1. Warming up with Oskar's inventions:
(a) Make a page in your journal to generate a list Oskar's inventions.
Pages I found with Oskar's inventions (I may have missed a few):
1, 3, 35, 38, 72, 73-4, 217-223 (the "Sixth Borough is really Oskar's dad's invention, but it works), 235, 250, 258-9
Oskar tells the renter, "I want to stop inventing. If I could know how he died, exactly how he died, I wouldn't have to invent him dying inside an elevator that was stuck between floors, which happened to some people, and I wouldn't have to imagine him trying to crawl down the outside of the building, which I saw a video of one person doing on a Polish site, or trying to use a tablecloth as a parachute, like some of the people who were in Windows on the World actually did. There were so many different ways to die, and I just need to know which was his"
(Foer 257).
(b) According to Oskar's statement above, why has Oskar been inventing? Why does he want to stop?
(c) Pick two or three of Oskar's inventions that interest you. How do they relate to your answer to question (b)?
2. Taking your second musical stroll of the week:
- Read what they wrote and say hello.
- Ask a Level 1, 2 or 3 question about something they wrote (something you'd genuinely like answered).
AND/OR
- Offer a meaningful reflection on something they wrote.
3. Enjoying Fishbowl Discussion #4: Pages 208-259
FISHBOWL REMINDERS:
I have two note-takers assigned today. Please post notes on the class blog and give discussion map to Mrs. Hancock when you're done.
Four of you have specific outer circle roles. Do them justice!!!
Remember the idea is to leave with a stronger understanding of the chapter than you came in with. Bounce ideas back and forth on both circles (don't settle for the "one and done").
FISHBOWL REMINDERS:
I have two note-takers assigned today. Please post notes on the class blog and give discussion map to Mrs. Hancock when you're done.
Four of you have specific outer circle roles. Do them justice!!!
Remember the idea is to leave with a stronger understanding of the chapter than you came in with. Bounce ideas back and forth on both circles (don't settle for the "one and done").
HW:
1. Your penultimate reading assignment, pages 260-306 is due Tuesday. Let's do this. (If you're feeling daunted by the # of pages, don't be--many of the pages are weird).
2. Reading conferences will continue next Monday and Wednesday.
Is Oscar searching for an answer that can't be found?
ReplyDeleteMost likely, there were so many people that died in 9/11 that were never found or never identified.
DeleteI think so. It seems as if he is finding clues that may not actually be clues, but his brain is tricking him into thinking they are because he wants his Dad to be alive so bad.
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DeleteHe's been searching for an answer that can't be found since his dad died. He's always searching for the way his dad died but he will never be able to figure that out.
DeleteI think he might be, but I feel like that wouldn't be an idea in this story if we don't eventually find out what happened. That might be be a mystery that Foer leaves us with, though.
DeleteI think Oskar's goals are fairly reasonable, but so far it's starting to seem like he's wanting to think that he's finding answers and getting closer to his father's death, but in actuality he isn't finding much.
DeleteI agree with Mya and Kaylee, they both bring out good points. I also think his brain is trying to find closure any way it can, even if it means finding fake clues.
DeleteI agree, I think Oskar is looking for some sort of closure with his dads death without realizing it directly. He doesn't want to let go of his dad so he keeps searching for these answers.
DeleteI think he can still find some answers it might not be the one he was looking for but it could at least help lessen the blow.
DeleteI think so because so many people wanted that same closure that Oskar is looking for regarding his dad. With the key it is near impossible for him to find that answer.
DeleteI think that Oskar is trying to search for something he can't find. He might find some of the answer, but not the whole thing. I think Oskar is just trying to move on in this process and that his search is helping him. I think he might find where the key fits. All in all, i think that through his adventures, Oskar will finally find peace even though he might not ever know how his father died.
DeleteHe may not be searching for physical answers, but instead, using his adventures as coping for losing his dad.
DeleteOskar is the hero of his own story, which makes him a part of the hero's journey. He starts his journey right after "rock bottom" with his dad dying. The goal of his journey is the lock, but that raises the question, what if there is no lock? I predict that the ending of the book will be that what he learned on his way will be the actual goal.
DeleteWhy do you think Oskar didn't put two and two together and think that the renter was Thomas Sr?
