Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel examines the effects of war and terror on the lives of everyday people, and his novel does not shy away from the truth that there are always atrocities on both sides of war. During World War II, the Allied Forces were seen as the “good” side of the war—the people to support; but the Allied Forces committed crimes of war just as their enemies did, and one of the most famous of these was the Dresden bombing from February 13-15, 1945.

Sir Winston Churchill ordered the bombing of several cities during this time, and Dresden was seen as a prime target because of its lack of war preparedness. The city was populated mainly by ordinary citizens, not soldiers. Almost 4,000 tons of bombs were dropped on the city, destroying it almost completely. Most of the victims were women and children, like Thomas’s lost love, Anna. The emotional trauma Thomas experienced that day prevented him from living a full life afterward. He eventually married Anna’s sister, but their marriage was defined by secrets and distance, and when she had a son without his permission, he fled the family. His son, also named Thomas, thus spent his life wondering who his father was. He was unable to love his own wife, and as a result she “spent [her] life learning to feel less” (180). Thomas Sr. could not reconcile what he had experienced and lost. He shut himself off to the possibility of any sort of life after burying “too much too deeply” (216).

Oskar, the novel’s child protagonist, is the unwitting inheritor of all this trauma. When the violence of history visits New York on September 11, 2001, it is like a buried family memory come to life. Oskar’s father dies in the attack, and Oskar’s life, his view of the world, his fears, and his emotional paralysis are all shaped by this loss. September 11, 2001, was the first time American civilians were targeted for attack on US soil, and the result was a ripple effect of terror, anxiety, and desperation as the people of New York searched for their loved lost ones. Oskar’s father was presumed to be trapped inside the tower as it fell. Just over an hour passed between the time that the planes hit the buildings and when they collapsed—not enough time for many people to escape or be rescued. Perhaps one of the most horrific aspects of this event was that many people who feared burning alive or being crushed instead chose to jump from the building, and millions watched as this unfolded. Oskar carries pictures in his scrapbook of what became known as the Falling Man, and he stares at them wondering if it was his father. Part of what bothers Oskar most is not knowing how his father died, and he copes with this by inventing possibilities in his mind.

In the novel’s conclusion, Oskar reverses the photos of the Falling Man so he becomes the floating man, returning to the tower. He imagines the events of 9/11 unfolding in reverse, and a world in which he and his family are still safe. Oskar’s experiences with strong emotions; fears of elevators, heights, and transit; and general anxiety about school and daily life are all common symptoms that people of New York experienced after 9/11. People who experienced loss that day became twice as likely to develop conditions such as anxiety, PTSD, and depression due to the violent and unanswerable nature of their losses. Many people lost motivation to attend work or school or to perform daily functions; Oskar often notes how he has trouble going to school or even showering, as though it is straining to motivate himself just to live. Oskar’s journey to find the lock that belongs to his father’s key is an exercise in the search for meaning in life despite the randomness of death. He longs for a world where what is unpredictable and dangerous is prevented and planned for.