The Machine: An Invention

My invention for Oskar is somewhat of a time capsule. What if each person, when they turned 10 maybe, got a machine comprised of a voice recorder, video camera, regular camer, and (this being the more extraordinary feature) an emotion capturer? Throughout their life each person would record thoughts, ideas, dreams, statements to loved ones, their vision of the world and of themselves, and would connect the emotion capturer to their skin and pour the way they feel their emotions. It would capture the exact physical feeling and thought that each person experienced in their moments of great joy and sadness. The machine would be small enough to always carry around and would have the ability to transfer all of its data to another person's machine so they could see and feel what the other person saw and felt.

Oskar would love this machine because he needs a connection with his father. Although, now that I think about it, maybe it would hinder his ability to get over his grief. But hopefully it would, because Oskar desperately needs more of his father in his life. WHen he says on page 1, "I could invent a teakettle that reads in Dad's voice so I could fall asleep," he shows his yearning for his father. When he says to Ron on page 3," You're not my dad and you never will be," he shows that he doesn't want to replace his dad, and isn't ready to let go of his dad.

Invention for Oskar

An invention that I think would help Oskar would be a device that shows you the lock that any key opens. It would be like a little box and you would put a key in it. Theres a scanner inside that examines the key and then matches it up with the lock it unlocks. Then it would print out a picture of what it unlocks, along with the address and how to get there.

This invention would really help Oskar, because when he finds the key in his dad’s closet, he spends nearly a year and dedicates all his extra time into finding what it unlocks. He became enamored with this mission, because he wanted to connect with his dad one more time, even though what it unlocked had nothing to do with his father. If Oskar had this invention, it would have saved him endless hours searching for something that didn’t really matter to him, and helped him cope with how much he misses his dad.

A Pocket for Keys

The skin and flesh protecting the heart of one Oskar Schell is really quite delicate. The freeze of metal only slightly less comfortable than the stickiness of the bandaid. In the book, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the youngest Schell even states that he would like a traveling pocket, for situations like the metallic key bumping against his chest. Again. And Again.
There is a simple solution for things that you want to keep close, but removed. A pocket on the inside of a shirt remedies the problem nicely. The outside would be embroidered to hide the stitching, in white thread against white fabric, only visible when it glimmers in the light. Perhaps of a bird, or a body, a heart or a key.
Throughout the book, he expresses a need to be close but far. He wants understanding without proximity or maybe proximity without understanding. A slip of fabric between his skin and a key may only be a metaphor for this, or perhaps more accurately, a physical manifestation of that desire, but it is a need none the less. Comfort. Saftey. Proximity. These are several needs that Oskar displays throughout the book, several needs that he tries incredibly hard to meet. 
A slip of fabric would protect him. Another slip of fabric, embellished with fancy stitchery, would protect the things he holds dear.

The Social Dictionary

Imagine there was a way for a device to analyze everything we experienced so it could give you definitions for everything you heard. It would include not only the dictionary definition but it would also have things such as Urban Dictionary so one could be educated both in school and socially. You would never have to ask what something was or what it meant. I believe the best form for this device would be something small and best if it wasn't even visible. I suppose it would go inside your ear like a hearing aid and scientists would come up with a way to wire it to your brain so that you could see the definitions and pictures of what you are wondering about. It would also just know when you didn't know a term so you wouldn't have to interrupt the conversation and it would just immediately relay the information to your brain.


Oskar is only nine years old and has a lot of growing to do still. Also he is extremely intelligent. He is so curious and always desperate for knowledge. Not only would this invention help him find out scientific terms and understand what adults are saying without having to ask. This would also be extremely helpful in his social life. Oskar has trouble with bullies because he is somewhat socially awkward and kind of sheltered. There are a couple of times in the novel where boys at his school are able to get Oskar to say inappropriate things without him really knowing what he is saying. This would expand his knowledge and his world while helping a damaged little boy grow as he becomes an adult.

Oskar's Invention

Oskar's tragic loss of his father seems to leave Oskar hopeless and alone. Through out the novel, Oskar struggles in the absence of the connection he once had with his father. Because that relationship played such a strong role in his life, when it suddenly ended with his father passing away, oskar seemed to feel entirely isolated in his own head. If there was an invention that could recapture the connection between Oskar and his father and also allow it to once again exist then that would potentially heal Oskar’s internal loneliness.