ReplyDeleteSince Oskar has never met his Grandpa and doesn't hear anything about him, it probably wasn't obvious to him.
DeleteI think that he didn't "put it together" because he had nothing to put together, Oskar knows almost nothing about his grandpa, he knows that he left his grandma, so I don't think that it would make sense to Oskar for the renter to be his grandpa.
DeleteHe's a young kid and even though he thinks about pretty much everything, he's never been told that it's his grandpa so he wouldn't just have that thought in his head.
DeleteI agree with Gwynne that Oskar doesn't know any better. By never establishing a connection with his grandpa, I don't think he would even think about it that way.
DeleteIn Thomas'es letter on page 213 he says "I heard the roar of that baby's silence." What's the metaphor that he's trying to make
ReplyDeletethe metaphor here shows that the baby's silence created a roar not in sound but in feeling
DeleteI think this metaphor is showing how much a child can affect you. It's a really big change in your life.
DeleteI think everything had just been a breeze up until that point when he finally realized like Korbin said, how much a child can affect you. It's like it hadn't him until that point.
DeleteWere the red markings in Thomas Sr.'s chapter from Thomas Jr.? Because we know that Thomas Jr. marks the New York Times with a red pen and at the art supply store Thomas wrote his name in a red pen.
ReplyDeleteI don't think so because it said towards the end of the chapter that the letters where in his grandmas drawer. I think it was Oskar that did it because he liked to mark the new York times to
DeleteI was wondering the same thing, does thomas Jr. know more about his father than we think? Also I was confused on some of the things that were circled, some of it was grammar mistakes, but some of it was just random.
Deletegoing off of what Ethan said, I thought it said that there were envelopes for all the letters there, but the letters weren't there. can someone clarify
DeleteWhy is Thomas's narrative about Dresden important during this point in the book. Why not put it at the beginning?
ReplyDeleteI think that they were not as important in the beginning because we were trying to learn about Oskar, and understand who he is, so I think we were not embedded into the story enough as readers to introduce more plot.
DeleteBecause at the beginning of the book we didn't know anything about the grandfather so it would have been confusing them just starting off with the Dresden scene.
DeleteI think it's important to mention it now because the bombing of Dresden is really similar to the September 11 Attacks. It shoes how much Thomas has gone through, how he's been affected by it, and how he's overcome those horrific events.
Deleteoskars going through a hard time at the beggining of the book and all throughout it
DeleteI feel like it is more important at this point because we didn't know too much about Thomas Sr as a person at the beginning of the book.
Deleteon page 215 Why did Thomas question if the animals that he was killing had friends, or if they loved, or if they even knew what was going on. Because he said that the monkey that he killed had a look of understanding, but betrayal on his face.
ReplyDeleteI think he was just questioning how how felt and was relating with the animals. Didn't really know how he was feeling.
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ReplyDeleteI really think he's inventing these because he's just trying to fill an empty patch in his head
DeleteDid the grandma know about Anna? I think that's why Thomas didn't want kids.
ReplyDeleteYes I think she knew.
DeleteSince Anna is the Grandmas sister I think she knew about her. Especially since she used to watch them kiss when they were younger. Thomas maybe did not want to have kids because he loved Anna and not Oskar's Grandma
DeleteI think Thomas Sr. did not want kids because Anna died while pregnant and he loved Anna very much and when she died the thought of having kids after that died with her and the unborn child.
DeleteWhat is the significance of Thomas killing all of the animals from the Dresden zoo on the night of the bombing?
ReplyDeleteMy personal opinion is that the animals signify the people of Dresden- hopeless and confused- and Thomas represents the bombers, whose jobs were to kill the people of Dresden. As Thomas goes around killing all of the animals, he feels sad, but also, he knows he must follow the zookeepers orders.
I feel like Thomas killing all the animals at the zoo was him saving them from a more terrible death. Even though he felt bad about killing them, I think that the animals would rather die a fast death then suffer the bombings.
DeleteI agree with what you are saying. Animals were just as clueless about what was happening just like the people of dresden before the bombing. and your point about him following orders I believe is 100 percent true. No one wanted to do the dirty work but they had to follow through with there orders
DeleteThat's an interesting way to think about the animals as people and Thomas as the Dresden bombers. I never thought of it that way.
