An Infinite Listener

I am currently reading the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. This book is written from three perspectives: a nine-year-old boy named Oskar's perspective, his grandfather Thomas's perspective, and his grandmother's perspective. After experiencing unbelievably intense grief over the death of his family and his girlfriend, Thomas loses the ability to speak. He resorts to carrying around notebooks to write in and communicate with, and he fills up notebooks and notebooks and notebooks. He writes on the walls, and on his hands, and pretty much anywhere possible. Throughout the book, Thomas repeats one sentence. He says, "I want an infinitely blank book and the rest of time." Thomas does not only wish this for himself, he wishes this for Oskar, his grandson. He says, "I wanted to give him an infinitely long blank book and the rest of time." I think this means that Thomas wants to be able to say anything and everything and have enough time for everything to be spoken.

If a book is infinitely long, you can write in it forever.  For Thomas, writing is speaking. If you can speak and speak forever, it means that someone is constantly listening to you. I think that the infinitely long blank book is a symbol for an infinite listener, someone who will just listen to you forever. Thomas is wanting someone who will listen to everything he has gone through, and he is wishing for Oskar to have an infinite listener, too. The word blank also is a symbol. When somebody is blank, they have no bias. They have no previous knowledge that will change their minds, and nothing against what they hear. Thomas is wishing for a listener with no bias, someone who has not already heard the other side of the story.

As well as an infinitely long blank book, Thomas wishes for the rest of time. He wishes for there to be no rush in what he attempts to accomplish, no timer pressuring him. It is possible to have an infinitely blank book, but having the rest of time is not possible. Everything dies off eventually, so this wish is more of a rhetorical wish, something that would be amazing, but will never come true. However, you can have the rest of your life. I believe that Thomas is wishing for an infinite listener who will be there for the rest of his life. This is someone he can depend on.

I believe that everybody needs an infinitely long blank book and the rest of time. Everybody needs an unbiased person to listen to them forever. I know that for me, listeners are a crucial part of my life. I always need somebody who can just listen to me rant about my problems. I wish that everybody could have a blank slate to talk to, and now that I've read this book, I will try to be that blank slate. I will try to be somebody that can be talked to and trusted, because from my own experience, I know how helpful those people can be.

Comment!! Do you need an infinitely blank book and the rest of time?