Jonathan Safran Foer's novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, is written using very casual language and follows the flow of the concise narrative of a young boy named Oskar. Oskar's extreme curiosity and childish innocence lead him to observe, question and comment on everything he sees, pushing him to make many allusions to figures and ideologies of popular culture. These references allow the reader to connect the things Oskar learns to his own life and culture, making the book very relatable and causing the reader to become even more emotionally invested in it. They also encourage the reader to take time to think about the meaning behind many things in our pop culture that have become commonplace, and allow the reader to see these references through a point of view completely different from their own. For example, Oskar reflects on the lyrics of “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles and says: “It makes me start to wonder if there were other lonely people so close. I thought of "Eleanor Rigby". That's right, where does everyone come from? And where does everyone belong?” (163). I have heard this song countless times throughout my life, but I never fully understood its meaning until Oskar used it in reference to people who go through life terribly alone and never have anyone to console them. Oskar's observation of 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get a Very Strong and Incredibly Close Original Essay deals with profound themes such as loss, abandonment, and regret and leaves the reader with many powerful messages to consider long as the novel comes to an end. Nearly every character in Oskar's life tries to deal with the death or loss of a loved one and focuses nearly all of their energy on figuring out how to continue living without that person. Some characters, such as Mr. Black who turns off his hearing aids after his wife's death and Oskar's grandfather who loses his fiancée, unborn child and parents in one horrible night and begins to lose his ability to speak and withdraws from the world - refusing to move forward and wallowing in pain. Oskar's mother and grandmother, two women who have suffered enormous losses but continue to love those around them and move forward as best they can, contrast these characters. For much of the book Oskar straddles these two worlds and reactions to pain. He is unwilling to let go of his father and is terrified that if he starts laughing, as his mother does with Ron, he will lose the connection with his father. At 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 still loving, missing, and remembering his father. This is a reflection of Foer's personal philosophy on loss as it 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 appropriately 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 up his father's grave, the two converse: "'Why would you want to do that?' “Because it's the truth, and Daddy loved the truth.” “What truth?” 'Here he is dead'” (321). of random facts that Oskar is proud to know - but it is only in this moment that Oskar accepts the truth that his father will never return and he must find a way to live life.