Role of Inventing? Stories?
Do you ever find your mind wandering off to a sea of What Ifs? I know I do. Everyone at some point in time has dreamed up a new crazy idea or story to make life more interesting, exciting, or easier. Oskar invents all sorts of impractical ideas, but why does Foer have Oskar dreaming up inventions all hours of the night? Perhaps it is to help the reader to better understand the mind of a child. Reading all of Oskar's inventions helps you to better understand him and his character. Oskar is bright young boy and should be given credit for his wealth of knowledge and eagerness to learn. But what is the deeper meaning of these stories and inventions?
Oskar’s inventions and stories are logical in thought but impractical in the real world. In the beginning of the book Oskar has invented an extremely long limo. He tells the driver of the limo that he is currently in, “Actually, if limousines were extremely long, they wouldn’t need drivers.” (5) Oskar is true in saying that if there was a limo long enough to stretch from point A to point B then a driver would not be necessary. However, the impracticality of very long limousines overrides this thought, the passengers would essentially be walking to their destination, and where and how would these limos be put in place.
Oskar’s process of inventing also applies to his journey, one of the main themes in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. He finds a key that he believes his father has left behind and goes searching over all New York City to find his answers. Thinking that he can find answers about his dad and his death is logical, but believing that a key has deeper meaning is impractical. Oskar is trying to put meaning into an inanimate object, very similar to how he tries to take every small detail and object in life and give it importance. Oskar doesn’t really know if he will find the answers to his questions or if his inventions could ever be useful or workable. His stories and inventions are nice to think about, but in reality you know that they could never happen.
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8 comments:
I agree that the inventions and stories constantly overwhelming Oskar's mind do help to give the reader a better understanding of the character and the way his mind works. I feel, however, that these unstoppable bursts of creativity are Oskar's way of overcoming and making sense of his father's death. Oskar's age and inexperience dealing with tragedy create a mess of emotions which he cannot make sense of. In order to put some sense back into his life, he is constantly inventing things that make perfect sense to him, and may put him at ease for the time being. All in all, I believe the inventions allow Oskar to escape from reality and take his mind off of things for just a minute, helping him to make it through this healing process.
Hey kas43091, I appreciate the feedback and I do agree with you, buit I don't think Oskar realizes that his inventing is a healing process. Many times in the book he said that he started inventing even though he didn't want to.
I agree with the impracticality of Oskar's inventions. In class we actually discussed the distinction between Oskar's IQ and his EQ. Oskar's emotional capacity is definitely that of a child's though his wealth of knowledge is amazing. I think that Oskar's inventions are his way of picturing the perfect world but I think that he realizes that these inventions are not possible. These inventions kind of tie in to Oskar's burning desire to have his father back, deep down he knows this will never happen but it is nice to invent ways that it could. I think this helps Oskar vent some of his sadness.
I thought Oskar's inventions were interesting, if not practical, as well. Some of them are pretty outrageous, like the example you gave of the limo. I wonder if Oskar himself thinks his inventions could ever be made into reality. It seems as if Oskar sometimes blurrs the line between plausible inventions and ones that are more far-fetched if not impossible. I think it all comes down to the fact that he is a creative young boy who needs a way to express his wants and fears, and he does that through his inventions. They are merely provide insight into his childish mind and what he thinks is important.
Thanks Me, I never saw that connection you made to Oskar's desire to have his father back. It's a very interesting theory.
Yesterday I totally agree that Oskar's inventions are a way to express himself. Everyone does show their creative side in their own way...could you imaginethe world without art, music, or literature?
I agree that Oskar's inventing shows how intelligent Oskar is, and gives you a better insight into the character. I agree with Kas that inventing is, in a way, a healing process; just look at some of the things Oskar invents. He invents a birdseed suit to save people, and an ambulance that tells the people on the street that the person inside is either ok or in serious condition. It also came up in third period that Oskar's inventing, among other traits, is a symptom of a type of autism. I did not think of that myself, but after discussing it, I am definitely convinced.
"Oskar is trying to put meaning into an inanimate object, very similar to how he tries to take every small detail and object in life and give it importance."
i agree with the things you pointed out in your blog. I think Oskar's inventing stems from the confusion he is feeling. He wants to straighten things out, and being just a child, he invents these wacky ideas trying to make sense of things.
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