Oskar looked to his father for stories, inspiration, and approval, but most of all he looked to his father for answers. It was the questions oskar asked and the manner in which his father answered them that facilitated the intensely strong connection between the two. And so an invention that I think could provide Oskar with tremendous help in not only with his attempt to cope with loss but also his everyday day life would be an imaginary box that would create and deal out letters with the answers to the questions oskar writes to it. This could spark new connection between Oskar and such an influential friend he used to have.


His desperate need for this connection seems to dominate his life and is quite evident in the novel. His conviction to find the lock that fits in the key is one example of this, as well as his secret and exclusive possession of the phone voice mail of his father's last words. The ability for oskar to ask his father questions would undoubtedly help oskar in many facets of his life.

A new way to Communicate

In the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close there is a constant struggle for communication. The invention works by turning text into your own voice or someone elses voice. the device would be a medium sized box with a scanner screen on top and a microphone on the front. The device would allow you to choose from many voices that you had installed. In order to have a persons voice installed they would have to speak into the microphone for a certain amount of time so the device can learn the voice. After the voice is recognized it will be saved on the device and in the cloud so know one can lose their voice. To get the device to start talking you need to get the text that you want to hear read out loud written down, place it face down on the scanner, select the voice you want to hear, then hit play. By doing this the voices that you thought have been lost will still be heard. This invention would be helpful to Oskar just so he could hear his fathers voice again. Oskar would be able to put his voice into the device by using the answering machine to save his voice. On the first page of the book Oskar talks about how his dad would always read him books before going to bed. With the device his dad can continue to read him books before bed even after he died. The device can also help the grandpa talk without having to use yes or no tattoos on his  hands. With this device communication can be much easier, and being able to hear his dads voice Oskar will never truly feel like he lost his father.

"I'm a little tea pot..."

In the beginning of the book Oskar comes up with a list of inventions left and right. He keeps coming up with ways he can bring the memories back to life as if he's really bringing him back. The one invention that he thought of that stuck out to me was the whistling tea pot. At first my initial response was every tea pot whistles but he wanted one that could whistle songs or sound like his dad's voice. I think that this will help him because sometimes you need something like that in your life. What if the was a way to prerecord the voices for the tea pot and send it like a greeting card to a loved one across the country? I think that this invention would not only help Oskar but his mom too.

My invention is like a wind up train or snow globe that plays a song in it except my invention is crossed with a windmill type self generated power. So when making tea in a normal tea pot, you wind up the song track and then the tea pot will play the song when the tea is ready it plays the song by itself and may work out for a voice recording!

Look out Hallmark, here I come.

Inventing a Response: Anti-Heavy Boots Glasses

The glasses look like ordinary reading glasses but, they serve a much greater purpose for Oskar. At the press of a button, images of constellations overlay what he sees before him but, looking at him, you can't tell. Another press of the button would display other various images such as his father, his inventions and the "Things That Happened to Me".  Another button would play his tambourine into his ear and if you click it again it switches to the French radio station he listened to occasionally. Press it another time to hear Grandma saying, "Oskar?" and "I'm OK." and Dad telling him stories.

These glasses would be very helpful for Oskar as he comes of age because as he grows up he will be introduced to new and uncomfortable situations that are sure to give him heavy boots. The simple idea of the glasses is to relieve Oskar of his stress and scattered-braindedness in order to help him heal mentally and become more comfortable in social situations. He displays a need for this product throughout the book, for example, when his mind goes off the rails at night, "I woke up once in the middle of the night, and Buckminster's paws were on my eyelids. He must have been feeling my nightmares," (p.74) and as he goes to new places he plays his tambourine, "because it helped me remember that even though I was going through different neighborhoods, I was still me," (p. 88).

Memtos for Memories.

      Oskar talks a lot about how many things give him “heavy boots”. Often times,  just thinking about his dad gives Oskar “heavy boots”. But that is because there is a lack of his dad. My invention is a piece of gum that would trigger a happy memory of Oskar and his dad. So, if Oskar was ever at the park, and he got “heavy boots”, he could chew one piece of gum, and he would remember him playing in the park with his dad, or he would remember the story of the Sixth Borough. This piece of gum will trigger a memory of that place, even if Oskar doesn’t ever recall that memory. It would just be like regular pack of gum, maybe a little bit more expensive, but it could possibly change Oskars life.

