The Guide Toward Survival

In the novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, written by Safran Foer, survival is depicted in various ways through the lives of the main characters. Being a survivor can mean living through a loss like Oskar Schell and his mom, who struggled to cope with the death of their father and husband everyday. Thomas Schell and the grandmother, as well, were subject to major hardship and devastation in Dresden during World War II; they physically survived, and struggled to emotionally cope with the losses they experienced. "Survival", however, is not isn't merely living through a war like the grandmother and grandfather, but rather use your strength to look toward the future with hope, in order to overcome the pain of the past and build a new future. In their own ways, these characters struggle to cope with their losses.

Throughout the novel we are given several stories within the framework of the main plot. These stories are juxtaposed to stress what effects being a survivor has on one's life. As survivors, Thomas Schell and the grandmother spend most of their lives attempting to mend what was destroyed. Thomas, unable to cope with the traumatic events he experienced chose to become mute. Throughout the novel he uses writing as his means of communication. He struggles to forget his past, and thereby becomes trapped by these never ending conflicts which he only begins to resolve towards the end of his life. As a result during most of his life, he runs away from his problems numerous times. When Thomas leaves his pregnant wife, he returns to his hometown of Dresden, proving his inability to move on. He is also unable to look past his love for Anna, who dies in the war. We see this when the grandmother stresses her feeling that Thomas is always envisioning her to be Anna.

Foer depicts Thomas Schell as trapped by his past; he is physically a survivor, but he is still subject to his hurt, unable to look past it and move forward. Only until his child dies does he realize that his disability enslaves him. At this point, he tries to reconcile and return to his wife, though after the forty years, accomplishing this is quite difficult. Thomas does try to salvage all he can, pulling through in the end at least with his grandson. By helping Oskar overcome and cope with the death of his father, Thomas gains the ability to survive in a new way, allowing for a new generation of survivors.

Oskar, a very complex nine year old distraught by the death of his father, Thomas' son, searches for a connection to his dead father, and longs for closure. Thomas Schell, known as the "renter" to his grandson, is the ear for all of Oskar's problems. They embark on a journey to dig up the grave of their father and son. This act is pivotal for them, since it gives both closure. Thomas and Oskar fill the grave with the letters Thomas wrote to his son, but never sent; this was his way of repenting for his mistakes. Thomas, at the end of his life, is just beginning to deal with his past mistake. But by definition, he is not a true survivor yet; there is much more work to be done.

Parallel to Thomas's story, is the grandmother's. She suffered numerous losses and hardships, but she manages to cope with them and move on. The love she has for her children and grandchildren works as her primary tool for survival. She not only was a "survivor" of the destruction of her town Dresden, but she also experienced the tragic deaths of her son, father and sister. After her own husband walked out on her, she is able to live a normal life. She raises a loving son and grandson with such care and devotion! After the death of her own son, she steps up and becomes a crucial part of Oskar's life. Her involvement in Oskar's life, and his love and need for her, helps her find meaning, and therefore pushes her to continue surviving everyday. She attends every one of his school plays, and shines with love when he speaks.