DeleteWe find out that Anna was pregnant, so do you think that the letters Thomas is writing to his unborn child are meant for the grandmas child or for annas child?
ReplyDeleteI think the letters were meant for Anna's child because Thomas seems more emotionally attached to Anna's and therefore would also be more attached to her child.
DeleteI feel like before we knew this info we thought it was Thomas Jr, but now that we know this I feel like he is talking a Anna's child.
DeleteWell he addresses the letters in two ways: "To my unborn child" and "To my child". I'm assuming at this point that the letters addressed to "my unborn child" are to the child with Anna, and the letters addressed to "my child" were to his child with the grandma.
DeleteAnna's child because Thomas say's I was looking for my parents, for Anna, and for you referencing his child with Anna
Deletethe grandmothers because in his letters there are events that happened after Dresden in the letters.
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DeleteOn page 257, Oskar says " I want to stop inventing. If I could know how he died, exactly how he died, i wouldn't have to invent him dying inside..." Has Oskar been inventing these inventions for his dad or has he been inventing these inventions thinking that they could have helped his dad? What do you think?
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting way to think about it I've never thought that maybe he would be inventing all these things thinking they could of helped his dad but it makes sense. I think that is a possibility but I also feel like Oskar is a unique kid and this might be another way of trying to not let go of his dad.
DeleteI think Oskar has been inventing these things to more of calm himself then try to help his dad. He knows that his dad is dead, so I think that inventing gives something to occupy his mind.
DeleteDo you guys think that the Mom had parent problems? Based on Mom calling the Grandma "Mom" all the time especially when she was trying to find information about Thomas Jr.
ReplyDeleteI think it was Oskar's mom trying to make the grandma know that she still has children, even though she did not parent them growing up.
DeleteWhy did it seem like Thomas was able to kill those animals so easily? It didn't seem like he struggled at all.
ReplyDeleteI think he struggled a lot. He looked at the animals as the people of Dresden: helpless and confused. And he was the bombers killing all of them.
DeleteI think his mind was so focused on finding Anna that he was not really thinking through his actions.
DeleteOn page 213 Thomas screams, "What do you want from me?" I feel like it wasn't easy for him to kill but it was more of a order and something he didn't have a choice of doing.
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ReplyDeleteI think it's because the physical touch lets someone know that they are still alive
DeleteRegarding inner circle discussion: Ruth is also like AR Black. All of them (Oskar and Thomas included) are almost building little tombs around themselves. They don't know how to move forward after a huge loss, and so they build themselves a shrine of their pasts. Oskar is technically on a journey, but I feel like he's trying to make his way back to his dad.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this because I also feel like he is ultimately trying to make his way back to his dad and not let go of him. This also goes back to the hero's journey.
DeleteI agree with this. I think Oskar much like his mom could be struggling with accepting that his father is gone and there may not be anything to do about it. Oskar wants to believe that his father is still out there because he may not be able to handle the fact that his father is actually gone.
DeleteWhy does thinking about the bombings killing Thomas, because they say that if you talk, and think through a traumatic event it well help you move forward
ReplyDeleteHow come we still don't know the Grandmas name?
ReplyDeleteOn page 216 "I love you, your father" I think that is a big statement for his dad but also for Oskar because he needs to know that his dad does love him after he died in 9/11.
ReplyDeleteBut unfortunately for Oskar he never got to hear that from his father
DeleteDo you all think that "the renter" (Thomas Sr.) knows exactly who Oskar is?
ReplyDeleteYes I think he knows who Thomas is. He has spent a lot of time with the Grandma, and I'm sure he mentioned him.
DeleteYes, the grandma had to have told him
Deleteoscar is more focused on the explosion because that is what killed all though people and they all know what killed them but in 9/11 now one knew how people died
ReplyDeleteI agree with this completely and an event like this can't really be compared to Hiroshima or a bombing because there were really only a couple of ways to pass. Durning 9/11 you don't know if they jumped, died in the collision, or even where they were when all of it occurred.
DeleteI Agree with Alex. There are so many unanswered questions to the deaths of loved ones in 9/11. There were many different ways to have died in 9/11, which does not help with the closure Oskar and many others are looking for.
