Jonathan Safran Foer Research Paper

Context Paper

Jonathan Safran Foer was born in 1977 in Washington D.C. Foer is the middle son in a Jewish family. His mom was the daughter of a holocaust survivor and his dad was a lawyer. Growing up, Jonathan was always a little bit different. At the age of 8, he was injured in a classroom chemical accident that spiraled into a breakdown lasting about 3 years. During this time he wanted nothing more than to be “out of his own skin.” Foer was inspired to start writing after he started his freshman year at Princeton University, when he enrolled himself into an intro to writing class. His teacher, author Joyce Carol Oats, took an interest in his writings and told him he had “energy”, which she says is an important writing quality. Foer said
The story begins after the tragedy and is narrated by a 9-year-old boy, Oscar Schell, whose father died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Since his father’s death, Oskar struggles with insomnia, panic attacks, and depression. He refers to this feeling throughout the book as “heavy boots.” One day, while snooping through his father’s closet, he finds a key in a vase. The envelope with the key enclosed has the word “Black” written on it. After careful speculation, and help from the manager at a local supplies store, he concluded that “Black” had to be a last name. He sets out on a journey to contact everyone in New York City who has the name black- in alphabetical order. One of the first people Oskar meets is named Abby Black and instantly befriends her. Though she has no information regarding the key, he continues his search with “the renter”, who we later find out is Oskar’s grandfather. Eight months of searching go by until Oskar receives a voicemail from Abby confessing she was not entirely honest with him, and thinks she can put him in touch with someone who might be able to help; Her ex-husband, William Black. Oskar learns from William that the key had almost no significance to his father besides the fact that the vase was sold to him with the key accidently at the bottom. Furious, he destroys everything having to do with the search for the key. We find out later that Oskar’s mother called every person with the name “Black” in the area to warn them that Oskar would be knocking on their door. This explained why the “strangers” were always so friendly and welcoming. It also explained why his mom never questioned his