of having many expectations put on him. However, could the phrase ‘heavy
boots’ be referring to depression? Do his “heavy boots” may make him feel heavy, tired, or sad?

Answer:
Oskar uses the phrase “heavy boots” to refer to his depression. When his boots are heavier than usual, the reader can
 infer that his depression is at a high.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar describes to the reader that for a year after his father's death, he had difficulty doing ordinary things. “Even after a year, I 36
still had an extremely difficult time doing certain things, like taking showers, for some reason, and getting into elevators,
obviously.” Foer 36). He also explains that many things make him panicky now, such as Arab people, germs, airplanes, and
fireworks. Many of the things that Oskar has difficulty with or make him panicky relate to his father's death and the 9/11
attacks.

Observation → PAIRS While trying to reach the blue vase, Oskar falls and so does the vase. The vase breaks and Oskar finds an envelope with a key in 37
& PACTS it that was in the vase. This key is what the majority of the book is based around. Oskar finds a key that belonged to his father
and goes on a journey to find what the key unlocks. This can be seen as the inciting incident because the finding of the key,
marks the beginning of Oskar’s long journey.

Observation → PAIRS Throughout the chapter “GOOGOPLEX”, Oskar mentions giving himself a bruise. “Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I gave myself a 37 & 41
& Question bruise.” Foer 37). “I was so mad at myself for not noticing it before that I gave myself a little bruise.” Foer 41). Oskar is clearly
harming himself. Has Oskar always harmed himself, or has he begun to do so after the death of his father? Does Oskar self-harm
when he feels that his boots are heavy? Is this how Oskar copes with his depression or so-called “heavy boots”?

Observation → PAIRS Oskar seems like a very mature young boy. He understands and knows about many things that kids his age are not aware of. As 42
a result of this, he is constantly thinking and stressing about things he does not need to be worried about. For instance, on page
42 Oskar explains many things that he is thinking about that make him sad. “How you don’t know who Larry is, even though you
probably see him all the time, how Buckminster just sleeps and eats and goes to the bathroom and has no raison d’être, the
short ugly guy with no neck who takes tickets at the IMAX theater, how the sun is going to explode one day, how every birthday I
always get at least one thing I already have, poor people who get fat because they eat junk food because it’s cheaper…” Foer 42).
Oskar also printed out some images to add to his scrapbooks, Stuff That Happened to Me. The images he printed out are of
things that are quite mature and not appropriate for his age. “

Observation → When Oskar’s Mom asks him why beautiful songs make him sad, he replies with “Because they’re not true”, “Nothing is beautiful 43
Hyperbole and true”. This is an exaggeration as there are things that are beautiful and true. Many places and moments can be beautiful,
thus, this statement is not true.

Observation → Oskar pulls out his scrapbook, Stuff That Happened to Me and flips through it wishing he could fall asleep. There are images on 53 - 67
Images each page from pages 53 to 67. The first image is of many keys hanging on a wall. These keys represent Oskar’s visit to the
& Inferences locksmith’s store, Frazer and Sons. Another image on page 59, is a black and white photo of a man falling out of a building. We
can infer that this image symbolizes his father's death. On page 65, there is an image of fingerprints. We can also infer that this
image is to represent Oskar’s visit to the police station to get fingerprinted. These images are taken from Oskar’s scrapbook.
The author included these images to give the reader a better idea of Oskar’s scrapbook and what it looks like. This helps the
reader further understand Oskar and get a visual idea of his book.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar has mentioned many times throughout the book so far, that he has trouble sleeping. On page 69, Oskar mentioned the 69 & 74
& Inferences time which is 4:12 am. “But it’s 4:12 am.? Over.”. After Oskar is done talking to his grandma, he lays in his bed and counts to
seven minutes, the time it takes the average person to fall asleep. However, on page 74 Oskar says (in his mind/inner thoughts)
“Eight minutes thirty-two seconds…”. We can infer from these two pieces of evidence, that Oskar suffers from insomnia.
Insomnia is a disorder where a person has trouble falling and/or staying asleep. Oskar is up at 4 am which is quite late,
 especially for a nine-year-old boy who has school the next morning. He also counted past the seven minutes, which shows that
he has a harder time falling asleep than the average person.

Observation → PAIRS The chapter ‘MY FEELINGS” is a letter to Osakr from an unknown person. The letter is dated 12 September 2003. Therefore, this 75 & 76
& Inferences letter was written two years after the death of Oskar’s father so we know that the letter is not from his father. The author of this
letter describes a memory they have of reading a note addressed to their home. The note has a date of 14 January 1921,
however, on page 76, the author explains that the letter arrived at their home 15 years later. Thus, this memory was from 1936.
The author of this letter also explains that this memory is from when she was a girl, which tells us that the author is a female.
Based on this evidence, we can infer that the author of this letter is Oskar’s Grandmother because the author is a female and
was alive in 1936. Also, on page 76 the author of the letter says “So I asked my father, your great-grandfather” which further
confirms that the author is Oskar’s Grandmother.

Observation → PAIRS, On page 78, Oskar’s Grandmother says “Nothing embarrassed her. I admired that so much, because everything embarrassed me, 78
PACTS & Inferences and that hurt me.”. In the previous chapter, Oskar explains that his Grandmother usually insults herself before giving an opinion.
We can infer, based on these two pieces of evidence, that Oskar’s Grandmother is a very insecure woman. This further develops
her character as insecure.

