Day+1

**May 2, 2011**
 * Syllabus: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close**


 * Focus Question:** What are the main themes beginning to emerge in //Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close// and what distinguishes the characters and their story?

Themes/motifs: Skyscrapers, heavy boots, knowing things you don't want to know, wearing only white, extremely loud and incredibly close, loss, 9/11, getting zipped up in a sleeping bag.


 * Opening Focus Activity:** Read a Jonathan Safran Foer biography excerpt on 9/11. How did 9/11 affect people? How did it affect our country, New York City? How do you think it would affect a young boy like Oskar living in New York City? Relate back to the focus question of distinguishing traits of characters.

9/11 had a huge affect on people. It really scared people, made them afraid to go out. Made them more aware of what other countries are capable of. It had a huge impact on the way that Oskar acts now. Loosing your dad in 9/11 is a huge deal and very traumatic. Oskar is accutely aware of his loss and what 9/11 means. Skyscrapers are a huge theme in the novel.

1. How would you characterize Oskar? What are special qualities about him that make him stand out? 2. How does the story of Oskar’s grandparents and Oskar’s story relate to one another? 3. Pictures of door handles and knobs seem to be reoccurring, is there a pattern to this? What do the doors symbolize? What does the key Oskar finds symbolize? 4. On page 17, the grandfather’s last word he was able to speak is “I”, why would Foer choose to have this be his last word? 5. What do the pictures from page 53 to 67 represent? What is the connection between the pictures and what is happening in the story? 6. How does Oskar and his father’s relationship compare to the relationship Oskar has with his mother? 7. What do all of the characters in the novel have in common? 8. How is Oskar able to deal with his loss and sadness? 9. Does the structure the novel is written in detract from the novel or add more significance? How so? 10. On page 43 it describes how the father “sometimes missed the forest for the trees” What does the mother mean by this? Is it a bad thing? Is it common in post-modern society?
 * Club Discussion Questions:**
 * Very eccentric, he thinks to much about everything. He is very intelligent. Likes mystery and finding clues and tracing them. Dealing with really heavy emotions, maybe not sure how to handle them. Doesn't seem to fit in well with others. Really obsessed with family connections. Very smart in terms of knowledge and knowing facts but isn't very mature. Still very naive, thinks things can be solved easily and everything has a really simple answer. Very logical and scientific, he is an "inventor".
 * Seem to have a sense of family. Dealing with loss
 * The door towards the beginning the door on page 29 symbolizes how the grandfather is like a closed book really closed off and protected. The door represents how he is opening up. Getting more exposed to people, unlocking the door and breaking down the wall to his happiness. The key and lock Oskar finds symbolizes the happiness he wants to unlock. Represents getting over his loss and dealing with his loss, opening new doors to getting past his fathers death.
 * The first word that he looses is the ability to say Anna and And which is the woman he lost. And eventually the very last word he looses is "I" because he is loosing himself along with his lost love. All he has left is his identity and he eventually ends up loosing that as well.
 * Reflecting on the previous things he has done in his life
 * The relationships don't compare. Even though his father is dead it seems like the connection is still there and he is getting closer and closer to his father and further and further away from his mother. His mom does not seem to pay to much attention to where he is going or what he is doing. Oskar is on a quest about his father bringing him closer and closer to his father. He seemed to really bond with his dad and his dad understood him completely.
 * Oskar is the center of the story. All of the characters have some kind of loss. The grandfather lost his true love, the grandmother lost her husband because he left. The mom and Oskar lost Oskar's father. Oskar lost the desire to take over the family business. The grandfather also lost his ability to speak.
 * He copes with the sadness by thinking of inventions. These inventions are all things that would keep his family safe, or give him a warning of when someone was about to die. Shows that he wish that he had known and had a warning that his father was going to die. Also at the very beginning he wants to hear his dad's voice to comfort him.
 * It adds more significance. When there are only a few words on a page it tends to give more of an impact to the reader. Although it sometimes can be confusing to read.
 * Potentially he is paying to much attention to little details rather than the big picture. Many pay attention to the way society used to be and getting caught up in that compared to the way society really is.


 * Closing Activity/Extension:** Type one interesting or confusing passage into Wordle. Compare in group.