The representation of the events of September 11, 2001 had been widely criticized for different reasons: due to the disturbing nature of this art, negative media attention and the traumatized public the latter was meant to be the target audience commemorating the tragic event, but on the contrary, refused to advertise the terror of that day. Even the course of time had barely changed the situation. Aside from the domestic criticism, the international community also blamed the American artists for the alienation (due to the Islamist nature of the attackers) and inability to produce ethical art. Although the representation of 9/11 still remains a highly disputed topic in the society, Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, drew attention of the public in its attempt to picture the events of the 9/11 through the perspective of the child, Oskar Schell.
The issue of trauma had been discussed by various authors both in form of theory in fiction, yet this still remains a very complicated topic to write on, which balances on the verge of being disrespectful to the feelings of those concerned. Yet Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close manages to discuss the aforementioned topic with the extreme precision and efficiency, mainly due to the careful choice of the narration tone and the media, which allowed to deliver information on such a sensitive topic.
Thus, the research focus of the paper can be expressed as follows: the child narration as the indispensable tool for the accurate representation of the traumatized memories. This paper’s accent is mostly on the trauma triggered by the events of 9/11, as they are of the immediate importance to the main narrator, Oskar, yet the study does not exclude references to other tragic events mentioned in the novel. Therefore, the implications of the research concern the overall study of trauma and its representation in the literature through the perspective of the child, based on the case of the Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Oskar as the victim of the circumstances
3. Oskar’s identity as the constructor of the narrative
4. The child’s consciousness and the representation of the trauma
5. Through the eyes of the child: intermediality in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how the use of a child narrator, specifically Oskar Schell in Jonathan Safran Foer's novel "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," serves as a vital tool for representing the trauma of the 9/11 attacks and navigating the complexities of post-traumatic memory. The research investigates how this perspective allows the author to address sensitive, tragic events in an ethical manner while exploring the emotional impact of trauma on an individual level.
- The function of child narration in representing traumatized memories.
- The intermediality of the novel and its role in conveying sensory and visual information.
- Oskar Schell's search for answers as a manifestation of trauma-induced coping mechanisms.
- The impact of post-9/11 discourse on literature and the representation of collective grief.
- The comparison of 9/11 to historical tragedies like the Dresden and Hiroshima bombings.
Excerpt from the Book
3. Oskar’s identity as the constructor of the narrative
Oskar, the main narrator, had become the centerpiece of the novel with a very sensitive content, which needed appropriate medium to be clearly articulated to the reader. Foer created the nine-year old, who possessed outstanding intelligence, and was able to communicate to the reader in the coherent vocabulary. His precocious and inquisitive nature allowed the author to present a very entertaining tone of the story, which compensated for the gruesome nature of the book (Saal, 461). But to understand the power of Oskar as the main narrator, one needs to look in the formative factors, which influenced his image in the book, and the functions that he covered in it.
The relationship between Oskar and his father is absolutely one of the determinative moments for the behavior of the boy. The father is ranked #1 in the list of his favorite things (Foer, 73), and Oskar greatly cherished the moments they spent together. This may be one of the reasons why Oskar took away the answering machine with the recordings of the last messages of his father – not only because the boy said he was ashamed of himself for not picking up the phone: “That secret was a hole in the middle of me that every happy thing fell into” (Foer, 71), but also to the great extent because he was wondering why his father mentioned neither his name, nor the fact that he loves his son (Foer, 256).
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the critical reception of post-9/11 literature and establishes the research focus on child narration as a tool for representing traumatic memories.
2. Oskar as the victim of the circumstances: This section explores how the tragedy of 9/11 shapes Oskar’s personal trauma and examines his desperate search for information to achieve closure.
3. Oskar’s identity as the constructor of the narrative: This chapter analyzes how Oskar’s character traits and his relationship with his father influence his role as the mediator of the story.
4. The child’s consciousness and the representation of the trauma: This part discusses the use of child consciousness to articulate complex trauma and highlights the role of achronicity and imaginative memory.
5. Through the eyes of the child: intermediality in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: This chapter explores how the integration of visual media and textual information facilitates the representation of trauma.
6. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that child narration and intermediality allow the novel to navigate the complexities of 9/11 and its ongoing impact on individual and collective memory.
Keywords
9/11, Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Oskar Schell, Trauma, Child Narrator, Postmemory, Intermediality, Traumatic Memory, Narrative Structure, Representation, Grief, Collective Memory, Dresden, Hiroshima.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores how Jonathan Safran Foer utilizes the perspective of a child narrator, Oskar Schell, to represent the traumatic experiences surrounding the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include trauma representation, the function of postmemory, the role of visual and sensory media in storytelling, and the intergenerational transmission of grief.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze whether child narration is an indispensable tool for the accurate and ethical representation of traumatic memories in post-9/11 literature.
Which scientific or theoretical methods are applied?
The paper employs a qualitative, interpretive methodology, drawing on Trauma Studies, Advanced Literary Studies, and Cultural Studies.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the conditions leading to Oskar’s trauma, his identity as a narrator, the narrative techniques of achronicity, and the use of intermediality to convey the "augmented reality" of trauma.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Key terms include 9/11, Trauma, Child Narrator, Intermediality, Postmemory, and Oskar Schell.
How does the author define the "impossibility of closure" for Oskar?
The author argues that because Oskar is a child, he struggles with a lack of coherent public information about his father's death, which forces him to invent his own sense of closure through a quest for answers.
In what way does the novel connect 9/11 to other historical events?
The novel interweaves the personal story of 9/11 with the historical tragedies of the Dresden and Hiroshima bombings, establishing a broader, transnational theme of trauma transfer across borders and generations.
Why is the "intermediality" in the book considered significant by the author?
Intermediality is seen as a way to "remediate" trauma by incorporating visual elements that allow the reader to experience the story's emotional weight in a way that traditional verbal narrative might struggle to convey.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Nicky Jan (Autor:in), 2017, Terrorism an the Child narrator. 9/11 through the eyes of Oskar in "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/488876