Observation → PAIRS This chapter describes how Oskar’s Grandmother and Grandfather met from his grandmother’s point of view. However, his 80 - 85
& Inferences grandmother’s story of how they met and his grandfather’s story of how they met does not aline. This makes the reader wonder
who’s story is the right or the more honest one. The grandmother’s story had more detail, whereas the grandfather’s story was
much odder and did not mention that they knew each other prior to their meeting at the bakery. Since the grandmother’s story
had much more detail, we can infer that her story is most likely the more reliable one. We can also infer that the grandfather's
lack of detail and information is an attempt to ignore the truth and things he does not want to see in order to live more
comfortably with himself. His sculpting of Anna as he looks at Grandma further illustrates his ability to ignore parts of the truth
in order to live with his emotions.

Observation → PAIRS Grandma explains that her husband was trying to recreate the women he once loved, her sister, Anna. We can assume that this 83 & 84
& Inferences only fed Grandma’s insecurities even more because her own husband did not love her for herself and was constantly trying to
change her into someone else. Her husband was always looking for compromise. He was not able to marry Anna as he had
hoped to, but he did marry her sister and was now trying to make grandma more like anna so that he would be satisfied. “After a
few sessions it became clear that he was sculpting Anna. He was trying to remake the girl he knew seven years before. He
looked at me as he sculpted, but he saw her” Foer 83). “He wrote, I am looking for an acceptable compromise” Foer 84).

Observation → At the beginning of the chapter, Oskar's dad tells Oskar an anecdote about the Sahara Desert. “‘Well, what would happen if a 86
Anecdote plane dropped you in the middle of the Sahara Desert and you picked up a single grain of sand with tweezers and moved it one
millimeter?’ I said, “I’d probably die of dehydration.’ He said, ‘I just mean right then, when you moved that single grain of sand.
What would that mean?’ I said, ‘I dunno, what?’ He said, ‘Think about it.’ I thought about it. ‘I guess I would have moved that
single grain of sand.’ ‘Which would mean?’ ‘Which would mean I moved a single grain of sand?’ ‘Which would mean you changed
the Sahara.’ ‘So?’ ‘So? So the Sahara is a vast desert. And it has existed for millions of years. And you changed it!’” The purpose of
the anecdote was to explain to Oskar how one small action made by one person can make a big difference in the world.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar begins his journey to find the person whose name is written on the back of the envelope. He sorts the names of people in 87
& Inferences new york with the last name black and begins his journey by going to Aaron Black’s home. “I decided that I would go through
the names alphabetically, from Aaron to Zyna, even though it would have been a more efficient method to do it by geographical
 zones”. Oskar’s journey to the first home took him more than three hours because public transportation makes him nervous, so
he decided to walk the whole way. “It took me three hours and forty-one minutes to walk to Aaron Black, because public
transportation makes me panicky, even though walking over bridges also makes me panicky.” I can infer by these two
statements, that Oskar’s journey to find the person whose name is written on the back of the envelope will be a long, and hard
one as he will be walking to each location and typically, protagonists in novels do not what they are looking for on their first try.

Observation → PAIRS After a failed attempt at Aaron Black’s house, Oskar travels to Abby Black’s home and is met with a beautiful woman. Oskar asks 91
& Questions Abby if she knew his father and she says no. However, the way she answered Oskar makes him think that she is hiding
something. Since Oskar thinks this, he is determined to stay and figure out what she may be hiding. Oskar asks her many time
again if she knew his father and Abby continues to refuse.

Could Abby Black really be hiding something? If she is, why won’t she tell Oskar? Does this information have to do with Oskar’s
father? Why is Oskar so determined to figure out what Abby is hiding? Why can't he just let it go?

Answer:
Abby Black was hiding information from Oskar. Her husband knew Oskar’s father but she never said anything about it
during their first interaction. Oskar was determined to find out what Abby was hiding because he desperately wanted
to know what the key unlocked.

Observation → On page 98, there is a black and white picture of what we can infer to be Abby Black. On the next page, Oskar describes asking 98 - 99
Images Abby to take a picture of her. Abby agrees but covers her face when Oskar tries to take the picture. Oskar thought her pose was
& Prediction weird, so he thought of a different picture he would take of her. “‘Can I at least take a picture of you?’ She said, ‘That would be
nice.’ But when I started focusing Grandpa’s camera, she put her hand in front of her face for some reason. I didn’t want to force
her to explain herself, so I thought of a different picture I could take, which would be more truthful anyway.” As we know, Oskar
has a book called Stuff That Happened to Me, where he puts photos that represent things that have happened to him. Based on
this, we can predict that Oskar will add this photo of Abby Black to his book, as it is something that happened to him.

Conformation:
It is never confirmed weather Oskar added to photo of Abby Black to his book, however I can infer that he did do so
because that is what he typically does.

Observation → PAIRS When Oskar is visiting Aaron Black and Abby Black, he lies to them to make them like him. For instance, when Oskar is at Aaron 90 & 97
& Inferences Black’s home he tells Aaron that he is 7 years old because he wants Aaron to feel bad for him. “‘How old are you?’ I said seven,
because I wanted him to feel sorry for me, so he would help me”. When Oskar is at Abby Black’s home, he tells her that he is 12
years old because he wanted her to be able to love and trust him. “‘How old are you?’ I told her twelve – lie #59 – because I
wanted to be old enough for her to love me”. Oskar’s lies display a deep insecurity of his, which is that no one will be able to
love him for his true self. Oskar may feel this way because his father was the only person who really understood him, and now
he is gone.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar went over to his Grandmothers house once he got home. He walks up the stairs and when he gets to her apartment, she 100
& Questions embraces him in a hug. Grandma said she was just talking to the renter. However, Oskar says that it looked like Grandma had
been crying. If Grandma was with the renter why would she have been crying? Could the renter be Oskar’s Grandfather? Did
Grandma just call his grandfather the renter because she did not want Oskar to ever meet him for some reason? Does Grandma
have a relationship with the so-called renter?
 Answer:
The renter is Oskar’s Grandfather. He had come back to stay with his Grandmother but she did not want him to meet
Oskar so he stayed in the extra bedroom and she referred to him as “the renter”.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar once again uses the phrase “heavy boots”. However, this time Oskar says it was his grandma who had “heavy boots”, and 101
& Inferences not him. “Dad told me it gave her incredibly heavy boots, and that she kept coming across the street to tell him, “It was all my
fault. You should never let him be around me again.”.
I know that Grandma is a very insecure woman. She must have felt nervous watching Oskar because she may have felt that she
wasn’t good enough to look after a young child. Oskar’s injury must have only fed her insecurity and nervous thoughts which is
why she repeatedly told Oskar’s father that it was all her fault and she should never be allowed to watch Oskar again.