     Throughout the book, Oskar strives to have a secret connection with his dad, and allowing him to have these memories would just let him create a secret bond, and hopefully get rid of his “heavy boots”. Before Oskar's dad died, they were having a secret somewhat riddle that Oskar had to figure out. But after his dad died, Oskar could not  figure it out. While reading an old newspaper article, Oskar came across the words "not stop looking" that his has circled. Oskar believed that his father was still trying to direct him. After lots of searching, Oskar could not find anything. "But I still couldn't figure out what it all meant. The more I found, the less I understood" (Page 10).Oskar is just trying to hold onto whatever he can with his father. He needs to have a connection. That is also what the key gave him. It allowed him to create this small connection with his dead father. When he finds the owner of the key, Oskar tells him about the messages from that day, and how he did not answer the phone. " Do you forgive me?"(Page 302). Oskar asks this to Mr.Black, but really, he is asking his dad if he forgives him. I feel that the memtos gum would give him the satisfaction of knowing. Although the effects of the gum would only be temporary, the experience of the memory would help Oskar to grow up, but never forget the great moments he had with his dad.

Thought Transferrer

Unless you're the world's most patient person, you've most likely gotten frustrated while trying to explain yourself or share exactly what you're thinking. Or sometimes you're trying to describe something to a person, and they're not understanding and you can't think of a better way to speak. This difficulty is especially prevalent for Oskar, who has difficulty expressing himself and therefore connecting to others. My invention for him is a way transfer exactly what he's thinking to someone else's brain. That way, even if he cannot say exactly what he means, people will be able to understand. The transfer device would look like a tv remote and be about as small as a first-edition Nokia cell phone. Whenever Oskar is thinking something or has something he's imagining but no way to describe it, he could simply type in the person who he wants his thought to go to and hit send. The transferrer would automatically connect to Oskar's head to pick out the idea then in a second be transported to the designated person.

This invention could hopefully make lighter Oskar's heavy boots by enabling him to better connect with others. It would help him in his expedition to find the key's owner by saving him a lot of explanation time. Thinking something takes a lot less time then actually saying it all. A time when the 'thought transfer remote' would be useful is on page 88, when Aaron black slams the door in his face without letting Oskar finish explaining. It would also be beneficial in his appointments with Dr. Fein (page 201).

Inventing a Response: The Verbal Eraser

My invention for Oskar is a Verbal Eraser. It looks like a regular eraser except it's electronic and when you want to use it you press the button and swipe it around. It's an eraser that erases things you've said instead of things you've written. You could use it to take back things you didn't mean to say, or things you shouldn't have said. Even if you said something and a person hear it, the eraser would erase the words from existence - even from someone's brain. In the first prototypes, it probably would only be able to erase things you just said, but maybe in the later models you'd be able to reach back days or even years to erase things you had said.

Oskar says a lot of things that he shouldn't. Sometimes it's because he doesn't understand what's appropriate and what isn't, and sometimes it's because he can't express himself clearly, and sometimes it's because he doesn't know what will hurt people and what won't. This invention was particularly inspired by that one moment when he told his mother that he wished that she had died instead. As soon as he said that, he wished that he could take it back, but he couldn't. With the verbal eraser, he could use the knowledge he had gained after he said something bad to erase the thing he'd said and make things better.

Fear Away

One of Oskar's main weaknesses is that he fears so many things. When a person experiences fear, it is accompanied by an increase of heart rate. The invention that I am proposing would use this fact to act as a trigger. The invention would be a low profile necklace which would be equipped with a heart monitor. When a sudden spike in heart rate occurs, a hood unrolls from the necklace and closes loosely around the head. Although the appearance of the hood on the outside is plain and gray, inside is a screen which presents a calming or happy place of the occupant's choosing. The hood would filter the air to allow for clean air to breathe as well as muffling the noise to a low volume, allowing the occupant to calm themselves more efficiently. However, because the surrounding noise could be important to the safety of those wearing the hood, the volume can be adjusted. Using voice commands, the wearer could command the hood to produce a tunnel vision so mobility would not be restricted and they could extract themselves from the situation.

This invention would be particularly useful when Oskar is visiting the different Blacks and has to cross the bridge on his own without any support (pg 87). Since the hood has tunnel vision, Oskar would be able to cross the bridge without experiencing the height or seeing the openness on either side which are things that cause his fear.

