Stylistic

Entry Quote/Passage Technique/ Response/Interaction with Text

# Motif/
Theme

1 “He said, ‘We exist Use of italics to Why did the author choose to use
because we exist’ show what this technique?While this quote isn’t
What The? ‘We could Oskar is thinking necessarily important to the story, it
imagine all sorts of does demonstrate the relationship
universes unlike this that Oskar had with his father and
one, but this is the one one of the many things that he loved
that happened” (Safran about him. I also think this is
Foer 13). generally a profound statement and
caused me to think not just about
the book.

“Message one. I really like the use of interspersed

Tuesday, 8:52 A.M. Is messages throughout the chapters.I
Anybody There? thought it made the story very
Hello? It’s Dad. If Use of
interesting. This is also an important
you’re there, pick up. I part of the story as it gives insight as
messages
just tried the office, but to what happened.
throughout the
no one was picking up. story
Listen, something’s
happened. I’m OK.
2 They’re telling us to
stay where we are and
wait for the firemen.
I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll
give you another call
when I have a better
idea of what’s going
on. Just wanted to let
you know that I’m OK,
and not to worry. I’ll
call again soon. There
were four more
 messages from
him....”(15)
3
“ ‘I’ was the last word What disease does this man have? I
Metaphor like the use of changing from
I was able to speak
Diary Entry Oskar’s pov to a diary entry. It keeps
aloud...I wanted to pull
the story interesting, but it
the thread, unravel the
sometimes makes it hard to keep up
scarf of my silence and and understand what is happening.
start again from the
beginning, but instead I
said ‘I’ I know I’m not
alone in this disease,
you hear the old people
in the street and some
of them are
moaning…”(17)
4
I really like this quote. I really like
“...we laughed and
Mood: how he is able to be so optimistic in
laughed, together and Optimistic this part of the chapter as in the
separately, out loud parts before he is not very optimistic
and silently, we were about his life and is continuously
determined to ignore talking about how everything is
whatever needed to be wrong in his life and world.
ignored, to build a new
world from nothing if
nothing in our world
could be salvaged...a
during which I lived
my life and didn’t
think about my life at
all” (28)
5 I really like this part of the book as a
“As for the bracelet Mood: lot of times Oskar seems to come
Mom wore to the Thoughtful across as kind of harsh and
funeral, what I did was uncaring, but in this part of the book,
I converted Dad’s last it really shows that he cares for his
voice message into mother and wants to do something
special for her.
Morse code, and I use
 sky-blue beads for
silence, maroon beads
for breaks between
letters, violet beads for
breaks between words,
and long and short
pieces of string
between the beads for
long and short
beeps”(35)

1 “Even though I knew I What does he mean when says he

shouldn’t, I gave Metaphor? gave himself a bruise? Is this
myself a bruise”(37) possibly a metaphor for something?

2
“...and you could know
What does it mean when he talks
if New York was in
Metaphor about his heavy boots? I think it
heavy boots”
could possibly mean someone going
through hard times or someone that
3 “I knew I could never has something weighing them down.
let Mom hear the Important to the
messages, because story I think this part is very important to
protecting her was one the story as it shows that Oskar’s
of my most important mother does not know the entire
raisons d’etre, so what story of his Dad’s death. It also
I did was I took Dad’s shows that she doesn’t know about
what Oskar is going to try to find out
emergency money
during the book.
from on top of his
dresser, and I went to
the Radio Shack on
Amsterdam. It was on
a TV there that I saw
that the first building
had fallen. I bought the
exact same phone and
ran home and recorded ‘
our greeting from the
first onto it…”(68)
 “Even though Dad’s
4 coffin was empty, his
closet was full”(36) I thought this was an interesting way
Interesting way to make a connection into what
to make a could possibly happen in the story
connection and what Oskar knows to be true. I
think this also foreshadows a
possibility that his father may not
actually be dead and what Oskar is
“‘How long have those searching for.
5 pads been by the
displays?’ ‘I don’t Foreshadowing I think this also ties back to
know’ ‘He died more foreshadowing about what Oskar is
than a year ago. That going to be searching for and the
would be time, right?’ possibility that his father isn’t dead.
‘They couldn’t have
been out there that
long’” (51)

