Lessons Learned in Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close Essay

In the novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Oskar is a precocious, intelligent and eccentric boy who goes on an adventure in the boroughs of New York City. One day Oskar comes across a key that is left behind by his father. It is tucked away in an envelope labeled Black. Though hardly a smoking gun of any sort, Oskar finds in this discovery just the sort of diversion he needs to sustain him in his time of loss, to fill the void left by the loss of his father: "I decided I would meet every person in New York with the last name Black. Even if it was relatively insignificant, it was something, and I needed to do something, like sharks, who die if they don't swim, which I know about" (86-87). He is convinced that finding the true owner of the key will somehow lead him to answers about his fathers death. So Oskar sets off on an improbable mission to track down everybody with that surname in the city. This task he has taken on brings him into contact with a variety of people, the most significant encounter being that with Mr. A. R. Black, a 103 year old war correspondent who hasnt left his apartment in twenty four years. While Oskar seems to learn a lot from the many different people he meets, Mr. A. R. Black is the most significant because he gets as much out of the relationship as Oskar does. Oskar learns that there is no certainty in life; this is crucial because Oskars journey is about looking for certainty in his upside-down world. Mr. Black, on the other hand, learns from Oskar that there is more to life than whats inside his apartment and that removing himself from it is futile. Together Oskar and Mr. Black learn that while its healthy to grieve and experience loss its not healthy to completely shut down or escape from the problem at hand.

Although it could be said that Oskar learns something from every Black he meets, Mr. A. R. Black teaches him the most significant lessons. Oskars interactions with Mr. A.R. Black open his eyes to what he is missing in the world. Early in the book he says, [n]othing is beautiful and true (43). But then after Oskar meets Mr. A. R. Black and learns that Mr. Black chose not to listen to the world anymore he says and then I thought of something else. Something beautiful. Something true (165). He learns that there is truthful beauty in the world; Mr. A. R. Black proved that by tuning out the world and making him untouched by the spoken lies of the world. Oskar also learns that the world is full of uncertainty and that sometimes there arent answers to our questions. Mr. A. R. Black said, Ive lived long enough to know Im not one-hundred-percent anything (156). This statement to Oskar is significant because he is so young and doesnt seem to grasp the concept that there are things were just not meant to understand and that part of maturing is not asking questions that cant be answered.

Mr. A. R. Black also teaches Oskar that there is more to living than living as a someone with historical significance. When Oskar learns that his father is not biographically significant he says to Mr. A. R. Black, my dad deserves to be in [the biographical index]. Mr. A. R. Black responds, What makes you think its good to be in here! Oskar says, [b]ecause it means youre biographically significant. Mr. A. R. Black asks, [a]nd why is that good! Oskar responds, I want to be significant. Mr. A. R. Black responds, Nine out of ten significant people have to do with money or war! (159). Mr. A. R. Black is inadvertently showing Oskar that just because his father is not in his biographical index doesnt mean he wasnt significant; he was significant to Oskar, his wife, his parents and anyone else he came in contact with. This is also seen in Mr. A. R. Blacks reasoning behind changing his own one-word biography from war to husband; Mr. A. R. Black realized that he was more significant to his wife than to the wars he reported. Oskar may learn a lot throughout the novel from the many different characters he meets, but Mr. A. R. Black teaches him what he needs to overcome the tragic loss of his father.

Although Oskar seems to get more of out of the relationship, he does seem to teach Mr. A. R. Black something in their time together. For many, many years Mr. A. R. Black just read lips and although he never left his apartmentmeaning he didnt talk to anyone anywayhe still stopped having real conversations. Oskar changed that. When Oskar asks Mr. A. R. Black to join him in his mission, Mr. A. R. Black reveals to Oskar that he has been reading his lips, [Mr. Black] pointed at his hearing aids.... I turned them off a long time ago! Do you want me to turn them on for you? I dont know how to say yes! I told him, You dont have to (165). Oskar literally teaches Mr. Black how to hear again and more importantly how to listen. Something Oskar also teaches to Mr. A. R. Black is how to rejoin the world he spent so many years hiding from. When they part, Mr. A. R. Black says, Ive loved being with you. Ive loved every second of it. You got me back into the world. Thats the greatest thing anyone could have done for me. But now I think Im finished (254). By telling Oskar that hes finished he is saying that their journey to together has to come to an end, because they have gotten all they can out of the relationship and that there is nothing left for them to teach each other. Mr. Black learns from Oskar that he cant simply have life delivered to his door; that he must go out and get it. Oskar learns from Mr. Black that he cant control the crazy world he lives in.

While not much can be revealed about the search, the process itself proved to be a cathartic one for the young hero. Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. Although Mr. A. R. Black is not with Oskar when he ends his journey, it can be seen that he got him there through the various lessons he taught Oskar. By helping Oskar realize that however horrible the world gets there is still hope to move on, Mr. A. R. Black also realizes what a waste the twenty four years he spent in his apartment was. All in all, the journey Oskar and Mr. A. R. Black take is one that teaches them much needed life lessons that could not have been learned if they hadnt had each other. Its also a journey that we all must eventually take; our only hope that we have someone to help us along like Oskar had Mr. A. R. Black.

Works Cited

Foer, Jonathan Safran. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005.