Invention

Everyone has those moments when they are out and about when suddenly they have this great idea for a project, presentation, get together, etc. but they have no way to write it down anywhere. The next thing they know, they have completely forgotten what their idea was and get frustrated with themselves. Well this invention is a thin, lightweight, durable wristband that is connected with your mind and records all of your internal thoughts. Then you can simply connect it to a computer or smartphone and go through your thoughts. You can edit and save the thoughts you like on a document for safe keepings. The wristband can not alter your thoughts. One can wear it everywhere and anywhere. One can even wear at night time and then go back and read the thoughts that you had while they were asleep.



Because of this invention can benefit Oskar in the long when he is older and has a huge list of inventions that can benefit himself and others around him. When he starts to mature, so will his inventions. He could make more simple but practical or complicated and extravagant inventions all in his mind. More specifically this invention would have been useful for Oskar if his dad were to wear the wristband so that Oskar could read his thoughts and ideas after he had passed away.“He would have been able to explain everything” (147). His thoughts regarding his dad, mom, grandma, grandpa, all of the blacks, the key, his adventure, etc. will always be in his mind and on the wristband when he wishes to refresh the memories that have gone blurry.

Invention

My invention would be a a way to eliminate harmful stress and improve state of mind. This device is a custom set of glasses that can do a variety of things. While looking like normal glasses, they possess a special chip infused in the lens and a small system that projects sound into the ear. While these glasses specialize as a sleeping aid, they can also work during the day. Bed time is when your thoughts wander and high amounts of stress can cause a lack of sleep. The device will filter thoughts and help relax the body, ultimately creating a better night of sleep. During the day, these glasses can talk to you in whatever voice soothes you best. It can give motivation and help with whatever problems you have face. Overall, this invention provides a low stress environment and can help cope with many different problems.

The death of Oskar's father was something that Oskar could never get out of his mind. Many things triggered thoughts about his dad's death and left him frightened of many things. Stress piled on Oscar day after day and it seemed like nothing really cured his pain. These glasses would get Oscar past the bulk of his stress and help him live in a better way.  

Invention

What if there was a way for people to show how they feel, without talking. There could be a screen-like projection onto whatever clothing they were wearing. Hats and hoods would show smiley and frowny faces, depending on if they were thinking about happy or sad things. No one would ever have to fake a smile. Shirts and jackets would show what they were feeling, and the more they feel a certain emotion, the bigger the word appears. And if they are ever confused about what they are feeling, they can just look down and read it. On shoes and socks it would show how much they want to keep doing whatever it is they are doing. Whenever you want to continue, they’re green; whenever you don’t want to, they’re red.

Example interactions:

“Hey, I noticed you have a frowny face and your ‘scared’ is big, is there anything I can do to help?”

-or-

“I noticed that you always have a smiley face and green feet whenever we talk, do you want to hang out some time?”

This invention reflects a combination of a few of Oskar's inventions. Many of his are based on clothing and communication, so it only seemed right to find a way to help him by combining the two.

This invention would help Oskar with his interactions with people. It would help him to avoid lying, because they would visibly be able to see his guilt. It would also help him show when he needs help. There would be no need for him to bruise himself, because all the sadness he felt would be shown. Another way that this invention would help him develop and mature is that he would always know how he is feeling, allowing him to get a better grip on himself emotionally. He would also be able to tell how everyone else was feeling, so he wouldn’t have to guess anymore.

Invention for Oskar

Oskar has a hard time falling asleep without his dad there to read him a story, so my invention is a bed time reading device that could read stories in his dads voice.  The device would work by putting a book or magazine in it and it will play it out loud in Oskar's dads voice. The device would help Oskar fall asleep and make it easier for him to deal with missing his father.  Oskar says," Dad always used to tuck me in, and he'd tell the greatest stories." (pg. 1) This shows how Oskar misses his dad especially his voice because they always used to tell each other stories.  It is very hard to get over his dads death and hearing his voice every night before bed would calm him and help him sleep better.  He is constantly missing his father and this invention would help him cope with his lost.  

