"The Past Traps Me Within Myself" Outline

Paragraph 1
Hook: “It’s just that everything was incredibly far away from me.” [36]

Thesis: All three primary characters, namely Oskar, Grandmother, and the ‘ghost’ Thomas Sr., are trapped within themselves because due to a loss they lost themselves, and are unable to move on.

Thesis paragraph: Oskar is trapped within his past, meaning he lost relation to the real world, on the day his father died.
• 9.11
• Thomas’ phone calls

Paragraph 2:
Thesis: Grandmother is trapped within her past because she never had the chance to live a life of her own, and lived along-side Anna’s and Thomas Sr.’s.
• Anna
• The day grandfather left

Paragraph 3:
Thesis: Thomas Senior (grandfather’s) past has trapped him within himself since the day the love of his life, Anna, died.
• Anna
• Bombing of Dresden
• “What time is it” - Outside of the time as we understand it
• “Yes and No” - Lost his ability to communicate