1 “‘I’m sure people tell I think this kind of shows Oskar’s

you this constantly, but Character character. I think he’s kinda quirky
if you looked up development and sometimes a little insensitive,
‘incredibly beautiful’ but he is very kind.
in the dictionary, there
would be a picture of
you...Because you’re
incredibly
beautiful’”(91)
2
“Ever since that day, I think this part of the book really
whenever we go on Character shows the relationship between
walks she makes us development Oskar and his grandma. They care a
play a game like Marco Shows their lot for each other and are very close.
Polo, where she calls relationship
my name and I have to
call back to let her
know that I’m OK”
(101)
 “‘So it will be OK if I I think this really shows how Oskar is
3 throw away all of your still really struggling without his
things and forget about father and trying to cope. It also
Shows how shows how he resents his mother for
you after you die?’”
Oskar is still not continuing to grieve.
coping
“I didn’t know
anything about what it
4 was like when she was
a kid, or how she met I think this provides insight into who
Grandpa, or what their Provides Insight the other characters possibly are.
marriage was like, or Are they Oskar’s grandparents?
why he had left. If I
had to write her life
story, all I could say is
that her husband could
talk to animals, and
that I should never love
anything as much as
she loved me”(105)

“ I stayed up pretty late

designing jewelry that
5 night. I designed a
Nature Hike Anklet, I think this shows again shows
which leaves a trail of Coping method Oskar’s coping methods. He’s had a
hard time sleeping since his father
bright yellow dye when
died and now he spends his time
you walk, so in case
inventing to distract himself.
you get lost, you can
find your way back. I
also designed a set of
wedding rings, where
each one takes the
pulse of the person
wearing it and sends a
signal to the other ring
to flash red with each
heartbeat”(106)
 “...my shoulders
burned with English,
she wanted more
1
English, so I brought a
suitcase, I filled it until
I think this could possibly be a
I could barely zip the
Metaphor metaphor for something, but I’m not
zipper, the suitcase Coping method really sure what. I think this is also
sagged with English, another way that he copes.
my arms burned with
English, my hands did,
my knuckles…”(108-
109)

“...we decided to create

a Nothing Place in the
living room, it seemed
2
necessary, because
there are times that one
needs to disappear in Coping method This is another coping method that
the living room, and he uses. He’s constantly trying to
one sometimes simply escape his reality into a life that he
wants to dreams of having and this is another
disappear.”(110) way to escape.

(115)-picture of door
knob and keyhole

3 There have been many pictures of

“ I’d pulled it into one Foreshadowing?
long thread, unwinding
the negative it held- the
future homes I had
4 created for Anna, the
letters I wrote without
response- as if it would Coping
protect me from my
actual life”(124)
this same door knob and keyhole
throughout Thomas’ chapters. Is
this foreshadowing for the key that
Oskar found?
I think that the reason that Thomas
married her was because he
believed that it would help him cope
 with losing Anna. That it would
“I can’t live, I’ve tried somehow bring him closer to her.
and I can’t. If that
sounds simple, it’s
simple like a mountain
is simple. Your mother
5
suffered, too, but she
chose to live, and Coping After a long time of trying to cope
lived, be her son and with other methods like marrying the
her husband…”(135) sister of the love of his life, it’s finally
too much for him and he leaves. I
“A lot of the Blacks think this is his final way of trying to
that I had met in those escape his reality.
twelve weekends were
there. Abe was there.
Abby and Agnes were
1
there (They were
Impressions I think this shows how much impact
actually sitting next to
Oskar leaves on the people that he
each other, although meets. He left a big impact on all of
they didn’t realize it.) I the people he met trying to figure out
saw Albert and Alice where the key came from.
and Allen and Arnold
and Barbara and
Barry”(143).

“The second
performance was also
pretty great. Mom was
there, but Ron had to
2 work late. That was
OK, though, because I
didn’t want him there Resentment This shows Oskar’s resentment of
anyway”(143) his mother. She has found someone
else to be with, but Oskar resents
“What if the water that his mother for getting over his father
came out of the shower
was treated with a
chemical that
 responded to a
3 combination of things,
like your heartbeat, and
your body temperature, Coping
Oskar is using his inventing again as
and your brain waves,
a way to cope after his meeting his
so that your skin
upstairs neighbor makes him sad.
changes color
He’s feeling bad and uses this to
according to your make things up.
mood?”(163)

“But still, it gave me

heavy, heavy boots.
Dad wasn’t a Great
Man, not like Winston
Churchill, whoever he
was. Dad was just
4
someone who ran a
Coping This shows how Oskar is still trying
family jewelry
to cope with the loss of his father.
business. But I wished He’s having a hard time thinking that
so much,then, that he his father’s memory is slowly
had been Great”(159) disappearing.