Observation → PAIRS This chapter is called “Why I’m not where you are 5/21/63”. This is the same title as chapter 2, where Oskar’s Grandfather 108
& Inferences describes the first time he met Grandma. Based on the title, I can infer that this chapter is from the Grandfather’s point of view.

Observation → PAIRS, On page 108, Oskar’s Grandfather explains that he is leaving Grandma today. We have heard about the Grandfather leaving 108
Predictions Grandma multiple times, whether it was from Grandma or Oskar. The last time we heard from the Grandfather, he was
describing the first time he met Grandma. However, a couple of chapters later, Grandma described how she and the Grandfather
met and became married. Considering this, I can make a prediction that we will later hear from Grandma’s point of view of
when the Grandfather left her.

Conformation:
We did later hear from Grandma’s point of view of when her husband left her.

Observation → PAIRS From pages 113 to 118, Thomas describes his first time meeting Anna. His description of his first meeting with Anna had much 113 -
& Inferences more detail than his description of his first time meeting Grandma. Also, in his description of their first meeting (Thomas and 118
Anna), we can clearly see how much he already loves Anna since the moment they first meet. However, in his description of first
meeting Grandma, he did not seem in love with her and even refused to marry her multiple times before he finally agreed.
Thomas’ first time meeting Anna obviously meant much more to him than his first time meeting Grandma. Anna meant so much
to Thomas which explains why his description of their first meeting was filled with detail because this was a moment he never
wanted to forget. Whereas, his first meeting with Grandma is something he may have wanted to forget.

Observation → PAIRS Throughout the chapter, Thomas (The Grandfather) goes back and forth between what is happening in the present, and 118
& Text Features memories of him and Anna. The present and the memories of Anna are separated by a blank page with “Do you know what time
it is?”, written in the middle of the page.

Observation → PAIRS Thomas (The Grandfather) repeatedly tells Grandma lies to hide the fact that he does not truly love her. For instance, Thomas 124
says that he cannot read Grandma’s memoir at the moment and will read it later when he can fully focus on it and read it
carefully. However, Thomas is lying as he knows he will not read the memoir. Although Thomas believes his lies will protect
Grandma from the truth that he does not love her, it is only causing a further rift in their relationship.

Observation → PAIRS During the chapter “Why I’m not where you are 5/21/63”, Thomas tells multiple stories of him and Anna and also talks about 132
& Questions his final moments with Grandma before he left her. On page 132, Thomas says he could have saved Anna. “For having said
Goodbye to Anna when maybe I could have saved her and our idea, or at least died with them.” Foer 132). What does Thomas
 mean by saying he could have saved Anna instead of leaving her? Did Anna die in the war? Is Anna still alive? What happened to
anna?

Answer:
Unforuntlely Anna had passed away in a bombing that occured in their hometown.

Observation → PAIRS On page 133, Thomas explains that if he had a second life, he would spend it with Grandma. “If I’d had two lives, I would have 133 &
spent one of them with her. I would have stayed in the apartment with her, torn the blueprint from the door, held her on the bed, 135
said, ‘I want two rolls,’ sang, ‘Start spreading the news,’ laughed, ‘Ha ha ha!’ cried, ‘Help!’ I would have spent that life among the
living.” Foer 133). This makes me believe that Thomas is in love with Grandma because he would spend a whole lifetime with
her, making memories and enjoying each other. However, on page 135, Thomas says that he does not love Grandma, confirming
that he is still not in love with her. “I love it when she laughs, although the truth is I am not in love with her” Foer 135).

Observation → PAIRS On page 134, there is another image of a doorknob. The doorknob is that same ornate doorknob seen at the beginning of the 134
& Questions book and on page 115. However, in this image, there is a key in the lock. Is this the key that Oskar found in his father’s closet?
Was the key Thomas’ key? Did Oskar’s father spend his life trying to find what the key unlocked? Is that why he was in
downtown New York on a weekday instead of in his office in midtown?

Answer:
The key in the image is not the key that Oskar found in his father’s closet. The key was not Thomas’ key. Oskar’s father
did not spend his life trying to find what the key unlocked, and he was not in his office on the day of the attacks because
he had a meeting.

Observation → PAIRS, On page 136, the sentence “I want to buy a ticket to Dresden.” is written in the middle of a blank page. We have seen blank pages 136
Questions & with a sentence written in the middle of them before in the book. These pages are to represent Thomas’ journal because he
Inferences cannot speak many words. We can infer by the sentence on page 136, that Thomas travelled back to Dresden after he left
Grandma. Why is he going back to Dresden? Could he be going back to find Anna and live the life he always dreamed of with
her?

Answer:
It is never explained why Thomas wanted to go back to Dresden. However, we do know that he was not going back to
save Anna because she had already passed away.

