1. Warming up with a crash course on Hamlet
- Read "Hamlet in a nutshell"
- In your journal or in your ELIC Google folder, spend some time listing possible parallels (strong similarities) between the play Hamlet and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. In particular, what conflicts do Oskar and Hamlet share?
- Read/act out Act 5, scene 1 from Hamlet using No Fear Shakespeare (pages 8 and 9).
- What's Hamlet struggling with in this scene?
- How might Hamlet's struggle relate to Oskar's struggles?
3. Enjoying Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Discussion #3: Pages 142-173
4. Wrapping up with takeaways/reflections
HW:
1. For Tuesday: Read pages 174-207 in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; complete your journal entry.
If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.
If you miss a Fishbowl or Socratic, you must make it up. Fishbowl: Read over the syllabus and blog comments, then add an extended comment to the class blog. Socratic: Read over the syllabus and the class notes, then add an extended comment to the class blog.
2. We will continue our READING JOURNAL CONFERENCES next Monday. Click HERE for the rubric.
3. THIS FRIDAY IS THE END OF 6 WEEKS. All make-up work from the first 6 weeks must be submitted by tomorrow. After Monday, any grade in IC will remain as is.
Did the play actually start and then he had his fantasy, or was all the acts about the play so far a fantasy?
ReplyDeleteOskar's violent fantasy occured after the third or fourth time Oskar has reenacted his role.
DeleteWho is toothepaste?
ReplyDeleteToothpaste is Oskars friend.
DeleteWhat does the skull represent?
ReplyDeleteI thought the skull and Oskar's costume overall was kind of foreshadowing Oskar covering his sadness and feelings with a mask, so he can feel non-existent to the world maybe to make his problems seem non-existent.
DeleteAs seen through the book Oskar does a good job of keeping his feelings and emotions inside. The only way to cope with these things, as seen, is to commit self harm. The skull in a way protects him from the eyes of the crowd and classmates in the way he hides himself from others.
DeleteWhy is Oskar portrayed as the skull in this scene?
ReplyDeletebecause he is awkward and he probably wouldn't be able to speak that many lines so its good that he is not talking that much at all.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletewhat is the skull for?
ReplyDeletewhy did they even have a person play the role of a skull? I feel like its a waste of a actor that can be used somewhere else
ReplyDeleteThey wanted to make Oscar feel like he played a important role just like everyone else.
DeleteWhat was the last paragraph about? Who are the specific people in the audience cheering for Oskar?
ReplyDeleteI think that the specific people in the audience where the people that he visited that day with the last name of Black. Also i think that some of the people that went where also some of their family friends.
DeleteWas the whole thing a fantasy or which parts actually happened?
ReplyDeleteI think the scene was a complete fantasy and that this took place inside of his head.
DeleteNo I don't think it was all a fantasy because the kids backstage started talking about his grandma who was showing emotions at all the wrong moments. So that was not a figment of his imagination.
DeleteIs Oskar an outcast in his class? and that is why he got the part of a skull?
ReplyDeleteIt does appear Oskar is some sort of outcast. He appears to be smarter than the average nine year old and has gone through more then the average. As seen, his dad was his best friend and it didn't seem he had many school friends. I don't think this affected his role in the play.
DeleteI would say Oskar is an outcast because he is a lot smarter then kids his age and is already obtaining and understanding information at a much higher rate then any other kid his age, and because of this he feels like he can't connect with kids his age, that his why him and his dad were so close because his dad was the only person that truly understood how he comprehended things. I also think he is a young boy experiencing a bigger trauma then most kids his age too and most people tend to be reserved towards others post mental and physical trauma. I feel like this could have effected his role in the play because he never talked a lot, and maybe his teacher thought a role with little lines would be a good choice for him.
DeleteWhy does Oskar seem so excited about being Yorick when he really doesn't have to do anything and he really isn't a big part of the play?
ReplyDeleteI think he was excited to be involved in something other than filling his mind with the hunt for the key lock and thoughts about his dad. Also, we haven't heard discuss about and school friends so maybe it felt good to him to be apart of something with kids his age.
DeleteWhat was going on in the scenes where the grandmother was clapping and laughing at the wrong times? Was that also a figment of his imagination?
ReplyDeleteIt was not his imagination because he starts to talk about how later on after the play his classmates started to laugh at his grandmother. "Backstage, before closing night,Jimmy Snyder imitated grandma to the rest of the cast and crew."(144)
DeleteWhen Oskar is talking to Jimmy Snyder, is he doing this during the play?
ReplyDeleteI think that the conversation is happening in his mind.
DeleteIs Oscar satisfied when he sees other suffer?
ReplyDeleteI feel like he is satisfied more when he hurts himself. You can only control yourself in the world, not other people. That is ok but when Oskar makes a mistake or does anything wrong, he'll harm himself which probably seems more effecive to him rather than watching other people get hurt.