DeleteIf Oskar has such a hard time telling his Mom and Grandma about the key and his quest. Why was it so easy for him to open up to Thomas Sr. about the key?
ReplyDeleteI think this is because since the beginning of the quest that he does not want to lie, but he will to his family. He also said that when he is trying to find answers or is talking to someone he did not know, that he would try to not lie at all and to try to be open with them.
DeleteI feel like he opens up the Thomas Sr about it because he has always been open to strangers and talkative, but he usually keeps secrets from his family.
DeleteRegarding inner circle: Does "unborn child" refer to child who hasn't yet been born (Thomas Jr), or a child who will never be born (Anna's child)?
ReplyDeleteSomebody who's good at math--unborn child letters written in 63, Dad was 40 when he died in 2001...
DeleteInteresting...
DeleteHe would be 38 right not 40.
DeleteThomas was born in 1961 and died in 2001 when he was forty years old.
DeleteBut Oskar is nine in 2001 so does that mean that he was born in 1992.
DeleteIn 63 the unborn child that was Thomas Jr. would have been born already if he was 40 in 2001. If he was an unborn child in 1963 then he would have died at the age of 38
DeleteThe child was already born.
Deleteon page 208 Thomas writes "you cant love anything more than something you miss" and it is circled in red. this is a pretty powerful line. Is Thomas talking about how he can't love the grandma more than he loved anna. Also who circled that and why do you think its circled
ReplyDeleteAren't the red marks throughout that chapter just Oskar trying correct grammar mistakes?
DeleteThe things are circled because they were trying to find grammar mistakes, and I think he the quote just kinda is saying how hard it is to get over something that you can't control anymore. There will always be someone once they are gone that you look back and wish you could have done more with them.
DeleteOn page 216 Thomas says "I'm so afraid of losing something I love that I refuse to love anything" is this why he left Grandma when she was pregnant.
ReplyDeletei do think that that may be the reason that he left
DeleteI think that's exactly why because if she had his baby he would be forced to love her, and his child that he would never be able to move on
DeleteI think that Thomas also might be saying that he never actually let himself love the grandma because he was so scared of losing someone again like how he lost Anna
DeleteI feel like Thomas feels like he lost so much that he had nothing left to offer to his son
DeleteOn page 35 when Oskar is talking about the bracelet he made for his mom, why is this significant to him finding answers about his dad?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure, but also I thought it was interesting that Oskar makes the bracelets with his dads messages on them and gives them to his mom, but he won't show his mom the actual messages
DeleteThoughts on Thomas losing both of his children? He lost his unborn child during the Dresden bombings and lost Thomas Jr during 9/11.
ReplyDeleteAlso, why do you think Grandma named Oskars dad Thomas Jr? She worked so hard to erase Thomas from everything else.
I was thinking about that this morning. We can't really criticizing him for not wanting to have another child after losing the first one because he understands that the pain is unbearable. Of course he wouldn't want to have another. And then, his fears are somewhat justified when his second child also dies. I wonder, though, if the pain of losing a son who you never got to know is greater than the pain of losing a child you knew and loved.
DeleteOn page 242, and various other pages, a seemingly random letter from Stephen Hawking is seen. It is a generated letter that says that due to the volume of mail he receives, he cannot personally respond to Oskar's letters. Why is this letter thrown in at random points? How does it make Oskar feel, and how does it connect to the story? In my opinion, it shows the theme of how Oskar feels unloved or unimportant.
ReplyDeleteIs Thomas Sr actually unable to talk or unwilling?, because when he went outside after Oskar and say something but right before the words came out he stopped himself in a sense.
ReplyDeleteI think something has physically broken, because on page 257, Oskar was pushing him on to speak but, "no breath came out, not even an ugly sound, or breath."
DeleteAt this point in the book, where in the hero's journey is Oskar?
ReplyDeleteFrom where we are in the book I believe that he is about to face his dragon battle. I think that he is past his rock bottom and on the way up just because of where we are in the book.
DeleteOn page 38, Oskar talks of his invention of drains under all the pillows in New York that would drain all the tears to the reservoir so that in the morning, everyon could tell of all of New York was in "heavy boots". Do you think that Oskar invented this because he just wants to know if someone out there is feeling as empty and sad as he is?