Observation → PAIRS On page 142, Oskar explains how the first performance of his school play took place twelve weekends later. Oskar explains how 142
& Inferences the play was altered to cater to the kids in the play because most of them cannot understand the original play. “The real Hamlet
is too long and confusing, and most of the kids in my class have ADD” Foer 142). I can infer that Oskar is a very intelligent young
boy, and is quite mature for his age because he was able to comprehend the original Hamlet which not many kids at his age can
do.

Observation → PAIRS Throughout the book, Oskar says ‘which I know about’ when he describes something he knows about. Oskar does this again on 142
page 142 when describing a speech from Hamlet that he knows about. Oskar says, “For example, the famous ‘To be or not to be’
speech, which I know about from the Collected Shakespeare set Grandma bought me, was cut down so that it was just, ‘To be or
not to be, that’s the question’” Foer 142).
 Observation → PAIRS Oskar explains that he got stuck with the role of Yorick because he missed the auditions. He missed the auditions because he 142
& Inferences had heavy boots. Oskar said, “Everyone had to have a part, but there weren’t enough real parts, and I didn’t go to the auditions
because my boots were too heavy to go to school that day, so I got the part of Yorick” Foer 142). Based on his mention of ‘heavy
boots’, I can infer that Oskar’s depression was at a high on the day of auditions and therefore stayed home that day.

Observation → PAIRS Over the past twelve weeks, Oskar has met many of the Blacks that are on his list. He mentions this on page 143 when he says, 143
“A lot of the Blacks that I had met in those twelve weekends were there” Foer 143). Although there was no further description of
Oskar’s journey to meet every person with the last name Black since Abby Black, Oskar has continued on with his journey.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar’s role as Yorick in the school play brings to light unhealthy aspects of his role in his family. Similar to Yorick, Oskar 145
& Inferences believes his role in his family is to make his family members laugh and make them happy. However, Yorick is dead and so is
Oskar’s role in his family, metaphorically. Oskar no longer wants to so-called ‘play dead’ and imagines himself attacking Jimmy
as the crowd cheers him on. This shows Oskar’s anger about feeling that he needs to hide his feelings from his family, to keep
them happy.

Observation → PAIRS Mr. Black has had a crazy life. He was born in 1900 and is now 103 years old. He fought in both world wars. He has been to 152 &
& Inferences Iceland, Japan, and most likely, many other countries. Mr. Black was also engaged to Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald’s sister. His wife 153
has passed on and so he now lives alone. I can infer that Mr. Black does not have many people to talk to and does not get out
often because the second he opened the door for Oskar, he immediately started telling Oskar his life story.

Observation → PAIRS Mr. Black pours himself and Oskar some tea but Oskar asks for coffee instead. Every time Oskar has gone to someone’s house in 154
& Inferences the book, he has asked for coffee when he is asked what he would like to drink. It seems quite strange that a boy his age is
drinking coffee because he is only 9 years old and it is suggested that children do not drink coffee. Oskar explains that he drinks
coffee because it stunts his growth and he is afraid of death. “‘Do you have any coffee?’ I asked. ‘Coffee!’ ‘It stunts my growth, and
I’m afraid of death.’” Foer 154). I can infer that Oskar is afraid of death because of the death of his father and everything he has
been through emotionally and mentally since his father’s death.

Fill in the table below to apply story elements to the first section of the novel.
Analyze Characters: Identify the main character(s) and document the ongoing characterization in this section.

Name Using PAIRS, describe what evidence there is of character development (changes?)

Physical appearance:
unknown
Oskar
Actions:
Oskar finds a key in his father’s closet and is on a journey to find out what the key unlocks. On the back of the envelope
that the key was in, the word ‘black’ was written on the back. Most of the first half of the book follows Oskar as he goes
to meet everyone in New York with the last name ‘Black’ to see if they know anything about the key.
 Inner thoughts:
Due to the fact that Oskar is the protagonist of the book and the book is written in the first person, we get to read
Oskar’s inner thoughts throughout most of the book. Oskar’s inner thoughts are sometimes all over the place. He has a
lot to say and he is a very intelligent boy. He is always thinking of new inventions or questioning the world around
him.

Relationships:
Oskar’s relationship with his mother is complicated. He seems to somewhat resent his mother over the death of his
father. This is seen during his fight with his mother and when he gets mad at her for laughing with Ron instead of
crying over his father.

Oskar also has a close relationship with his Grandmother. His Grandmother is his second favourite person in the
world, after his father, and he loves her dearly. They spend lots of time together and talk over the phone or on
walkie-talkies when they cannot be together.

Speech:
Oskar is a polite and mature young boy and the way he speaks resembles this. However, sometimes Oskar can get out
of hand and lash out. This is demonstrated in his fight with his mother where he says he wishes that she was the one
who died that day, instead of his father.

Physical appearance:
unknown
Grandma
Actions:
Grandma has a deep love for Oskar. This may be because Oskar really cares about Grandma and he may remind her a
lot of Oskar’s father.
○ She knits him clothes in only white because Oskar only wears white
○ Gives Oskar many gifts that he actually enjoys.
- His Grandfather’s camera
- She bought him a Collected Shakespeare set
○ Grandma also went to Oskar’s school play every night to support him
○ She talked to Oskar late at night when he couldn’t sleep
○ Grandma makes herself available when Oskar needs her or just wants to see her

Inner thoughts:
Grandma’s inner thoughts are such like Oskar’s in the sense that she has many different thoughts and questions and
thinks outside of the box. Her inner thoughts are demonstrated in her letters to Oskar.
 “I thought about birds. Could they fly if there wasn’t someone, somewhere, laughing” (Foer 78)

Relationships:
Grandma had a hard time dealing with her husband's absence as Oskar describes Grandma crying about his
Grandfather and repeating the same stories about him. However, it seems as though she is moving on as we learn that
she is spending more time with the renter.

