Jonathan Safran Foer's novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is written in very casual language and follows the concise narrative flow of a young boy named Oskar. Oskar's extreme curiosity and childlike innocence lead him to observe, question, and comment on everything he sees, leading him to make numerous allusions to figures and ideologies in popular culture. These references allow the reader to connect the things Oskar learns to his own life and culture, making the book very accessible and causing the reader to become even more emotionally invested in it. They also encourage the reader to take the time to think about the meaning of many things that have become commonplace in our pop culture and allow the reader to see these references from a completely different perspective than their own. For example, Oskar reflects on the lyrics of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and says, "It makes me start to wonder if there were other people so alone and so close." I thought of “Eleanor Rigby.” That's right, where do they all come from? And what is their place? (163). I've heard this song countless times throughout my life, but never grasped the full extent of its meaning until Oskar used it in reference to people who go through life terribly alone and that no one ever reaches out to comfort them. Oskar's observance toward these people indicates that, despite his intense suffering, he is still capable of empathy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Extremely Strong and Incredibly Close deals with deep themes such as loss, abandonment, and regret and leaves the reader with many powerful messages to consider long after the novel comes to an end. Almost every character in Oskar's life is trying to cope with the death or loss of a loved one and focuses almost all of their energy on figuring out how to continue living without that person. Certain characters, such as Mr. Black who turns off his hearing aids after his wife dies and Oskar's grandfather who loses his fiance, his unborn child, and his parents in a single horrible night and loses his ability to speak and withdraws from the world. - refuse to move forward and wallow in their sorrow. Contrasting these characters are Oskar's mother and grandmother, two women who have suffered enormous loss but continue to love those around them and do their best. For most of the book, Oskar finds himself straddling these two worlds and reactions to grief. He doesn't want to let his father go and is terrified that if he starts laughing, like his mother does with Ron, he will lose the connection with his father. By the end of the novel, Oskar is able to understand his mother's approach to grief and accepts that he can "be happy and normal" (323) while continuing to love, miss, and remember his father . This is a reflection of Foer's personal philosophy on loss, as he reminds readers that it is unwise to focus all of one's energies on the past and forget to enjoy the present. The final chapter is aptly titled "Beautiful and True" due to Oskar's acceptance. of truth and beauty in its acceptance. When Oskar tells his grandfather that he plans to dig his father's grave, they wonder, "'Why would you want to do that?' “Because it’s the truth and Dad loved the truth.” “What truth?” 'That's because he's dead'” (321). It's no secret that Oskar and his father love science and truth - the first chapter is loaded with random facts that Oskar is proud to know - but that's not.