In Extremly Loud and Incredibly close, Oskar closes up to his mom, while opening up to complete strangers. Oskar does this to protect him from as great of a loss as he suffered, when he lost his dad. and to compensate for closing up to his mom, he grows shallow relationships that would not devastate him if those relationships are destroyed.
I too found it interesting that Oskar pushes his mom away but allows strangers into his life. But I think that some possible reasoning for this could be because he is looking for someone who can help fix his problem of getting over and accepting his father's death, and he is trying to convince himself that he can still trust in humanity.
^ A quote that goes along with that comment: "So if Mom asked me, "Where are you going and when will you be back?" I would tell her, "Out, later." But if one of the Blacks wanted to know something, I would tell everything." (87)
"Would it be ok if i came in? I asked. Now is not really the best time. Now is not really the best time. Why not? Im in the middle of something. What kind of something. Is that your business? Is that a rhetorical question? Yes. Do you have a job? Yes. Whats your job? I am an epidemilogist. You study diseases. Yes. Fascinating." (91)
One possible explanation, is that Oskar opens up to strangers, hoping that they will be able to fill the role of his father. When his father died, Oskar was left without a father figure and the need to replace this loss forces him to reach out to complete strangers.
" "How old are you?' I said seven, because I wanted him to feel more sorry for me, so he would help me."(90) I find it curious that he is willing to open up to strangers and lie to them, though he knows it is wrong. If it will at all help him in his search for what means most and to uncover the mystery of the key that was left behind, having a link to his father and maybe the people he knew.
Oskar opens up to stranger, becasue he wants to be who he wants to be, and what better way to do that then talking to people who have no idea who you are, or what has happened to you. Also it seems like he opens up to strangers becasue he does not have to worry about what they'll think of him becasue he never has to see them again, making them him his pervect venting system.
Oskar's Dad Oskar's dad would sometimes create their excursions so he would have to go talk to strangers and ask them for clues.
I think a part of opening up to strangers to Oskar is believing the best in people and expecting the same in return. As a broad example, Oskar trusts every Black he comes in contact with to be open and friendly enough to allow a nine-year-old into his/her house. More specifically, on page 147, when Oskar is unable to pay the cab driver the fare, he assumes that it is okay to give the man a promise instead of the cash he doesn't have. What's even more surprising is that the cab driver in turn believes Oskar (or maybe it's just that he realizes he has no choice in the matter).
Oskar also asks Abby Black, one of the Blacks he visits, to kiss him and he only met her a few min ago so hasn't known her for very long so he already really likes her and wants to kiss her which is something that most people don't do unless in a movie
This can be linked to the Blacks page because all Oskar opens up to all the Blacks evn though they are strangers.
I believe Oskar talks to strangers because he is looking for someone who might treat him like his father did. Another reason may be so Oskar can find some kind of piece of his father's personality that is left in the world.