Speech:
Grandma is a very insecure woman. Her insecurities developed at a young age and have stuck with her throughout
most of her life. She also tends to insult herself before giving her opinion, as Oskar described.
“Well what do I know, but I think …” (Foer 70)

Physical appearance:
Thomas was a tall man. In his teenage years, he was already almost 2 meters tall. Thomas also has brown eyes and big
Thomas (Oskar’s hands. He has the word “YES” tattooed on one hand and the word “NO” tattooed on the other.
Grandfather)
Actions:
Thomas was a sculptor and would make many sculptures of Grandma when they first met.

Inner thoughts:
Thomas is conflicted over his feelings for Grandma’s sister Anna and what their life together could have been.

Relationships:
Thomas has a very complicated relationship with Grandma. While he loves her sister Anna, he tries to find a
compromise between loving Anna and marrying Grandma. While he is married to Grandma and has good memories
with her, he is not in love with her and the same goes for Grandma.

Speech:
Based on his speech and his writing, Thomas seems to be a well-spoken and poetic man.

PACTS: Describe important PACTS elements from this section in the novel.

Plot Structure for Literary Atmosphere Conflict Setting

Texts

Exposition (Pages 1 - 36): Sadness The conflict seen in this section The book flip flops between the
During this section, we are
introduced to the main
characters which are Oskar and
his Grandparents. We are also
provided with necessary
background information on
these characters.
Inciting Incident (Pages 37 -
86):
While trying to reach a blue vase
in his father’s closet, Oskar falls
and so does the vase. The vase
breaks and Oskar finds an
envelope with a key in it that
was in the vase. This key is what
the majority of the book is based
around. Oskar finds a key that
belonged to his father and goes
on a journey to find what the key
unlocks. This can be seen as the
inciting incident because the
finding of the key, marks the
beginning of Oskar’s long
journey.
- The characters are is person vs self. Throughout this present and the past. The
dealing with the death of section, we watch Oskar as he present being New York, 2003
Oskar’s father deals with the death of his father. and the past being 1963 in
Suspense Oskar has become very panicky America and anytime before
- The reader is kept about many things since the 1963 in Dresden.
wondering if Oskar will death of his father. He has also
find what the key unlocks developed depression and The present is told from Oskar’s
Loneliness insomnia and self-harms. point of view, while the past is
- Oskar and his father were told from his grandparent's
quite close and they were point of view.
the only ones in their
family who really
understood each other.
Since his father’s death,
Oskar is left with no one
who understands him the
way that his dad did.

Book Club #1 Notes: Take notes of any insights, questions, and uncertainties discussed during your first meeting.

- The doorknobs could represent the characters not opening up

- Oskar was trying to replace his father (fill that missing void), with other adults he looks up to
- Thomas also did the same after he lost Anna, by trying to fill that void with Grandma
- Rising Action: Oskar meeting other people and learning about them
- The atmosphere is more calm and peaceful when Oskar is with his father because they understand each other so well and Oskar is
able to be his full self
- The atmosphere becomes sad, lonely, and even tense at times when Oskar is not with his father because he is holding back and not
being his true self because he feels as though people willnot accept the real him
Book Club Meeting #2:

As you’re reading, apply during reading strategies. Be sure to label what types of strategies you’ve used. You should be using the strategies
consistently throughout this section. For example, each chapter should have at least one of the During Reading strategies. Add rows as
needed.
Strategies Annotations Page #
Observations, Inferences, Questions (must answer), Predictions (must confirm), Connections

Observation → PAIRS Oskar and his mom get into a fight on page 169. Oskar fights with his mom over the fact that his father’s coffin is empty. He 169 -
& Inferences forces his mother to face the truth that the empty coffin is a mask of the truth. During the argument, Oskar uses his emotions as 171
a weapon as he changes his mood from “OPTIMISTIC, BUT REALISTIC” to “EXTREMELY DEPRESSED” (Foer 171).

Observation → PAIRS On page 175, Grandma explains that Thomas took pictures of the whole apartment so just in case it were to burn down, they 175
& Inferences would be able to rebuild it. She describes how Thomas took pictures of every doorknob in the apartment. She said, “He took a
picture of every doorknob in the apartment” ( Foer 175). I can infer by this statement that the photos of doorknobs that were
previously shown in the book are the pictures that Thomas took of the doorknobs.

Observation → PAIRS Grandma explains that Thomas took an excessive amount of photos of the apartment but never took photos of her. He also 175
& Inferences bought the most expensive insurance for the apartment but failed to buy life insurance. She said, “He never took pictures of me,
and we didn’t buy life insurance” (Foer 175). Grandma is implying by this comment that Thomas cares more about their
apartment than Grandma.

Observation → PAIRS On page 182, Grandma describes her first kiss which was with her sister. She said, “‘What does it feel like? To kiss.’ She laughed. 182
‘It feels wet,’ she said. I laughed. ‘It feels wet and warm and very strange at first.’ I laughed. ‘Like this’ she said, and she grabbed
the sides of my face and pulled me into her” (Foer 182). The kiss between Grandma and her sister demonstrates their emotional
connection. Oskar’s previous comment that “kissing makes people human” shows that Grandma and her sister have an intimate
and deeply human connection.

Observation → PAIRS Grandma explains that she has never seen a photograph of herself that she likes. She notes this on page 183 by saying, “He had 183
& Inferences asked me to include a photograph of myself. I did not have any photographs of myself that I liked” (Foer 183). We know that
Grandma is quite insecure. Her insecurities may have come from not being comfortable with herself and how she looks from a
young age.

