Eli asks Oskar

[stevenpotts3@aol.com]

After killing Lacke right in front of him, Eli asked Oskar if he wanted to become like her. Why do you think she choose the darkest, worst, moment to propose it to him?

[a_contemplative_life]

Maybe it was because only then was Eli sure that Oskar was not going to reject her because of her homicidal tendencies. His apparently unconditional acceptance of Eli opened the door in Eli's mind for the possibility that he might be willing to take the plunge.

[metoo]

After killing Lacke right in front of him, Eli asked Oskar if he wanted to become like her. Why do you think she choose the darkest, worst, moment to propose it to him?

Oskar just had told Eli about what Jonny and Tomas had done to him at the underground station, so Eli might have thought Oskar might want to be able to protect himself. But I don't like that explanation, to want to get infected just to become powerful would ring very badly in Eli's ears. He didn't call himself a vampire, after all.

However, this was the very last time Eli would see Oskar, Eli was going away, while Oskar was staying. So my interpretation is that Eli knew that living with Eli would necessarily mean living like Eli, and the question really was whether Oskar would want to accompany Eli when leaving Blackeberg.

And Oskar said no, he would want to accompany Eli, but not to the price of becoming infected. He had seen what the infection brought with it.

[Ash]

And Oskar said no, he would want to accompany Eli, but not to the price of becoming infected. He had seen what the infection brought with it.

And yet a few days later he changes his mind. Was it Eli saving his life, something he decided on the train, or was he just waiting for Friday the 13th.

[SFTifoso]

Ash, is that a LTODD spoiler? Please say so, I'm afraid to click.

[sauvin]

It's been some considerable time since I've read the novel. As I recall, this "would you like to be like me" question was popped almost immediately after some discussion about Oskar's worsening bullying problem. Some time passed, other things happened, and then Oskar was there to help thwart Lacke's attack. They bailed out a window, hid under some balcony-like structure for a few moments, and that's where Eli planted the kiss that allowed Oskar to see himself bigger than he was - seen with love. Eli then disappeared, but apparently left a number of things (including boxes of cash) in Oskar's care.

It could very easily have been the pool scene that prompted Oskar to leave with her, but it could also very well be that kiss.

[metoo]

... It could very easily have been the pool scene that prompted Oskar to leave with her, but it could also very well be that kiss.

I think it was all of it at once. Combined with Oskars relation with his mum having gone sour, Mr Ávila not being able to help, and finally Jonny and Jimmy coming to kill him.

I think Oskar felt rejected by humanity, and that made him change his mind and follow his heart.

[sauvin]

... It could very easily have been the pool scene that prompted Oskar to leave with her, but it could also very well be that kiss.

I think it was all of it at once. Combined with Oskars relation with his mum having gone sour, Mr Ávila not being able to help, and finally Jonny and Jimmy coming to kill him.

I think Oskar felt rejected by humanity, and that made him change his mind and follow his heart.

Yup, yup, yup and yup. However, some of this crap happened before Eli asked this question, and some after. Amid all these stressors and pressure points, though, which do you suppose had the most dramatic effect?

[metoo]

... Amid all these stressors and pressure points, though, which do you suppose had the most dramatic effect?

None, I don't want to grade them. JAL has mentioned, however, that in his mind the turning point is in the pool, when Oskar - correctly or not - feels that Mr Ávila is looking at him with contempt.

[Ash]

Most likely Oskar's decision to become like Eli was made during the long conversation they would no doubt have had during their trip to Karlstad. And that's something we'll never learn about, unless JAL writes something new.
I'd love to know what they talked about - be a fly on the wall of the train carriage. Anyway, I think Oskar's decision was probably made then.