ReplyDeleteYes I was thinking the same thing! It would help Oskar to know that he is not the only one who cries overnight, and often can't sleep.
DeleteThis is the most math I've done since calculus my senior year.
ReplyDeleteOn pages 217-223 Oskar is remember a story his dad told him about the sixth borrow. Why is this story important to Oskar?
ReplyDeleteI think that this story is so important to Oskar because it was invention that his dad came up with.
DeleteOskar's dad told him this story the night before 9/11. I'm wondering why Foer picked this story. There seems to be a deeper meaning. Is it about death? About letting go?
DeleteI, too, am interested in this metaphor, especially the end of that story where all the residents of the sixth borough are literally frozen. Who else in this book seems frozen in time/in a moment or place?
DeleteDo you think that the grandmas part about 9/11 and being under the bed with oskar is the reason why they are so close?
ReplyDeleteI think it might be part of the reason because she is really the first person he was with when everything happened and when she Layed with them it Showed him she cared
DeleteI think that the reason they are so close is because she has been with him since he was born but, I think that them being under the bed could have brought them even closer.
DeleteBefore I read this part, I pictured Oskar as very alone on that day. I was comforted to know Grandma was with him and Mom was on her way. Yes--this might be part of their closeness.
DeleteI agree that her action of comforting him when he was in a time of need helped their bond grow
DeleteOn page 217 the sixth Burrough is brought up again. Why do you think Foer tells this story again?
ReplyDeletewhy wont the grandma tell oscar what is going on even though oscar is gonna find out either way?
ReplyDeletedo you think this made it worse for oscar that she tried to hide it from him?
I think that the grandma is not telling Oskar what is going on because she is trying to protect him. Oskar has been through so much at a young age that the grandma feels like she needs to shelter him in anyway that she can.
Deletei think oscar is kinda thinking about life and what would happen and hes very scared i think he would feel alot more lost.
ReplyDeleteI think Oskar was thinking of ways that his Grandma could have died because he seems to be a child that worries a lot especially since he lost his dad.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Oskar panics when he doesn't know where someone he loves is because he doesn't want to be in the same situation as he was with his dad.
DeleteI think because Oskar is so young she doesn't want him to be extremley sad even though he already is.
ReplyDeleteNice use of "extremely." 😀
Deletei think we fear death for oursleves and alot of us deal with stresses with school and as little kids we had to deal with the fear of the dark and meeting new people and everyone like that.
ReplyDeletedo we think that oskar fears the future?
ReplyDeleteI think at this point he fears anything that is unknown
DeleteI don't think he fears the future, I think he fears the possibility of other people forgetting about his dad.
DeleteI think Oscar is very lonely and does't have a lot of people to talk to so when he finds someone who is willing to listen to him he opens up. I think he especially enjoyed telling his story to Thomas because he reminded him of his dad.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think Oskar has shut himself off emotionally from many of the people in his life that he could be opening up to in part because he is so focused on maintaining closeness with his father, and in part because he thinks he should not burden them with his pain. Oskar desperately needs to tell someone about his father's last phone messages, and to have someone really understand how much pain he is in. In this particular moment, he is especially vulnerable because Mr. Black has told him he is "finished" accompanying Oskar on his journey. Because Thomas is both a stranger (so Oskar doesn't have the pressure of an ongoing relationship with him) and reminds him of his father ("He shrugged his shoulders, just like Dad used to" on page 237), he is the easiest person for Oskar to open up to.
DeleteI think oskar opened up because oskar has learned throughout his journey how to open up to people and i think this helped him because he lives in their house and now he can trust him.
ReplyDeleteYes, and he's teaching them to open up, too. I even got the sense that AR and Ruth were going to start a little something up, no? Love that.
DeleteI agree I think him talking to all of the people with the last name black has really opened Oskar up.
DeleteI also think that Oskar was able to open up to his grandpa because he probably see his dad in him, even though he probably dosnt realize it.