Observation → PAIRS The chapter begins with a Hiroshima interview that Oskar plays for his class. The interview is graphic and emotional. However, 189
& Inferences Oskar ignores the human aspect of the interview and chooses to focus on the scientific workings of the bomb instead. Based on
Oskar’s choice to focus on the scientific workings of the bomb, I can infer that he is a more logical person than an emotional
person.

Observation → PAIRS On page 191, there is an image of a cat falling. I can infer that this cat is Buckminster as Oskar described dropping him from the 191
& Inferences roof of his school. Oskar said, “I’d brought Buckminster to school for a demonstration only a couple weeks before, and dropped
 him from the roof” (Foer 191).

Observation → PAIRS During Oskar’s conversation with Dr. Fein, Oskar expresses that he thinks his true feelings hurt others. Oskar believes that he 203
& Inferences must “bury my feelings deep inside me” (Foer 203). Oskar is known to give himself bruises to punish himself and show that he’ll
keep his grief on the inside. I can infer that Oskar has not yet learned that his feelings may hurt others, but he is still allowed to
have those emotions.

Observation → PAIRS The title of chapter 10 is “WHY I’M NOT WHERE YOU ARE 4/12/78” (Foer 208). Based on the title, we can see that this letter is 208
& Inferences from years after the other letters Thomas wrote to his son. Also, the letter begins with “To my child” (Foer 208) instead of ‘to my
unborn child’ which is typically how Thomas’ letters would start. Therefore, this further confirms that the letter was written
years later.

Observation → PAIRS The entire chapter is a letter Thomas wrote for his son. However, throughout the chapter, there are red circles around all the 208
& Inferences grammatical errors in the letter. I also know that Oskar’s father used to go through the New York Times and circle all the
grammatical errors. Based on this evidence, I believe it is safe to assume that we are reading Thomas’ letter after his son has
read it.

Vocabulary Metamorphosis 209

noun
● a change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.

Observation → PAIRS On page 214, Thomas describes the next few weeks after the bombing. He said, “In the days and weeks after my release, I looked 214
& Inferences for my parents and for Anna and for you” (Foer 214). Thomas claims that he was searching for the letter’s addressee when he
says he was looking for “you”. This statement conflates his real child with Grandma, and the child he never had with Anna as his
child with Grandma was not alive at the time of the bombing.

Observation → PAIRS At the end of the letter, Thomas explains that he is “so afraid of losing something I love that I refuse to love anything” (Foer 216). 216
& Inferences This statement explains why he tried to replace Anna with Grandma because he could not open himself up to new intimacy and
vulnerability because he does not want to risk losing another loved one. This could also explain why he left once he found out
Grandma was pregnant because he did not want to open himself up to loving a new child if he were ever to lose his child.

Observation → PAIRS In the chapter “My feelings”, Grandma describes the Schell family’s 9/11 experience. Her description of the day shows how fear 224
and vulnerability can bring loved ones closer.

Observation → PAIRS Throughout the chapter, Grandma says the same phrase multiple times, “That was when I knew that I knew” (Foer 226). Based 226
& Inferences on this phrase, I can infer that Grandma is describing her experience of coming to the realization that her son was not returning
home.

Observation → PAIRS At the end of the chapter, Grandma describes receiving a letter from Thomas saying “I’m sorry” (Foer 233). Although Thomas 233
& Inferences never sent any letters to Grandma, sent any money, or asked for any photos of his son, he does still care for Grandma and his
son. Thomas writing a letter to Grandma on the day of their son’s funeral saying he’s sorry demonstrates this. We also saw this
in chapter 10 where Thomas wrote a letter to his son and mentioned writing letters for his son every day but not having enough
courage to send them.
Observation → PAIRS On page 234, Oskar describes that his “boots were the heaviest they’d ever been in [his] life” (Foer 234). Oskar has used the 234
& Prediction phrase ‘heavy boots’ many times before during the book. He uses this phrase to describe the depression that he’s been dealing
with since the death of his father. Oskar also explains that he cannot talk to those around him about his depression. By holding
his feelings in and not talking about them with others, Oskar is only harming himself and setting himself up for a major
explosion on those around him. I can predict that he will burst and cause a huge argument with those around him because he is
bottling up his feelings.

Conformation:
Oskar never ended up causing a huge argument with those around him.

Observation → PAIRS On page 236, Oskar describes finding envelopes addressed “To my child” or “To my unborn child”. These letters are the letters 236
& Question that Thomas wrote for his son. However, in his last letter, Thomas said that he could not bring himself to send these letters to
his son. This makes me wonder how did they get to Grandma’s house? Also, Oskar explains that the envelopes were empty.
Where did the letters go? Did Grandma burn them all?

Answer:
The letters got to Grandma’s apartment because Thomas brought them back when he came back to New York.

Observation → PAIRS Although he is not allowed to, Oskar knocked on the renter’s door. The renter opens the door and Oskar explained that he was 237
& Inferences an old man that could not speak. The renter opened his little book to a page that said “I don’t speak” and when Oskar asked for
his name he wrote, “My name is Thomas”. Also, Oskar explained that the renter had YES tattooed on his left hand. Based on this
evidence, I can infer that the renter is Oskar’s Grandfather.

Observation → PACTS Oskar meeting his Grandfather can be seen as part of the rising action. This can be seen as part of the rising action because it 237
further complicates the plot and has just made the book much more interesting.

Observation → PAIRS Thomas has written many letters to his son but has not sent them. There is a photo of a doorknob in this chapter which tells the 265
& Inferences reader that Thomas writes his letters in his daybook. The doorknob can serve as a symbol of Thomas locking his feelings inside.
Writing the letters shows his want to communicate but the doorknob shows that he has chosen to lock those feelings inside.

