Chapter 7

     This chapter is a very powerful one.  Oskar is back to narrating and we learn a lot about his relationship with his mother.  Their relationship is very complicated because you can tell that they care deeply about each other but sometimes they do not understand or know how to communicate well with each other.  Then you add the feelings of grief in the mix and things get even more complicated.  Their different coping mechanisms are below:

Oskar's Mother

• Cries alone, hiding it from Oskar
• Hanging out with Ron and laughing
• More spiritual

Oskar's Response to his Mother's coping mechanisms

• He feels like his mother has moved on and loves Ron because he only sees the laughing side and never the crying side and he seems to resent her for it

Oskar's coping mechanisms

• Inventing things in his head
• Counting things
• Giving himself bruises
• Oskar wants his mom to notice how hard all of this is for him
• He refuses to move on (he hasn't fully accepted and processed everything)
• Sometimes having loud outbursts, sometimes saying things he doesn't mean
• Uber realistic and Atheist

Oskar's Mother's Response to Oskar's coping mechanisms

• She feels hurt when Oskar has an outburst and says something that he doesn't mean
• She saw the bruises in this chapter but didn't say anything, not sure what she is thinking in regards to the bruises
• Gets frustrated when Oskar is super realistic about things, especially his father's death

     I hope Oskar and his mother can work through some of their grief and open up to each other and help each other grieve.  I think Oskar really needs it and his mother could probably use it too. 

     In addition to all of this development, Oskar meets two new people with the last name "Black", one of which lives in the apartment above him and is really loud because he doesn't have his hearing aids in.  During their visit, Oskar, with permission, turns Mr. Black's hearing aids on and the first thing he hears is a flock on birds flying by, causing him to start crying and listening to all the different noises and crying even harder.  This is a really touching moment and makes you think about the little influential things in life and the abilities, such as hearing, that we often take for granted.

     Thank you,

     Olivia