CARDS

In the first chapter of the book, Gerald Thomson, the limousine driver who takes Oskar and his family to his father's grave, gives Oskar his business card. Later, Oskar gives Abby Black his own business card that he has made, in which he presents himself as being an inventor, a jewelry designer, an amateur entomologist and a francophile among many others. The most evident use of cards comes with Mr. Black, Oskar's neighbour. In his flat, he has a big drawer full of cards, each one containing the name of someone who he has met and deems important. What is even more interesting is that he also writes one word under the name, so as to remember who they were. This raises the interesting and eternal question: Can we as human beings be reduced to just one word?

EFFECT: This device clearly serves the purpose of better illustrating the cards. It is a sweet addition to the novel as a work or art, almost as though, Safran was winking at us.