Oskar's use of the term "heavy boots" to describe his depression is pretty good. It conveys an image of dragging one's feet, which certainly helps the reader understand exactly how Oskar feels. However, the heavy boots are also what's holding him down. He refers to the birdseed shirt a couple times, and how he dislikes being in high places. Perhaps it can be interpreted that his boots are keeping him from rising above his current circumstances. Personally, as an article of clothing, boots can be put on and taken off by the wearer at will. I think that "heavy boots" does more than just convey an image, reminding the reader that Oskar is leaving said boots on his feet and not trying to take them off. He often remarks on how he prefers not to get heavy boots, but rarely works to lighten the load. Perhaps Oskar is donning his heavy boots because he has no idea what else to do. The depression may very well be self-induced, as are his bruises. It also suggests Oskar his dragging his feet through life, emphasizing that he is merely drifting around and not trying to move forward of his own will. In addition to commenting on Oskar's emotions, it acts as a symbol for the fact that Oskar is not trying to improve his situation, but merely accepting depression and struggling unnecessarily under the weight of his situation.
Responses to Comments:
In response to "juno":
I do believe that Oskar needs some time to get over his loss and face that loss. HOWEVER, it has been a year and he seems to be resisting any efforts, or at least not understanding any, to aid him in accepting his father's death. As for Oskar not taking off the heavy boots, I do not mean he keeps them on because he likes them. He believes that he knows how to remove them, and those around him are not helping him by pushing forward instead of staying behind a little longer. He feels the answer is in the past, not the future. Consider the segment about the Reservoir of Tears, and how he feels his mother should be adding to it. The journey is certainly for the purpose of him removing the boots, but also realizing that they must be removed with the help of others when the wearer is ready to take them off and leave them behind. Oskar needs to accept his situation first, which I feel is the purpose of his journey, before he can move on. He has been doing things on his own, thinking his boots can come off only if he does something special. He hasn't realized he can take his boots off whenever he wants. Finding that key alone will not unlock the shackles that are his boots.
In response to "ziggy":
See above response. As I stated above, I think Oskar is trying to stay back rather than move forward. He would prefer to watch those pictures in reverse of the man flying back up to the tower, coming home to him, being safe. I agree with your statements on pain, but I do believe that Oskar is not trying to take off the boots directly by his quest. It occurs because he feels that finding the key will let him find his father, who will let him remove the boots. He still keeps his father's last messages in his closet. He is trying to hold back in the past rather than advance into the future. That is why he goes to the graveyard at the end, to accept that his father is gone and that he must move forward with what he has now. In this respect he is, though he persists otherwise, not trying to remove his boots but rather let them come off in reverse.
In response to "kas43091":
I don't think the dead horse would mind much. As I said, he isn't trying to remove the boots because he's trying to get back to what happened before. He's not, in my mind, a pessimistic little twerp who brings down society when he's in a bad mood. However, he is not moving forward of his own accord. He is trying to hold back. Perfectly logical if it weren't for the fact that he can't go back. He plods forth for the key and believes the boots can come off then and only then. By finding out that the key does nothing for him, he realizes that he's had the answer to his problems all along. That, and getting Hawking's letter: "today is the day I've been waiting for." The key word is "waiting."
In response to "ssnickel":
Hadn't thought about him needing to keep the boots on until he learns his lesson. (not in the negative connotation, but literally until he understands what he has to do) Again, I feel that he is not trying to remove the boots directly because he thinks the key to his problems are, well, in that key. Though he is trying to "lighten his boots," he is still trying to lighten them only, not remove them. Now that I think of it, perhaps he feels that he has to have boots, that he cannot take them off. Perhaps taking off the boots signifies leaving behind this part of him. Maybe the journey was less of removing the boots than it was learning to accept the fact that they will always be heavy, and that he must learn to share his load with the others around him. Let the birds on the birdseed shirt help life him above his troubles, if you will, learn to trust in the birds.
In response to "zeus":
As I stated in the first response, he certainly needs the help of others. If he can't learn to accept help from others, he will never learn how to help himself. However, by the same token, he will not be small forever. Which is why, in my opinion, his removal of the boots could be viewed as a rite of passage. He should definitely accept the support of others, but should also try to take that support and use it to learn for himself how to solve his problems. One can say that he relied on his father to remove his heavy boots, and that is why he had such difficulty when his mother and Ron tried to help. It is why he was unable to help his mother.