Observation → PAIRS Even though his son has now passed on, Thomas wrote another letter to him. I can infer that Thomas writing a letter to his dead 267
& Inferences son, shows that he is ready and trying to express those feelings that he has locked inside. His letter to his son can also be seen as
him taking action on his goal to “try to live”.

Observation → PAIRS On page 277, Thomas explains that his son found him after looking for him. His son did not say that he was his son and 277
pretended to be a journalist, however, Thomas knew that it was his son. This is new information for the reader.

Observation → PAIRS On page 285, Oskar goes to Mr. Black’s apartment to tell him about digging up his father’s grave. However, he instead finds out 285
& Inference that they are selling his apartment and his all his belongings. Based on the fact that Mr. Black is not in his apartment, they are
selling his apartment and all his belongings, I can infer that Mr. Black has passed on.

Observation → PAIRS Before Oskar left Mr. Black’s apartment, he went to check the index of biographies to see if his father made it there. Instead, 286
Oskar found a card with his name on it that said, “Oskar Schell: Son” (Foer 286). Oskar’s card symbolizes his friendship with Mr.
Black. The two had a close bond and Oskar meant a lot to Mr. Black which is why he choose to put him in his index of
 biographies. Oskar was biographically significant to Mr. Black.

Observation → PAIRS On page 288, Oskar explains that his mother and Ron were hanging out in the family room. He says, “Mom and Ron were 288
& Inference hanging out in the family room, even though he wasn’t part of our family” (Foer 288). I can infer that Oskar still is not accepting
of Ron and feels that Ron is trying to take the position of his father based on Oskar’s inner thoughts.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar listened to the messages on the phone for the first time. He listened to a message from Abby Black saying she knew more 288
& Question about the key than what she told him the day they met. This proves Oskar to be right as he suspected that she was hiding
something from him the day they met. Why didn’t Abby tell Oskar what she knew when they first met?

Answer:
It is never confirmed why Abby did not say anything to Oskar about what she knew when they first met.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar tells his mom that he’s heading out and she lets him go without asking where he is going and when he will be back. This is 288
& Question not the only time she has done this. Every time Oskar goes out, she always lets him go and never asks any questions. Why
doesn’t she ever ask Oskar questions when he goes out? Does she not care about him?

Oskar’s mother never asked questions when he would go out because she knew where he was going each time
(confirmed on page 291).

Vocabulary Revelation 291

noun
● a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.

Observation → PAIRS On page 291, Abby Black explains to Oskar that she spoke with his mom. After Oskar finds out about this, he realizes that his 291
mother knew where he was going each time he left. She caught onto his plan and called everyone he went to before he got there.
This is why Carol had fresh cookies for him and why Ada knew he lived on the Upper West Side.

Observation → PAIRS On page 294, there is an image of the back of a man’s head. I can infer that this photo is of Willam Black because, in the previous 294
& Inference pages, Oskar goes to meet Willam Black to talk about what he knows about the key.

Observation → PAIRS While talking with William Black, Oskar finds out that the key opens a safe-deposit box. I can infer that Oskar feels let down and 295
& Inference disappointed. I believe Oskar feels this way because he went on an 8-month journey to find what the key unlocks, thinking it
would be something related to his father, just to find out that it opens a safe deposit box that isn't even for him.

Rhetorical Devices → On page 298, Oskar asks William to describe his father when he met him. This part of the book uses pathos as it provokes 298
Pathos feelings of sadness and sympathy in the reader. The reader feels sad and sympathy for Oskar because this journey kept him
close to his father and kept him distracted from the death of his father and it's over. Also, Oskar asking William to describe his
father shows that he greatly misses his father.

Observation → PAIRS After meeting with William, Oskar went home to find the renter standing under the streetlamp. Although they had already 302
& Inference figured out all the necessary details for their plan to dig up Oskar’s father’s grave, they continued to meet up to talk about
unrealistic details. Based on this, I can infer that the two were not yet ready to dig up the grave. Creating unrealistic details for
their plan gave them time to become comfortable with the idea of digging up the grave.
 Rhetorical Devices → On page 304, there is a letter from Stephen Hawking to Oskar. Oskar has received letters from Hawking before, but they were 304
Pathos not handwritten or personal. They were just a general letter letting him know that he saw his letter and would write back to
him when he had a chance. However, the letter on page 304 is a personal and handwritten letter to Oskar from Stephen
Hawking. This letter brings on emotions of happiness because Oskar looks up to Stephen Hawking and he has now just received
a handwritten letter addressed to him from Stephen Hawking. The reader also feels happy for Oskar because they know how
much this means to him.

Observation → PAIRS A new chapter begins on page 306. The chapter is called “My Feelings”. When we have previously heard from Grandma’s point of 306
& Inference view it has been in chapters called “My Feelings”. Based on this knowledge, I can infer that this chapter is from grandma’s point
of view.

Observation → PAIRS On page 309, Grandma confesses to not loving Thomas. She said, “I don’t know if I’ve ever loved your grandfather” (Foer 309). 309
We know that Thomas loves Grandma but has never been in love with her or loved her the same way he loved Anna. We now
know that the feeling is mutual between Thomas and Grandma. It seemed as though Grandma did love Thomas more than he
loved her, but as she stated, she only “loved not being alone” (Foer 309).

Observation → PAIRS The timeline of this chapter is unclear. The description of Grandma meeting Thomas in the airport makes it seem that this is a 310
& Inference memory from when Thomas left Grandma. However, on page 310, Thomas writes that he has “been seeing Oskar” (Foer 310).
Based on this, I can infer that this is not a memory and is in the present as Oskar was not alive when Thomas left, and Thomas’
meetings with Oskar are recent.

