A Look into September 11

Foer's novel gives a rare insight into the personal aftermath of the worst terrorist attack on United States soil. 
Photo courtesy of nytimes.com

The novel Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer was published in April of 2005, four years after the World Trade Center was struck by two individual airplanes, demolishing both towers and resulting in the untimely death of 2,996 innocent Americans. Drawing inspiration from the tragedy that changed the lives of every man, woman, and child in the United States, Foer weaves an emotional tale of loss and triumph.

Oskar Schell, a nine year old boy whose father was lost in the tragedy of September 11, and who unfortunately battles depression and suffers from insomnia as a result of the shock and devastation of losing a parent, narrates the story. The story begins after the attacks and after Oskar’s father has died. Oskar ventures into his father’s closet for the first time after the accident and discovers a vase containing a key. The key inspires Oskar to further investigate his father’s death. He searches New York City high and low before finally making a joyous and fulfilling discovery that does not solve death’s equation but ultimately heals him in the end.

Although I aim to treat books with upmost respect and I feel terrible after bending spines and writing within the page margins, I obsessively underlined and highlighted several quotes, folded over top edges and almost ruined the binding of this book from reading and re-reading it while sobbing uncontrollably. The raw emotion conveyed throughout the text and the painfully accurate description of grief and how people handle it in difference ways were exceptionally relatable. In one passage, Foer condemns the idea that there is always tomorrow, saying, “Why didn't I learn to treat everything like it was the last time. My greatest regret was how much I believed in the future.”

For anyone who has lost a parent, I would strongly recommend picking up this read. Although I have not experienced the death of a parent personally, I felt a strong connection with this novel and can only imagine how much more closely someone else could identify with Foer’s prose.

Because the story is narrated through the eyes and heart of a nine-year-old boy experiencing the devastating effects of death at a very young age, it has the power to tug at even the strongest heartstrings. Foer’s use of truth and wonder is eloquent and braids itself within every sentence: “What did thinking ever do for me, to what great place did thinking ever bring me? I think and think and think. I've thought myself out of happiness one million times, but never once into it.”

I found myself rereading so many of Foer’s sentences and catching chills frequently. Not only is Foer exceptional at describing grief, sorrow and devastation, he easily captures his audience through laughter and acceptance: “Feathers filled the small room. Our laughter kept the feathers in the air. I thought about birds. Could they fly if there wasn't someone, somewhere, laughing?” Oskar Shell is a peculiar and detached little boy yet becomes enlightening and inspirational, and I believe that a tiny piece of that broken little boy could be found within us all.

Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close was made into a movie in 2011 for those that find it hard to pick up a book; however, I will always stand by the book along with several of Foer’s other novels like Eating Animals, Everything Is Illuminated, and Tree Of Codes. As we mourn those lost in the tragedy of 9/11, we should also rejoice and remember that there is always something to be joyful about. As Foer says, “You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.”

For more information about Jonathan Safran Foer, visit his Facebook page or read a few reviews on any of the novels mentioned.