Jonathan Safran Foer creates a world not unlike our own in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. He includes real and recognizable locations and historical events surrounding his characters. Nevertheless, his world exists on a slightly different plane of reality, in which the fantastical and whimsical is possible. Write an essay about the fantastic in the novel, in three parts:

Part 1) Write a paragraph about the alternate history of New York City as related by Thomas Schell, Jr., on the night before he died. What augmentation does Dad make to the municipality of New York? How does the narrative end? What supposed proof does Dad offer Oskar by way of corroboration for his story?

Part 2) Discuss how Thomas Schell, Sr. is affected by his experience in Dresden after he arrives in the United States. What does he begin to lose over the course of several weeks? How does he adapt to this loss and how does this affect his life? What does this say about the lingering grief and guilt Thomas holds?

Part 3) Discuss A.R. Black's card catalog. What is he attempting to achieve by creating this catalog? How does it make the world more understandable to him? What patterns and trends has he discovered since beginning it?

Essay Topic 2

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is, at its roots, a study of human yearning for love in the face of brutal cataclysm. In the novel, characters lose each other and find each other in the crucible of tragedy. Write an essay about this in three parts:

Part 1) What is lost to the major character of the novel in the wake of the attack of September 11, 2001? How are existing bonds strengthened in the wake of this tragedy? In this paragraph, discuss the relationships among Oskar, Mom, and Grandma.

Part 2) Write a paragraph about the bombing of Dresden. How does this horrific event of World War II affect the Schell and Schmidt families? Who is lost in this bombing? How does the bombing, in the end, lead to another marriage and the birth of a child?

Part 3) In summation, discuss how a marriage that was destroyed by the memories of Dresden is reunited in the wake of September 11th. Who returns to whom in the aftermath? What characters begin to learn about their roots as a result of this reunion?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay discussing the notion that Oscar Schell is a child and a man simultaneously. How does his interaction with family, classmates and strangers reflect a style of speech and intellectual curiosity beyond his years? To whom does he write letters and why? In the second part of the essay, discuss how Oskar psychologically has been forced to mature in his fears, anxieties, and needs before his time. Why has he been left at a mid-point between childhood and adulthood?

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