CharactersThe book has three narrators who are also the main characters. The book's central narrator is nine-year-old Oskar Schell. Oskar is a very optimistic boy who doesn't let anything discourage him. On the other hand, he is unable to relativise and takes seriously everything that gives him, as he himself defines them, "heavy boots". He is the undisputed protagonist of the book and a very rounded character. From the first pages we get to know him very well, but despite this his behavior remains unpredictable. Despite being an extremely intelligent boy who keeps most of his feelings to himself. This becomes very clear when his father dies in the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attack. He tries to control himself and hides his sadness and pain as best he can. Oskar's great intelligence is seen above all through his enormous imagination and curiosity. He loves inventing impossible things and solving mysteries, but this skill is both a blessing and a curse. He can distract himself from his problems by solving some intriguing puzzle, such as the key he - accidentally - found in his father's closet. But he also has difficulty getting over his father's death because he constantly tries to imagine how his father died. He feels like he can't rest until he knows the answer. He is very optimistic and doesn't let anything discourage him. On the other hand, he is unable to relativise and takes seriously everything that gives him, as he himself defines them, "heavy boots". He is the undisputed protagonist of the book and a very rounded character. From the first pages we get to know him very well, but despite this his behavior remains unpredictable. Oskar's grandfather (also called “the tenant”) is a flat character. Even if you can read some of his personal letters to his son... in the middle of the paper... the whole journey to find out which key opens was a waste of time. But then I reconsidered and thought that the real meaning of the key was not the lock that the key opens. Although solving the mystery did not lead to a message from his father, the trip helped Oskar resolve his issues about his father's death in the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks. The trip brought him closer to his father. Furthermore, the search for the key forced Oskar to face many of his fears, such as traveling on public transport or talking to strangers. I think this is what Foer wanted to highlight by letting the key open something that must have nothing to do with Oskar's father. Oskar's journey was more important than the destination because it brought him closer to his father and made him overcome many of his fears.Works Citedenotes.comgradesaver.com