ELIC lesson recap

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Purpose of this lesson

A recap of the novel 

Characters

Themes

Symbols

Setting

Structure

ELIC: Characters

Oskar Schell

Grandma and Grandpa (Thomas Schell Sr. aka The Renter)

Mom and Dad (Thomas Schell Jr.)

Mr A.R. Black

Abby and William Black

and many minor characters mostly called Black

ELIC: Themes

* Mortality and the purpose of life;

* National and personal tragedy;

* Grief and how to cope with it;

* Love and family;

* Isolation, Communication & Language;

* Puzzles and cleverness;

ELIC: Symbols

* Keys and Doorknobs;

* Telephones and answering machines;

* Letters, Notes and Notebooks;

* Science, Mathematics and Inventions;

* the Empty Coffin;

* Heavy Boots;

* Grandpa's hands;

* The name Black;

* The sixth Borough;

ELIC: Setting

1. New York City 2003

2. The Sixth Borough

3. Dresden, Germany, 1945

ELIC: Structure

The structure of the novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is unusual from the beginning, with the mixing of different narrators and syntax styles, but Jonathan Safran Foer also regularly interrupts the story by adding different pages which contain:

1) Photos (e.g. p. 53 photo with keys)

2) a single phrase (e.g. p. 20, "And I wouldn't say no to something sweet").

3) or are Blank  (e.g. p 121, 122 & 123)

What other elements does ELIC have, apart from 'the story'?

Photo Challenge

• In groups of three using the breakout room in Teams
•  Choose ONE theme, ONE character, ONE symbol and ONE scene
• Take the best picture possible of something representing the theme, character and symbol (one photo = one member of the group)
• Take the best screenshot possible of your group acting out the scene
• Add your photo per group to the next slides

Theme

Character

Symbol

Scene

How does this ending compare to the ending of the novel?