This is a question I have pondered on. Oskar's parents weren't that lousy. At least his mother tried to reach him, but Oskar shut her out, and he would know that in his heart. Thus, even if Oskar was upset with his mother's behaviour when he ran away, I fail to see that this would last for long. Eventually, I think, Oskar would feel sorry for his mum, knowing that he caused her great pain when he left her. Sadly, he would never be able to resolve the guilt that would create.Klesk wrote:Would Oscar act different at this point?
About Oskar's relation to his father, I'm less sure. When Oskar left his dad's house, he planned and arranged things such that he would be able to go there again. He wanted to teach his dad a lesson, but not leave him for good. Thus he called his dad from a phone booth, according his plan. However, after a while his dad started to get upset and yell at Oskar, and then Oskar hung up on him.
Later, when Eli had left, Oskar gets a call from dad. Oskar's replies are short, and when the brief conversation is over, Oskar "felt nothing". Maybe the damage to Oskar's relation with his dad was irreparable. Maybe, years later, he would remember his dad for the good, forget the bad, and start to wonder what became of him.