“I’m trying to find

ways to be happy.
Laughing makes me
happy. I said, ‘I’m not
trying to find ways to
be happy, and I won’t’
5
She said, ‘Well, you
should’...”(171)
Turning point I think this is somewhat of a turning
“I went to the guest point in the story. There have been a
room and pretended to lot of things Osakr has done that he
write. I hit the bar hasn’t told his mother about and I
again and again and think it was good for him to confront
again. My life story his mother about what he was
was spaces” (176) feeling about his dad and her
relationship with Ron.
1 “It was not out of
weakness that I made it
happen,but it was not Demonstration I think this quote demonstrates
out of strength either. of Grandma’s Grandma’s character and how she
character feels about her life. She is constantly
It was out of need. I
feeling like her life has been empty
needed a child”(177)
and without meaning and I think this
quote demonstrates that.
2 “It was the first time I
had ever cried in front
of him. It felt like Grandma’s Because Grandma has felt empty for
making love.”(178). character her entire life she finally felt like she
needed something to fill that void.
Even though Thomas and her
agreed not to have children, she
gets pregnant.
3
“That was what I
wanted to do. Instead I
Turning point I think this was an important part in
just shrugged my
the story as we read more and more
shoulders”(203). into the chapter you can see that
Thomas and Grandma actually
begin to talk to each other and
somewhat communicate what they
“ you doing? are feeling.
4
Shows Oskar’s I think this part of the book really
character shows how Oskar deals with how
he’s feeling. He has a lot of
emotions going on inside of him and
he dreams up a lot of scenarios in
I’m not the point.
his head to try and cope with how he
is feeling.
Until you’re feeling
“(204). I think was a very cool way in the
book to show that Oskar was only
To my child……..and hearing bits and pieces of his
5 your mother is writing mother’s conversation.
in the guest room” Typography
(208) In this part of the book someone is
using a red pen to circle important
 parts of the letter. Why are they
1 circling parts? Is it possible that it’s
Picture of Typography Thomas jr.? He always uses a red
doorknob(212) pen so it could be possible. He likes
to mark up the NYT with red pen for
grammar mistakes, so this is one of
the letters he read.

Which doorknob is this? Is it the

2 nothing guest room or the guest
room that Thomas is staying in at
“He shrugged his grandma’s? Is he trying to
shoulders, just like Dad Trying to make foreshadow Oskar finding Thomas in
used to” (237) connections the guest room?

“ ‘I lost a baby’, I said, I think this part of the book is pretty

funny. Oskar has finally met his
‘I’m so afraid of losing
Grandpa, but doesn;t understand
something I love that I
3 the fact that he is his Grandpa.
refuse to love
Oskar doesn’t
anything” (216) know
In Thomas’ chapter we finally get
4 “Every moment before insight into why he doesn’t want
this one depends on kids. Anna was pregnant during the
this one” (232) Insight bombing and Thomas lost a child.

“4,8,3,3,2,8!
I really like how this shows
3,3,4,8,3,3,2,8,3,4,3,2,
Grandmas’ love for Oskar. She talks
4,7,6,6,7,8,4,6,8,3,8,8,
5 about how she had to go through all
6,3,4,6,3!” (270)
Grandmas’ love this stuff just to get Oskar.
for Oskar.
“ MESSAGE FIVE.
10:04 A.M. IT’S DAD I like how the author uses this
1 S DAD. HEL S typography to show how Thomas is
DAD.” (280) trying to talk to Grandma.
Typography
“OSKAR
SCHELL:SON”(286) I like how the author uses this
typography to show that Oskar is
2 only hearing pieces of the message
Typography and his voice is cutting out.
“All of a sudden I
understood why, when
I think this kind of shows how Oskar
Mom asked where I
3 even being on his own journey has
was going, and I said
helped a lot of people and left lasting
‘Out’, she didn’t ask
Impressions impressions on the people around
any more questions. him.
She didn’t have to,
because she knew”
(291)

“Here is the point of

everything I have been
trying to tell you,
4 I think this part of the book of really
Oskar. It’s always
important as it feels like the entire
necessary” (314)
Mom comes book Oskar is kind of begging and
through for him really wanting for his Mom to
understand him and want to
understand what’s going on in his
life. This part kind of finally shows
Oskar that his mom has understood
him all along.
5
I think this is a really important part
Connection of the book as it kind of shows
between another connection between
Grandma and Grandma and Oskar. Grandma
Oskar didn’t tell the people most important
in her life that she loved them and
then she lost them. Oskar had
trouble telling his father that he
loved him and then he lost him. I
think is an important part for Oskar’s
future as Grandma is taking away
from what she learned and telling
him not to make the same mistakes.