I started reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, since it was the book me and my philosofamily assigned ourselves. I am starting to like this book because it seems to involve a lot with philosophy. Oskar's dad died in the 9/11 terrorist attack, and instead of mourning his death all the time, he finds an envelope hidden in a vase on top of a shelf in his house one day. It has a key inside and the envelope has one word labeled on it; black. Oskar thinks it's for him so he embarks on a journey to find out what this key is for, and what "black" could possibly mean.
I think this book is kind of philosophical because this task Oskar has given himself isn't easy. There are many locks in New York city, and this key could only fit in one. And his only clue is the word black written on the envelope in red pen. There will be many decisions for Oskar to make on this journey; where should he start, what to do next, who should he ask, where should he go, when should he go? I can tell he is very determined, since he keeps on looking for clues and walks through all the boroughs just to find the lock this key could fit into, and he doesn't give up, he keeps on trying. If this was me, I think I'd give up pretty quickly. Oskar doesn't even tell his mom or any other friend or family member about it.
To me, he might not even have to do this. Who knows, whatever is in that locked chest might not be from his dad, or be meant for him or might not mean anything. He could just forget about it and try to move on with life. I think Oskar is doing this is because it seemed so hidden, and who else could it be from. And his dad died, maybe he thinks his dad had to leave him some type of message, or maybe he doesn't have enough things to remember his dad by, or thinks there are more. Anyway, I think Oskar is an intelligent character and is very determined, and I am definitely rooting for him.
