Hello Readers!
Hope you all had a well rested Christmas Holidays! I certainly had a great time away from school during my getaway to Belize. I had a great time exploring the Caribbean tropics and witnessing the increasing ‘globalization’ occurring in the small, yet culturally diverse nation. Additionally, I was able to see the increasing ‘modernity’ the country is experiencing made possible through foreign aide by nations like ours, Canada! I could write a whole blog post about my amazing time in Belize but this week I feel more passionate to write about the novel we are reading in our ASTU Class, Extremely Loud and Extremely Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.
Foer’s novel portrays the trauma experienced by a young nine-year-old, Oskar Schell, during the aftermath of one of the darkest days in history, September 11th, 2001. The feelings felt by Oskar really resonated with me and reminded me of much of the feelings I experienced in my childhood.
Growing up my parents exposed me to the news as much as possible so I could be as aware and informed as I could be . One of the events I grew up remembering included 9/11 – which fascinates me considering I was only 3 years old when it occurred. Although it makes me cringe so much thinking about it today, I had a huge irrational fear of Osama Bin Laden and terrorists alike (it makes me cringe writing this!). However, after reading Foer’s portrayal of fear, I’ve been able to relate the feelings I’ve experienced during my childhood.
The line that I especially related to was when Oskar mentions, “There was a lot of stuff that made me panicky, like […] Arab people on the subway (even though I’m not racist) …” (Page 36). I feel that post 9/11, fear was greatly promoted by the media and that’s where I think my irrational fear came from. I remember watching news of terrorist bombings in school when I was younger and feeling uneasy especially knowing Osama Bin Laden was on the loose. I also recall experiencing anxiety when I saw a traditional Arab costume because being the young oblivious child I was, I associated it with terrorism.
Of course after growing up and going through education I was able to dismiss any anxieties and associations I experienced however it fascinates me that media was able to alter my thinking in such a way, even though I was not ever a ‘racist’ person. In relation to the novel, I find it interesting comparing my ‘irrational fear’ invoked through media mediated fear versus Oskar’s trauma invoked fear.
Who’d ever think that the events of 9/11 would ever so heavily impact the mind of a 3 year old in Calgary, Alberta? I certainly wouldn’t expect it to…
Until next time
-Kaveel Singh