DeleteI think Oskars mind automatically starts thinking of how his grandma died when he cant find her becuase he fears the idea of loosing her. This is like the quote on page 257 when Oskar says that he invents and thinks up ways of how his dad could have died. That is like what he did with his grandma
ReplyDeletei feel like oskar is growing through this problem right now and i think if he came in and caused a new problem and that he wasnt there and that he would have to deal with the questions of why wouldnt he be there for him when he knew this was going on.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of the 6th bourough makes him feel close to his dad. that was there special story
ReplyDeleteDo you think Oskar and his grandfather will become close and will knowing his grandpa help him get closure from his dad's death
ReplyDeletei think that knowing his grandpa will help get closure, because it is his dads dad. he will probably be able to see his dad in his grandpa
DeleteI love this scene. Imagine each of them standing there, seeing echoes of Thomas (Jr) in each other, feeling a connection that they don't really understand.
DeleteI think Oskar and the grandfather will become close and it will help him gain closure from his dad's death but it will take time.
DeleteI think them getting to know eachother will help them both fill the emptiness in there lives.
Deleteit is a important story because it was I think the sixth borough has something to do with finding the missing puzzles to the mystery his dad left
ReplyDeleteWhy would the author bring in the idea of the 6th borough and make it such a big section of the plot?
ReplyDeleteI think that Oskar wasn't scared of his grandpa when he first met him because not only did he remind him of his dad, but Oskar just isn't scared of strangers in general. He likes to meet new people and talk a lot as well. These reasons are part of what allows Oskar to go searching for someone who knows about the key.
ReplyDeleteWhen oskar found the letters and each one of them had nothing written, why do you think the author chose to do? what does writing nothing in the letters add to the significance to them?
ReplyDeleteI think the letters that had no writing in them gave Oskar more of an adventure to go on. If they had a ton of writing it might give away a lot of the clues.
DeleteI think that Thomas just didn't know what to write but still wanted to feel connected to his family by writing to them. What is the connection to all of the grandmas blank writing and the blank letters?
DeleteFrom pages 208-216 Oscar's father has gone through and circled grammatical mistakes in the letter. Why do you think he did this? How do you think he feels about his father? Why didn't Oskar's father ever tell him about his grandfather.
ReplyDeleteI think that he went through the letter and circled all the mistakes so that he felt like he was just reading the newspaper when is reality he is reading a very emotional and important letter from his father who wasn't involved in his life. He used it as a mechanism to separate himself from the situation.
DeleteI think that just like how inventing is Oskar's way to cope with things, this might be his dads way. He circled a lot of things that weren't grammatically wrong, but instead is something that he disagrees with or dis likes. He didn't tell Oskar about him probably because he wants to forget about him and he doesn't know much about him.
DeleteDo you think Thomas is planning on telling Oskar that he is his grandfather?
ReplyDeleteNo because I feel like he still does but doesn't want a real relationship with him seeing as how he treated his mom. And also, how Oskar will feel when he finds out that his grandfather left his dad.
DeleteI think he is planning on telling Oskar eventually but I think he wants to talk to the grandmother about it first.
DeleteThe sixth burrow is important to Oskar because it is something that his dad invented and it's also one of their last moments together. I think that Oskar feels like he is on the sixth burrow, floating away from everything else in his life. He might feel that way because his relationship with his mother is rocky, and he isn't making a lot of progress on finding something about the key.
ReplyDeleteLosing someone changes everyone in a different way. It can make someone realize what they have so they don't take it for granted, or make someone think they can't ever fully move on
ReplyDeleteI feel like oscar will never give up because even though many people have acted like they knew stuff and havent told him he is still going and he is conquering so many fears and he is becoming incredibly close with A.R. Black.
ReplyDeleteWhy has Thomas kept himself hidden for 2 years? What was the point in coming at all?
ReplyDeleteNow that A. R. Black has "retired" from helping Oskar I think he might ask Thomas to help him.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Thomas coming out is gonna make it worse for oskar because he already has so much to deal with.
ReplyDeleteThe author has mad an effort to mention Thomas and Anna's names frequently but never the grandma's. Why do you think this is?
ReplyDeletewriting to stephen hawking gives him someone to talk to, he is also very smart despite his disability
ReplyDeleteDo you guys think Thomas (Oskar's dad) was on the same journey as Oskar is now
ReplyDelete