The Question and Answer section for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
All of the above events share tragedy and loss; Dresden with its horrific battle, something Thomas experience first-hand, Hiroshima and the way the interview Oskar watches of the woman holding her dead child connects to his grandfather's search...
Oskar's feelings about Ron parallel the context of his school production of Hamlet, detailed in a later section. Like the melancholy Prince of Denmark, Oscar resents his mother for falling in love with another man so soon after his father’s death....
The key itself drives Oskar's quest to find the lock in which the key fits, but the most important thing it is strength, determination, and personal growth that Oskar experiences during his journey.
