Eli asks Oskar

[Wolfchild]

I just wanted to opine about why Eli chose that moment to offer to turn Oskar. Here is the passage from the novel:

He threw the boxes from Eli's balcony over to his own while it was still light, while Eli was washing himself. When he came out of the bathroom the wounds on his back had healed and he was slightly intoxicated from the alcohol in the blood.

They lay in bed together, held each other. Oskar told him what had happened in the subway. Eli said:

"I'm sorry. About starting this."

"No, it's alright."

Silence. For a long time. Then Eli asked, hesitantly:

"Would you want to ... become like me?"

"... no. I would like to be with you, but ..."

"No, of course you don't. I understand."

My take on this is that Eli knows that having killed Lacke, he will have to flee immediately. He had already been feeling that he had stayed in Blackeberg too long. He bought blood from Tommy to prepare for the flight. Then Oskar tells him that his problems with Jonny are not over, but have in fact gotten worse. Eli feels bad about leaving Oskar when Oskar seems to need him the most. Eli is perhaps not thinking entirely clearly, having just nommed a drunken Lacke. As he tries to think of way to help Oskar before he leaves, the obvious thing occurs to him and he blurts it out before he has thought it through. As Oskar demurs, Eli realizes what he has just asked.

However, Oskar gives the perfect answer, and Eli the perfect response.

[PeteMork]

My take on this is that Eli knows that having killed Lacke, he will have to flee immediately. He had already been feeling that he had stayed in Blackeberg too long. He bought blood from Tommy to prepare for the flight. Then Oskar tells him that his problems with Jonny are not over, but have in fact gotten worse. Eli feels bad about leaving Oskar when Oskar seems to need him the most. Eli is perhaps not thinking entirely clearly, having just nommed a drunken Lacke. As he tries to think of way to help Oskar before he leaves, the obvious thing occurs to him and he blurts it out before he has thought it through. As Oskar demurs, Eli realizes what he has just asked.

However, Oskar gives the perfect answer, and Eli the perfect response.

QFT. And JAL has sprinkled gems like this throughout the book.

[metoo]

I think a lot of these are highly acceptable answers as too why Eli would ask Oskar at a time like that but I think that at after such an act happening (Eli killing someone for the blood) Oskar could really see for himself in person what came with being infected firsthand. Oskar held in his mind the fantasy of killing Jonny and his friends but it wasn't until then that he saw someone being killed. Eli knew this and asked if he wanted to go on with him as a blood brother and left the decision to oskar on whether he could live a life having to do what Eli has always known since his changed life

I think that Eli asked that question because he was about to leave, and knew that a life of loneliness awaited him. Then he had this idea - if only Oskar would come with me...

Oskar, however, said no. One obvious reason is that witnessing Eli killing Lacke had taught him that he couldn't handle it. However, I also think that he wasn't prepared to leave home yet. After all, he still was a kid, and kids have a strong drive to stay with their parents.

[EEA]

To me I felt that Oskar wasn't ready to be turned. Eli does become a bit disappointed since maybe he thought that Oskar would say yes in the moment.

[sauvin]

I think that Eli asked that question because he was about to leave, and knew that a life of loneliness awaited him. Then he had this idea - if only Oskar would come with me...

Oskar, however, said no. One obvious reason is that witnessing Eli killing Lacke had taught him that he couldn't handle it. However, I also think that he wasn't prepared to leave home yet. After all, he still was a kid, and kids have a strong drive to stay with their parents.

My take on this is that Eli knows that having killed Lacke, he will have to flee immediately. He had already been feeling that he had stayed in Blackeberg too long. He bought blood from Tommy to prepare for the flight. Then Oskar tells him that his problems with Jonny are not over, but have in fact gotten worse. Eli feels bad about leaving Oskar when Oskar seems to need him the most. Eli is perhaps not thinking entirely clearly, having just nommed a drunken Lacke. As he tries to think of way to help Oskar before he leaves, the obvious thing occurs to him and he blurts it out before he has thought it through. As Oskar demurs, Eli realizes what he has just asked.

However, Oskar gives the perfect answer, and Eli the perfect response.

