Love: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer
Read for "Love" theme

"New York: A Treasure Map of Light"

http://southernnomad.typepad.com/my-blog/2012/08/new-york-a-treasure-map-of-light-part-1.html

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a sweet, somber, and inspirational story of a young boy who goes on a journey through New York City to find out details about a key he has found in his late-father's closet. Oskar Schell's father worked in the World Trade Center and unfortunately perished in the attacks on 9-11. As a young boy, Oskar has so many different emotions about the situation. He experiences rage, depression, trauma, and loneliness. Upon discovery of this mysterious key, he takes it upon himself to find out what its purpose is and what it unlocks.

Oskar goes on a search all over the city to find people who know information about this key. He keeps the journey a secret from his mother because he wants to protect her, but I also think Oskar veils his intentions for slightly selfish reasons. One of the main themes in the book is the idea of self-destruction v. self-preservation, and in an attempt to preserve himself in spite of all this trauma, Oskar keeps the secret for himself so as to process the death of his father and find understanding in the tragedy.

The eclectic people Oskar meets along the way and the stories they share with him ultimately help him with his grieving and acceptance of the tragedy. And when Oskar finally learns that his mother new about his adventures all along and even helped him in discovering information without his knowledge, Oskar finds appreciation for the love his family gives to him and how interconnected he is with her and the others he met along the way. They have experienced different stories, processed different tragedies differently, but they are all connected in the sense that they have seen the beauty and ugliness of the world. The electricity of the world has singed them, but it has also made them alive.