In response to "tennis":
Yes, I also agree that mourning helps to remember the small details of his father. As I suggested above, perhaps removing the boots means leaving behind certain things and moving on. However, there are many ways to remember someone. I refer to the storage room and Oskar's attempts to save a disposable razor. While it certainly holds value to Oskar, he has to find other ways to keep his father with him. Perhaps the visit to the graveyard is representative of a shift from clinging to material objects towards a more, how do I word this, not spiritual, but yeah, some sort of acceptance of his father's death and knowing he'll always be with him in other ways. Oskar needs to mature past the material objects, past the heavy boots, and find other ways of both remembering his father and enjoying the rest of his life.
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8 comments:
Once again, Anonymous(yes,me), you have proven to be very concise and directly to the point. I, as a long-winded type of person, admire your skill and found your entry very clear. I agreed with most of what was posted and I enjoyed exploring an option or two that I had not previously thought of, induced by your post. To cite an example of what I just alluded to, one thing mentioned in your work that I had not previously entertained was the simple fact that heavy boots entails dragging. However, I feel as though Oskar needed to wear these boots, in retrospect, to eventually rise "above his current situations". The abrupt death of a mere child's father, though as intellectually advanced as he may be, still is something that is very devestating and 'desereves' some time to absorb the happening and even grieve over it. One can not ever truly get over something without first facing its previous existence and then absence. The only question I have is: If Oskar is "not trying to get out of" these boots; then what is the premise of this entire story?! What is the journey attempting to do (Oskar's answers were assumed to lead to contentment or acceptance of some form and would then reduce his boot usage, no?) ?
Anonymous,
You do a good job picking up on Foer's primary use of boots to depict the mood of Oscar. Likewise, very nice job at pointing out the other potential meanings behind these weighted pieces of clothing. However I would like to visit the statements you made about Oscar not working to get rid of his heavy boots, as I believe that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close weaves a very different story.
Like juno, I would say that Oscar's entire journey in search of a lock to fit his key is a journey of healing. Yes, Ocar's pain is self-inflicted. But realistically, all human pain stems from a person's own mind. Things are only able to hurt you if you are sensitive to them. Oscar does spend much of the book in low spirits, but his quest is in search of not only a lock, but also for salvation. He needs to find that lock in order to help himself. He wants those heavy boots off just as much as we do.
Anonymous,
I too enjoyed your analysis of Oskar's heavy boots. Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but I can't help to agree with Juno and Ziggy. It is not so much that Oskar is comfortable in the boots, it is that he does not know how to take them off. At the conclusion of his journey, he is more mature and has the emotional "know-how," if you will, and the capability to remove the boots.
That's an interesting perspective about how the boots symbolize Oskar's inability to rise above his current situations. I never looked at it in that way before, but that's a great connection to the other symbols in the book (tall buildings, birds being the opposite of the effect of the heavy boots, etc.) However, I disagree with what you said about him "not trying to get out of the boots." I think the reason why he has not "taken them off" yet is not because he isnt trying to, but because it's not that simple of a process. The boots symbolize Oskar's grieving over the loss of his father, and something like that is extremely difficult for anyone to overcome, especially a young child. I believe it's important to Oskar's emotional healing that he not try to remove the boots until he is ready to take them off, meaning until he has learned how to move on from his loss.
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Very often it's hard for a young child to do ordinary tasks such as: picking out their own clothing, making their own food, and taking off shoes such as boots. Oskar's heavy boots can be taken off anytime he wants, but it seems like he's looking for some help (support) from another person; perhaps someone going through the same thing.
I don't think I'm supposed to post anything afterward if I have nothing to really add- buuuuttt -I really liked the way you worded your response to my comment and I thought I should let you know.
hey Anonymous(yes me), i totally agree with how the term 'heavy boots' portrays Oskar as someone who is wallowing in depression but given the circumstances of his father's death I can see why. Also I think in a way that by mourning the loss of his father, Oskar is able to keep his memory alive and fresh in his mind. It allows him to remember all the small details of his father that perhaps no one else could remember.
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