I don't usually entertain a single train of thought at any given time. Some people might call me a bit scatterbrained because of it, but I've noticed evidence that something similar is often true of other people. An extrapolation of personal experience and observation suggests to me that people in general might only have a single stream of consciousness, but it can timeslice in many different directions seemingly simultaneously, and this phenomenon can be exacerbated by stress. Our thoughts, in other words, bounce around a lot.

I don't see that Wolfchild's and Metoo's takes clash. A child can be just as much a flutterby as any adult, and Eli is no ordinary child. There's having to leave Blackeberg on one hand, there's having to leave Oskar behind on the other, and then there's having to face life utterly alone again, at least until another Hakan can be recruited. There may be other things going on, too.

Did Oskar give the "perfect answer"? Maybe, maybe not. It was still a rejection, of sorts - wanting to be with her is a pretty dramatic statement of acceptance, but it's mitigated by not wanting to be like her. It's potentially partially satisfying because there are no dreams of becoming an immortal and indestructible instrument of unspeakable vengeance on mankind in toto, or some kind of absolute rule (by terror) over the great unwashed, meaning, it's not the monster that appeals to him, but something in her herself as a person.

The partial satisfaction wanes somewhat when Eli remembers that an unturned Oskar must grow older.

[gattoparde59]

I think a lot of these are highly acceptable answers as too why Eli would ask Oskar at a time like that but I think that at after such an act happening (Eli killing someone for the blood) Oskar could really see for himself in person what came with being infected firsthand. Oskar held in his mind the fantasy of killing Jonny and his friends but it wasn't until then that he saw someone being killed. Eli knew this and asked if he wanted to go on with him as a blood brother and left the decision to oskar on whether he could live a life having to do what Eli has always known since his changed life

I think that Eli asked that question because he was about to leave, and knew that a life of loneliness awaited him. Then he had this idea - if only Oskar would come with me...

Oskar, however, said no. One obvious reason is that witnessing Eli killing Lacke had taught him that he couldn't handle it. However, I also think that he wasn't prepared to leave home yet. After all, he still was a kid, and kids have a strong drive to stay with their parents.

Thinking back to earlier passages, Eli's question and Oskar's answer make sense. When he was alone Eli had lamented "Why can't I have anything? Why can't I ever live?" He wants to be with Oskar and that is why Oskar's answer is the "perfect answer." Oskar knows what's up here. Wolfchild is right in the sense that Eli does tend to blurt things out without much aforethought. He's a boy at least in that respect.

As for Oskar, there is an earlier scene where he is horrified at the thought of being infected. This is the part where Oskar's Mom threatens to take away his horror books,and Oskar asks her to tell him a story. He is trying to regress at this point but then he realizes there is no turning back.

[metoo]

About Eli blurting out the question: This is not how I read the passage.

Silence. A long time. Then Eli asked, cautiously:
"Would you like to … become like me?"

To me it seems that Eli didn't blurt the question out, but that he considered it for at least several minutes, before asking in a very cautious manner. And he was very quick to acknowledge Oskar's answer, which tells me that he didn't really expect a yes.

[EEA]

I think so too. Before it says that Eli hesitated before asking the question. But I think Eli still had a tiny hope that Oskar would answer yes.
In a way Oskar's answer is a yes, but that he needs some time before he takes on the decision of becoming infected.

[gattoparde59]

About Eli blurting out the question: This is not how I read the passage.

Silence. A long time. Then Eli asked, cautiously:
"Would you like to … become like me?"

To me it seems that Eli didn't blurt the question out, but that he considered it for at least several minutes, before asking in a very cautious manner. And he was very quick to acknowledge Oskar's answer, which tells me that he didn't really expect a yes.

Agreed. I guess I just blurted an answer there. I think Eli knows what he wants to ask, but he hesitates to ask it.

One other thing about Eli's state of mind in this scene. In beverages alcohol content is measured in in terms of percentages. To determine intoxication blood alcohol content is measured in fractions of percentages. Even if Lacke was comatose from too much drinking, his blood alcohol level would not be nearly enough to get Eli tipsy. At least I don't think so. Correct me if I misread the numbers on this. Not sure about morphine. If it was injected directly into the blood stream that might make a difference, but even then it would be highly diluted. Morphine can also be taken orally.

[EEA]

I don't think alcohol had that much effect on Eli. The book says he was slightly intoxicated. And Eli seems fine. He manages to clean himself and is aware of the situation. He has to leave.