DeleteI don't think it satisfies him. He might want to see others suffer but this is only because he is suffering and feels alone in his pain.
DeleteInstead of fantasying on beating up Jimmy Snyder, why doesn't Oscar tell him how he feels and call him out?
ReplyDeleteI think that's hard for Oscar or any kid to do as thats kind of mature thing to do for a child. The reason why he has these thoughts is because he is dealing with pent-up emotions and hidden searches for answers.
DeleteI think Oskar has learned to keep things built up and doesn't let it out. As seen, he does forms of self abuse and rarely ever really talks about his problems.
DeleteWhy did Oskar go off on Jimmy Snyder? Was what he said real or just his imagination because after, everyone in the audience started to cheer and say they will protect you?
ReplyDeleteEveryone wanted to make him feel like he was supported. And by giving him that role it gave him a sense of confidence and feeling loved.
DeleteI understand that but with what he had said to Jimmy was just very surprising as it said on pg 145 "a most excellent masturbator in the second-floor boys' bathroom."
DeleteWhere does this rage come from?
ReplyDeletePersonally I think that Oskar has been struggling to show his emotions of his father's death that he has kept it inside him for the past year so that when he just felt like he didn't have a big role it made him angry. Or possibly Jimmy Snyder had been a bully towards Oskar and Oskar had enough
DeleteI'd have to agree. Everyone struggles with the death of a loved one. When someone loses a loved one at young age it's even harder to deal with. I don't think Oskar completely understands his father's death yet and he is maybe angry because he doesn't know how to handle it yet.
DeleteSo we know that oskar doesn't really fit in with his classmates but how are his interactions with his classmates and does that affect how he acts?
ReplyDeleteFor example when they made fun of his Grandma at the play he was very fake and nonchalant about it. He blew it off like it was nothing and he never said that it was his grandma. He also laughed with them at his own grandma. So he is very fake with his classmates in order to be less of an outcast.
DeleteWhat is the significance of Oskar playing the role of Yorick's skull?
ReplyDeleteThey wanted to make him feel like he played an important role like everyone else. Like an elementary school play.
DeleteWhen he talks about all of the Blacks sitting together but not knowing what they had in common, what does that represent and how does this show throughout the book?
ReplyDeleteI feel like, big picture, this could be a representation of how we all walk past millions of people all the time. We're all connected in some way and we walk past all these people who have a whole other life that we aren't aware of. Don't really know where I was trying to go with this but just the fact that there's more going on around us than we acknowledge.
DeleteWhy did the grandma laugh at parts in the play when she wasn't supposed to?
ReplyDeleteSense the grandma possibly didn't know the story, she didn't know what the deeper meaning was.
DeleteI feel like she laughed because she actually felt sad but wanted a way to make it so she wouldn't show that she actually was sad or she couldn't show her real emotions.
DeleteI'd agree. I don't think she really knew what was going on. Or maybe she could have just been trying to add positivity to the situation.
DeleteWhy did Oskar feel so satisfied with the turn out of his supporters when he had such a small role?
ReplyDeleteHe probably felt good about it because he saw how his family was very supportive of him.
DeleteHe saw that people supported him. And support makes almost everyone happy in my opinion.
DeleteI think having support no matter what your role is will make you satisfied
DeleteIs the reason why he keeps saying "I didn't ask where Ron was because I was embarrassed, and I didn't want him there anyways"(pg. 143) because he actually did care and want him to come but he couldn't bring himself to that realization?
ReplyDeleteI think that Oskar wants to accept Ron but he can't due to him still greiveing over his fathers death.
DeleteI feel like Oskar wanted him there but also didn't because it meant that he got his mom all to himself and he actually got to spend time with her instead of both of them even though they are just "friends"
DeleteHe was being selfish about his mom and grandma.
I think that he misses having that father figure in his life so I do think that part of Oscar wants him there but at the same time he does not want it to look like he abandoned his real dad.
DeleteWhy do you think Oskar decided to start cussing and being rude to the other actor in front of everyone?
ReplyDeleteHe also knew all of the bad words in the beginning because he would always joke aroung with the guy in the lobby. I think that when they all made fun of his Grandma one of the nights that that lead to his angry side.
DeleteIt seems as though its difficult at any age to truly express how your feeling and be able to just freely talk to someone so i think its obvious that Oskar isnt able to have someone care about what he really feels or cares about what he things so the anger just kept building inside of him and that one thing set him off and he let it all out on that actor.
DeleteWhat do you think the title heavy boots crossed out and replaced by heavier boots represent? Is it because things got harder for Oskar or is there another meaning to it?
ReplyDeleteI feel like stuff did get harder for him in his life and it is weighing him down. This could be due to the person above his apartment didn't have his dads post card thing in his file cabinet
DeleteI think that he crossed heavy boots out because things are hard but it's almost like oskar knew things were going to get harder to he changed the title to fit with how life was going for him.