Observation → PAIRS On page 314, Grandma says “And how can you say I love you to someone you love? I rolled onto my side and fell asleep next to 314
& Inference her. Here is the point of everything I have been trying to tell you, Oskar. It’s always necessary. I love you, Grandma” (Foer 314). I
can infer that Grandma is talking about telling people you love, that you love them. I can also infer that Grandma has had trouble
telling those she loved ‘I love you’ in the past and now regrets that. Grandma wants to prevent Oskar from doing the same so
that he does not end up regretting not saying ‘I love you’.

Observation → PAIRS Oskar explains that he wanted to dig up his father’s grave because “it’s the truth, and Dad loved the truth” (Foer 321). During 321
& Inference Oskar’s fight with his mother, he said that his dad was not in the grave and that was the truth. Oskar and his father are very
rational and intelligent people. They both base their opinions on facts, rather than emotions. Therefore, like Oskar, his father
would also look at the truth which is that his body is not in the grave rather than believing that it is. Based on this, I can infer
that Oskar dug up his father’s grave for closure.

Fill in the table below to analyze the author’s writing style. Identify meaningful use of language in the text and explain their significance in
relation to a PACTS element. Identify examples throughout the section of the novel.
If you are reading a nonfiction text, follow the prompts for non-fiction text elements.
Diction and Literary Devices: Record examples of effective diction and/or the author’s use of a stylistic device/figurative language. How
is it significant/important to the story?
Page # Diction, Literary Devices, and Other Stylistic Elements
180 "The water was grey with all of his days."
298 On page 298, Oskar asks William to describe his father when
he met him. Oskar also asks William to describe his father
when he met him.
208 During chapter 10, there are red circles drawn around all the
grammatical errors in the letter.
224 When the reader is hearing from Grandma’s point of view, the
chapter is named “My Feelings”.
265 On page 265, there is an image of a doorknob.
Significance & how it develops a PACTS element/Rhetorical
Appeal/Organizational Structure
This sentence taken from page 180, develops the
characterization of the grandfather. The author’s diction shows
a double meaning. The water being grey describes the ink the
grandfather was using. However, it also describes the
grandfather’s state of mind; being that his state of mind is grey.
This part of the book uses pathos to provoke feelings of sadness
and sympathy. The reader feels sad and sympathy for Oskar
because this journey kept him close to his father and kept him
distracted from the death of his father and now it is over. This
also develops Oskar’s character because we only know Oskar as
a logical and serious kid. However, this part of the book shows
Oskar in a new way. This part shows that Oskar also has feelings
as he greatly misses his father.
The red circles seen in the chapter tell the reader that this is the
only letter Thomas (Oskar’s father) received from his father
(grandpa). This develops Thomas’ character as it can be
interpreted by the reader that this was his way of calming the
chaos in his life, that his father left behind when he left him and
grandma.
This develops the organizational structure of the book. During
the book, we hear from many perspectives such as Oskar,
Grandma and Thomas. Foer organizes the perspectives by
chapters. The chapters titled, “Why I’m Not Where You Are” are
from Thomas’ point of view and the chapters titled “My
Feelings”, are from Grandma’s point of view. All the other
chapters have different titles, but they are all from Oskar’s point
of view.
Throughout the book, Foer includes many images relating to
what is currently going on in the book. For instance, the
doorknob on page 265 contributes to the reader's
understanding as it relates to Thomas, who is currently talking.
 The doorknob also develops Thomas’ character as the reader
can infer, it is a symbol of Thomas locking his feelings inside.

After Reading

Summary (3-4 The book follows Oskar, who lost his father in the 9/11 tragedy, as he looks for the lock to a mysterious key. Oskar
sentences, in found this key in his father’s closet just days after his death and is convinced his father left it behind for him.
your own words) Throughout Oskar’s journey, he meets many new people and develops a greater understanding of the world
around him.

Connect/Extend: Connect/Extend: The book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, has many connections to the real world. The
Reflect: book discusses the 9/11 attacks, which were extremely tragic and depressing. The attacks were devastating to
Evaluate: everyone in the world, especially those who lost loved ones in the attacks. The attacks also had a lasting mental
Discuss: health impact on those who were present.

Apply each Reflect: While the book's main focus is Oskar’s journey to find the lock that the key opens, it also highlights the
concept if effects of grief. Oskar and his father were quite close, so his death had a huge impact on him. Oskar has been
applicable: dealing with insomnia, depression, and self-harming since the death of his father. Listening to Oskar's struggles
Windows helps the reader realize the effects of grief and also realize that young children can also be dealing with
Mirrors depression and other mental health issues as a result of grief.
Power
Hierarchy Evaluate: Overall, the book was quite effective in teaching the reader that young children can also be dealing with
depression or other mental health issues. Many adults forget that children can also be dealing with mental health
Identity
issues or they think that mental health issues only occur in adults. The book demonstrates this through the use of
1st person point of view so that the reader can gain insight into what it is like for a child to deal with mental health
issues. The book also made use of pathos which further helped the reader understand the effects of mental health
issues on children.

Discuss: The book raises awareness of mental health issues in children. As previously stated, many adults forget
that children can also be dealing with mental health issues or they think that mental health issues only occur in
adults. The book demonstrates the effects of mental health issues in children through Oskar. Oskar refers to his
depression many times during the book as “heavy boots” and he also refers to his insomnia multiple times. It
would be quite effective for adults to read this book so they can realize that mental health issues occur in people
of any age.
Book Club #2 Notes: Take notes of any insights, questions, and uncertainties discussed during your second meeting.