Grandma and Oskar- The resemblance

I found some interesting parallels between the grandma and Oskar. Looking back the grandmas past, she took a letter from the mail which left her with the desire to find answers. She said, “I never told my father or mother about it. For weeks I was awake all night wondering” (76). The man in the letter was in a labor camp and she wanted to find out how he knew her family and why they receieved this letter 15 years later. “I had a letter from everyone I knew. I laid them out on my bedroom floor, and organized them by what they shared. One hundred letters. I was always moving them around, trying to make connections. I wanted to understand” (79).

I am not exactly sure if this connection will be important for the rest of the novel, but the grandma’s experience sound similar to her grandson, Oskar. He has the same motivation and curiosity his mother had. He exemplifies her characteristics with his determination to find the owner of the key as he believes that will give him answers somehow.

The grandma and Oskar rely on each other for everything now. He often slept with the walkie talkie right by him. “She hollered, which woke me up, obviously, so my sleep depended on her sleep, and when I told her, no bad dreams, I was talking to her”(104). It is interesting that Oskar says, “What were we spending so much time doing if not getting to know eachother (105).” I think Oskar feels as though they simply spend a lot of time together, but doesn’t see the true character that lies within both of them.

Two last parts I have questions about are Abby Black and Anna.

I feel as I continue to read the importance arrive having to do with Oskar’s visit with Abby black. What does the desperate man, her husband, represent? Something having to do with tragedy, perhaps.

Last, I understand the connection between Anna, her sister, and Thomas—but what happened to Anna? I am curious to see if their relationship turns into a deeper love or if it simply based off the need for each other.