Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close，讲述了一个九岁的男孩，他的父亲在双塔袭击中丧生，他无法从创作中恢复，觉得没有办法放手，直到一段时间以后清楚的了解父亲去世。主要的人物在故事中都遭受失去自己心爱的人，但是他们都努力前进，而在所有这些人中，奥斯卡的方式是最令人惊讶的。

The novel tells about the life of a nine-year-old boy Oscar after his father died in the twin tower attack. The boy cannot recover from the trauma for a long time and he thinks that he cannot let go until he knows how exactly his father died. The major characters in the story all suffered the loss of their beloved persons and they all struggle to move on. For example, Oscar’s mother hangs out with Ron, a man who loses his wife and children. Oscar’s grandmother, who experienced Dresden bomb, tried her best to love even when her husband leaves her. Oscar’s grandfather returned to his family and finally learned to embrace love after his son’s death. Among all these people, Oscar’s way of rebuilding comfort is the most surprising one. 

Oscar and his father were very close. His father tucked him bed and told him stories. For him, father is also a friend. Oscar likes to play the game that he solves mystery with his father giving clues. One cannot imagine how hard it could be to lose a father but also a friend. It is even crueller to know that he is killed in such a ghastly way. When the worst happened, Oscar got five voice messages from his father. The moment before his father died, he could not pick up the phone call from his father. Oscar blames himself for missing the last chance to talk to his father. He feels so guilty that he couldn’t tell anyone until he meets William Black. The first technique that he uses to relieve himself from his suffering is to summon up courage to go close to his father’s closet, where he finds a key in a vase. This key links him with his father again. He is still afraid of many things, like elevator, plane, public transportation, and firework, etc. But he is willing to open his heart to strangers, to communicate with other people, instead of isolating himself. During his adventure of finding the lock that matches the key, he knows a lot of people. He learns about other’s story, and sometimes he influences and is influenced by these people, such as riding rollercoaster, sending back money to the taxi driver. Oscar has a mind dedicating to invent objects which benefits the others. In the meantime, he reads A Brief History of Time. The book reminds him of what his father taught him, that though a human is so tiny in the cosmos, he or she has the power to change the world.

The second step that gradually frees him from suffering is to be honest in front of his mother and try to understand his remaining families. He hates when his mom laughs with Ron, because he thinks that she forgets his father. He confronts his mom with these dissatisfaction and his mom explains even he does not fully understand. After feeling getting close to his mom, he changes from “desperate” to “so-so”. A person who suffers from trauma needs support from family and friend, though they might refuse it at the beginning.

Oscar does find some source of strength by suffering. He proves himself to be very perseverant and strong. There are so many people named Black in New York city, but he finds them one by one. The seeking process is of low efficiency and he already feels “desperate” after six months’ finding. However, he never gives up.

In addition, the role of catharsis in overcoming suffering is not allowed to be ignored. In the narration of the story, Oscar cannot help bursting out in his heart. He imagines that he is beating his classmate’s head and cursing all the things that upset him since his father’s death. While talking to the psychiatry, his question, which is what might be the possible good sides that his father’s death has brought, annoys Oscar so much that he shouted so loud inside his heart. Although Oscar knows that keeping his suffering to himself is the best way which will avoid hurting others, he needs catharsis to let go all the negative emotion.

In my opinion, suffering is an integral part of human life. No matter how much, one suffers. A human life cannot be full if it is free of sadness and hardship. It is during the process of bestirring oneself that he learns to embrace happiness, like the hero Oscar.