DeleteWhat triggered him to think "was life worth all the work it took to live"(pg. 145)? He said this after his Hamlet show. Everyone had made fun of his Grandma the previous night and that porbably made him feel horrible.
ReplyDeleteI think it was the fact that the people closest to him are bring him down. Also Oscars's getting to the point that he is frustrated with the world and ever since the death of his dad it hasn't gotten any better according to him. So now he is asking himself questions about the importance of life.
DeleteHe probably thought this because he was in a rough time and he didn't like his part in the play and he was having a struggle in life.
Deleteon pages 170-171 why are the titles crossed out and rewritten?
ReplyDeleteOn page 142, it does the same thing with the title. I think it means that at one point that statement was true but then they had to rewrite it because something significant changed in their life
DeleteBecause his thoughts on his day kept changes as his conversation with his mom kept going so the titles kept changing. The communication kept getting lost in there conversation.
DeleteWhy was his Grandma acting that way in front of everyone? Why was she doing the exact opposite emotions when she was watching the play?
ReplyDeleteI think it is due to her poor vision.
DeleteDid Oskars father purposefully design the puzzle in this way so that Oskar would have to go out and meet new people?
ReplyDeleteI think he might have designed it because he wanted him to explore the world and make sure that he still has that creative curious mindset
DeleteI think that he did because he wanted his son to see new things and also experience the world and try to figure things out on his own. I think that the meeting new people is a big part to the puzzle because his dad want to show him everything and I feel like it was a way for him to do that. Plus Oskar has meet some really cool people and they have changed his life and the way that he thinks about it.
DeleteYes I think that he did because he wanted oskar to meet new people and gain social experience so that he'd be better in the long run.
DeleteI feel like at this point he doesn't really trust or want to like her but he knows deep down that without her he wouldn't be anything and he's mad that she's moving on fast and how he doesn't believe that she misses his dad. And between the two of them they are trying to move on and evolve but in their current situation they are dealing with their emotions very differently.
ReplyDeleteWhy was the play going back and forth? It seemed like a part of the play would be explained, then it would be Oskar's thoughts, then it would go back to that same part or even before.
ReplyDeleteI think like he is still upset by what happened to his dad and when a person is upset usually they try to find someone or something to blame.
ReplyDeleteOn page 152, why did Mr. Black say, "I have had an amazing life!"? I was just wondering because Oskar came to find out about a key and they didn't know each other at all and he just started going off about his life. Why is that?
ReplyDeleteI think that Mr. Black was just desperate to talk to someone in person. I also think that Oscars visit with Mr. Black helped boost Oscars self confidence up because Oscar was able to see that you can be happy even if you have had trajectory in you life.
DeleteI think that someday he will stop someday but his mother and him need to go through more and have more conversations even though they may end in fights. I also think that if his mom spent more time with him instead of Ron all of the time maybe they will grow closer and he will eventually stop blaming her.
ReplyDeleteOn page 172-173 why is the last section in all caps?
ReplyDeleteI think that he is finally letting out some of his long over due rage. He is mad at his mom for moving on too quickly. He is mad at his dad for dying. He is mad because people are mean at school. He is mad because he can't find the meaning to the key. He is mad because he didn't even get to bury his dad's body. This is letting all of his frustration out which is good for him. At least he is not taking it our on himself.
DeleteI think the reason that the last section is all in caps because I think he actually wrote it down in person in a notebook and it was more of a sign of help and that he is just very alone. He doesn't have a very good connection with his mother but his father he was his best friend and role model so when he passed away he doesn't feel like anyone is with him.
DeleteI think the last section is in caps is because the author is trying to emphasis how Oskar feels, if the author wrote it in quotation marks it wouldn't Emphasize Oskars feelings to the reader. As we also know Oskar loves writing notes and journaling and the true way to see how he really feels is through his writing. Without it no one would never know how he feels because he doesn't talk to his mom or his grandma about how he feels because the only person he felt understood him was his dad who passed away
DeleteI think there's always going to be a feeling of blame towards his mother, but I think one day he will forgive her and accept what's happened, and stop living in the past. I feel like Oskar is just still in denial about his dad's death because it was so unexpected and surreal, and I don't think that feeling went away and time just passed by. Now Oskar's doing something about it so he can get the closure he needs.
ReplyDeleteOn pages 170-172 where there are the lines that are similar to the title of the book but theres 1 line in each variant that's crossed out, what do these lines represent and also what do the lines that are crossed out represent?
ReplyDeleteI think that when Oscar crosses out the words he is crossing them out so he can show a change in how he is feeling.
DeleteI think that he will stop when he finally accepts his dads death. He doesn't know how to cope so he just takes it out on his mom.
ReplyDeleteDoes everyone make fun of Oskar because he is the skull?
ReplyDeleteWhat are the mental implications involved when a young kid commits self harm?
ReplyDelete