Invention

     The device itself would be a small circular metal contraption that would attach to a person's belt buckle. The front of the device would be mostly covered by a smoke colored round button, while the casing for the technology would be some type of strong material, such as steel, and colored black. The device would attach to the front of a person's belt by means of an adjustable black strap, while the button itself would have a sensor built in to detect if the person wearing the device was pushing the button or if it was pressed accidentally. When the button is pressed, the device creates a spherical force field around the person wearing the device that is heat and pressure resistant but contains a filter that allows the person inside to breathe. The filter would provide the occupant of the bubble with oxygen, and would filter out larger contaminants such as dust or other debris. The bubble would enable the occupant, if falling from a great height, to descend at a reduced acceleration, providing a safe descent and landing. A remote control option would be available for parents of very young children or for the caretakers of those unable to fully care for themselves. Motion is severely limited while inside the bubble; the user is basically suspended in the center of the bubble, as it is being projected from the belt. The device itself is rechargeable by means of either the built in miniature solar panels in the casing (which takes a long time) or by means of an electrical outlet and special recharging dock. The color, transparency, and diameter of the bubble would be controllable through a detachable remote on the device. The bubble can be made completely opaque and soundproof if absolute privacy is required.

     This invention could be helpful in dealing with Oskar's need for safety. It would provide reassurance and a sense of security, something Oskar is shown to be concerned about: "What about safety nets everywhere?" (page 316). He could also use it if he needed a moment or two with no outside interference.

Invention

Sometimes it can be hard for people to say what they think. There are things they want to tell people but can’t or don’t know how. There should be a hat that could speak those thoughts for them. It would detect their brain waves and translate them into speech, and then play the words with a computerized voice from a speaker at the front of the hat. You could put it on or take it off whenever you wanted.

Oskar could use this hat because there are a lot of things he wishes he could tell people but doesn’t. Keeping these thoughts to himself only isolates him and makes it harder for him to cope with his grief because his loved ones have a harder time understanding everything he’s going through. He wants to tell his mom about what happens to him, for example. He says, “I wanted to tell her all of the lies that I’d told her…And then I wanted to tell her about the phone” (324). The hat would help him get painful and difficult thoughts out of his head and into speech. Sharing thoughts such as these eventually helps Oskar come to terms with his grief. This hat could be useful to him for overcoming more of his grief in the future, because he would be able to share what he’s going through with other people.

Journal

Oskar spent the entire novel trying to be connected with his father again. A lot of people struggle to feel connected with friends or relatives who die. My invention is a journal for Oskar to write a letter to his father every night. When Oskar opens the journal in the morning he will then find a note written in response from his father, including responses to questions, advice, stories, jokes, along with new clues for expeditions.

Throughout the novel, Oskar wanted to hear his dad's stories, opinions, and approval. Oskar's father played such a tremendous role in his life that Oskar was unable to cope with the loss. Oskar struggles to continue his relationship and connection even after his father is dead, which is especially proven by his long journey to find the lock that fit his father's key. Oskar also tries to connect with his father as he replays his voice messages from the day of 9-11 over and over again. The daily journal would help Oskar let his thoughts and feelings out. It would also allow Oskar to feel connected with his dad once again. Oskar constantly felt void of the wonderful stories his dad would tell, as well as the clues for adventures, and advice as he grew up.

Once Oskar reads the letter from his father in the morning he will have the inspiration and confidence to begin working towards his own goals once again. Although this invention is unrealistic, it would be exactly what Oskar needs to recover from his traumatic loss and begin fully living again.

The Thought Box

Everyone gets consumed by their thoughts at times and it can be hard to sort through and understand all that flows through your mind. The thought box is a personal pod with technology capable of understanding and rationalizing ones thoughts. Relaying and explaining the occupants thoughts in simpler and often more realistic terms this invention would help one get through such situations. The pod would also be padded and soundproof allowing one to take out their frustrations without harming themselves or others.

This invention would greatly benefit Oskar. Throughout the book Oskar finds himself under a lot of stress and often copes with situations by giving himself bruises. With the possession of the thought box Oskar would have a much healthier way of coping with his stress rather than hurting himself. The box would also aid Oskar in mourning the loss of his father, helping him understand the loss and comforting him using the knowledge of his thoughts. With its sound proof walls the box would also allow Oskar to say anything he felt without harming others such as when he told his mother he wished it had been her rather than his father who died. I believe this invention would have a major impact throughout Oskar's life helping him understand himself and others better and giving him a safe way to let out his frustrations.