Extremely Loud and Incredibly Clear by Jonathan Safran Foer - Essay Example

Trauma Is a Recurrent Theme in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Clear By Jonathan Safran Foer Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Clear” is a novel that endeavors to represent the experiences of different characters after the September 11 terrorist attack in U.S (Foer 17). The recurrent theme is the traumatic experiences of different characters after the events of the terrorist attack. In order to understand the traumatic experiences, it is vital to consider the meaning of the title and explore some of the themes in the novel. This is achievable by extensively reading the novel and analysis by different reviewers of the novel. These analyses will be compared with an aim of highlighting instances of traumatic experiences. Jonathan Safran Foer used his novel to outline the effects of trauma, and visualize traumatic experiences based on structure and layout. The analysis of trauma in Foer’s novel is possible through the analysis of the characters affected by trauma. One of the characters affected by trauma is Oskar, who is described as a complex character. Oskar also combines mature ideas and thoughts with behaviors that are typical of children. Readers encounter Oskar during a period in which his state of mind shows that he is confused and dazed. This can be attributed to the fact that he lost his father during the terror attack. Oskar’s curiousness was affected by the traumatic event. His infant joy was harmed by the death of his father. This is shown by the character’s use of a recurring term. In the novel, Oskar stated more than 15 times that he was “in heavy boots” (Foer 47). This metaphor implies that Oskar unconsciously plays down his trauma. It may also be used as an expression whenever he feels overwhelmed by grief or fear. The real meaning of the phrase is revealed when Oskar stated that, “the death of his father, who was not a great man, gave him heavy boots” (Foer 159). This shows that Oskar was traumatized by the fear that his father’s death could be viewed as an ordinary event. Oskar’s main source of trauma is his thoughts, and the repetition of the events during his father’s death. This is evident from Oskar’s statement that, “there were four more messages from him. I listened to them, and listened to them again, and then before I had no time to figure out what to do, or even what to think or feel, the phone started ringing. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was him” (Foer 15). Oskar’s trauma is also seen when he denies that his mother is in a relationship with Ron. Denial is one of the most common manifestations of trauma. In this case, Oskar refused to accept Ron as his mother’s boyfriend. He denies that his mother has had a sexual relationship with Ron. An adequate representation of trauma in the novel is by Grandfather and Grandmother Schell. The two characters have disturbed communication patterns, which illustrate trauma. There patterns of communication are derived from two incidences, the terrorist attack and the Second World War. The first proof of Grandfather Schell’s trauma is in his unsent letter to Oskar’s father. The letter shows the pathological state of Thomas Schell. The letter presents Thomas as a passive sufferer. His pathological state can be attributed to his traumatic experiences during the Second World War. Thomas’s letters help readers to gain insights into his trauma. In one of the letters, he gave details into the cause of his trauma. Thomas wrote, “Sometime I think if I could tell you what happened to me that night, O could leave that night behind me, maybe I could come home to you, but that night has no beginning or end. It started before I was born and it is still happening” (Foer 208). This shows a typical feature of a victim of trauma. In this case, Thomas has self-pity, which urges him to repeat the traumatic event in his mind. The statement is addressed to Thomas’s son, and it implies that Thomas was a refugee, victim of war and trauma victim. Readers are able to recognize the similarities between Oskar and his grandfather, Thomas Schell. The two characters are faced with a situation of constant thinking, which has an effect of trauma. The novel shows that the two characters have experienced the same haunting pain. Though the traumatic experiences are different, the outcomes are similar. The two characters have a tendency of repeating the traumatic event in their minds, in addition to looking for ways to avoid the trauma. Because of trauma, Thomas’ preferred method of communication is through his notebook. Later on, readers encounter a picture of Thomas’s palms tattooed with the letters “Yes” and “No” (Foer 19). This implies that Thomas has found a new way to communicate. The photograph that shows Thomas’s hands tattooed represents a shift in communication conventions and methods. Readers can derive meaning from the tattoos on the palms. The codes of communication used by Thomas show his anger and despair, in addition to his overpowering inability to use comprehensible communication to express his feeling. Image: Grandfather Schell’s tattooed hands (Foer 140) The deeply rooted trauma of Oskar and Thomas is evident when the two characters meet. Oskar gave his grandfather the telephone he had hidden. The telephone had the last message of his father in the mailbox. Oskar showed his willingness to share his trauma with his grandfather when he let him listen to the message. The link between Thomas and his dead son was evident as he mutedly listened to the message. As a reaction, Thomas decided to share his trauma by expressing his feelings. He gave his grandson the letters he possessed (Foer 322). The sharing of experiences and thoughts showed that the two characters were willing to cure their trauma. They opened up to their experiences and began working together through their traumatic experiences. In conclusion, the characters in the novel experienced varying degrees of trauma because of different traumatizing experiences. Grandmother and Grandfather Schell experienced trauma from the terrorist attack and the events of the Second World War. The terrorist attack caused Oskar’s trauma, which led to the death of his father. A prominent overlapping feature in the novel is the character’s challenge of expressing their trauma. The structural aspects of Oskar’s narration and his grandparent’s letters provide readers with additional information about the trauma of each character and its textual realization. Work Cited Foer, Safran. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. London: Penguin Books, 2006. Print. Read More