Top 10 Qestions of the Novel

[cory]

Let the the right one in is one of the greatest horror novels of all time. I speak for many people on this great website how it is second to none with its combination of horror, suspense, terror, realism, and a twisting third act that would make the director of the six sense blush.

We all know what made the novel so intriguing and that was the feminine vampire boy Eli. Eli was everything to Oskar... girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend, mother, soul mate, protector. It is these themes that make Eli a mystery to me and the core of what I love about the Novel. And ten questions that I have that I know the people from the Infected can help me understand. Top ten questions are:

1. Does Eli have the power to hypnotize? Seems like she did to the women she killed. When she looked into Oskars eyes and rub his ears...Oskar felt calm said "Let it happen"

2. In Bjornsongatan in the courtyard why did Eli consciously let herself land so hard it hurt?

3. When Eli says she rest for months at a time and when she wakes up she's little again does that mean she does age a little. Like in the movie she looks older in some scenes.

4. What happened to Eli dad?

5. Why didn't Tommy get infected?

6. Why does Eli sleep in blood?

7. Did Eli and Oskar have sex? Its hinted when Eli ask his teacher "How do they do it" And later when he finds out Eli might be a boy he says "They had...kissed and slept in the same bed and...

8. Did Oskar subconsciously figure out Eli was a boy befour Eli showed Oskar?

9. Was all the money Eli had "given" to him like he says? Our stolen?

10. Why does Oskar goes off angrily at Eli when Eli is trying to tell Oskar he knows with his friends it could get complicated him being born a boy.

These are the questions I've had lately. We the infected clearly is the best place to ask! Thanks.

[intrige]

The one thing I do know the answer for is about Oskar and Eli having sex. JAL have stated that he wanted both Eli and Oskar to not be sexual, or "presexual" kids, pure love and all and all...... And if they did have sex, why would Oskar ask how it was done, he would have known by experience right?

Oh, and for number 2. I think Eli becase a little,, angry at himself. And wanted to feel some paon along with a broken heart?? I shure thinks that he tought that Oskar would never want to see him again...

[TigerEyes]

Let the the right one in is one of the greatest horror novels of all time. I speak for many people on this great website how it is second to none with its combination of horror, suspense, terror, realism, and a twisting third act that would make the director of the six sense blush.

We all know what made the novel so intriguing and that was the feminine vampire boy Eli. Eli was everything to Oskar... girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend, mother, soul mate, protector. It is these themes that make Eli a mystery to me and the core of what I love about the Novel. And ten questions that I have that I know the people from the Infected can help me understand. Top ten questions are:

1. Does Eli have the power to hypnotize? Seems like she did to the women she killed. When she looked into Oskars eyes and rub his ears...Oskar felt calm said "Let it happen"

I don't think so.

2. In Bjornsongatan in the courtyard why did Eli consciously let herself land so hard it hurt?

I have no idea.

3. When Eli says she rest for months at a time and when she wakes up she's little again does that mean she does age a little. Like in the movie she looks older in some scenes.

IMO, i think she was referring to being weak and defenseless like a little kitten. The film where she is shown to look older was based on her hunger for blood.

4. What happened to Eli dad?

The novel didn't say anything about his real dad, so we can only speculate.

5. Why didn't Tommy get infected?

Not sure, she didn't bite him, but her mouth was on the wound. Maybe it wasn't enough for the infection to take place, i'm not sure.

6. Why does Eli sleep in blood?

No reason, it was done for the creepy factor. Which is why it's not in the film. Usually, it was done because in vampire lores, it was to make vampires look younger and more beautiful.

7. Did Eli and Oskar have sex? Its hinted when Eli ask his teacher "How do they do it" And later when he finds out Eli might be a boy he says "They had...kissed and slept in the same bed and...

They're 12 years old, so no. They can't have sex, especially in Eli's case. Besides, they're not in the stage where they're sexually active as teenagers are.

8. Did Oskar subconsciously figure out Eli was a boy befour Eli showed Oskar?

Not really, he was told by Eli that he's not a girl, so he wasn't sure why Eli says that. He's confused because Eli looks and dresses like a girl.

9. Was all the money Eli had "given" to him like he says? Our stolen?

Who knows. maybe he did steal it or it was given, who knows.

10. Why does Oskar goes off angrily at Eli when Eli is trying to tell Oskar he knows with his friends it could get complicated him being born a boy.

Imagine being constantly reminded that you're a guy over and over again when the person you like was thought to be a girl. It's complicated for Oskar, plus, he didn't care because Eli is still Eli to him.

These are the questions I've had lately. We the infected clearly is the best place to ask! Thanks.

yes it is a great place to ask. I'm sorry for such short replies to these questions, but those are what i think.

[intrige]

10. Why does Oskar goes off angrily at Eli when Eli is trying to tell Oskar he knows with his friends it could get complicated him being born a boy.

Imagine being constantly reminded that you're a guy over and over again when the person you like was thought to be a girl. It's complicated for Oskar, plus, he didn't care because Eli is still Eli to him.

I really like this one

[metoo]

1. Does Eli have the power to hypnotize?

Nope. That would have made things too easy for Eli to make an interesting novel. For instance, he could have forced Håkan to go for blood.

2. In Bjornsongatan in the courtyard why did Eli consciously let herself land so hard it hurt?

I cannot find such an episode. But Eli did on purpose let himself land hard when he was on the hunt for blood, and had been watching the empty pool and thinking of playing there. I guess he was sad, he wanted to be a happy child, but was a monster about to kill someone. Maybe he wanted the physical pain to overshadow the pain of not having a (good) life.

3. When Eli says she rest for months at a time and when she wakes up she's little again does that mean she does age a little. Like in the movie she looks older in some scenes.

That's my interpretation. Eli ages a few months the normal way when "living", then is reset/rejuvenated during long sleep.

4. What happened to Eli dad?

No one knows. He died, likely at what was then a normal age, and what would now seem to be rather young.

5. Why didn't Tommy get infected?

This has been discussed. Because JAL wanted it to be that way.

6. Why does Eli sleep in blood?

Same as above. It's quite over the top, even JAL himself has expressed that opinion (in the Swedish comments track on the DVD), and it creates a problem of consistency. How was the blood obtained? How did Eli clean himself? Etc. Etc. So, personally, I disregard that particular feature of the novel version of that scene and subscribe to the film setup. Which is authored by JAL as well, so it's canon...

7. Did Eli and Oskar have sex? Its hinted when Eli ask his teacher "How do they do it" And later when he finds out Eli might be a boy he says "They had...kissed and slept in the same bed and...

Certainly not. About Oskar's question - we have to assume that Oskar knew the technicalities of sex between man and woman. It's Sweden in 1981, after all. But he didn't know how gay people have sex, and since his teacher took up the subject, he was just curious. Probably she usually was a reliable source of knowledge, although she failed this time...

8. Did Oskar subconsciously figure out Eli was a boy befour Eli showed Oskar?

You can understand what gender Oskar thinks Eli has by observing what pronoun is used for Eli in the novel. In the beginning it's she, in the end it's he. Find the point of change, and you'll have the answer.

9. Was all the money Eli had "given" to him like he says? Our stolen?

Elis was still not completely truthful to Oskar at the time, so your guess is as good as anyone else's. And this has been debated. It was actually a lot of money, I have calculated that the money taken from the box amounts to a quarter of a average annual Swedish income at the time, and it seems this just scratched the surface.

10. Why does Oskar goes off angrily at Eli when Eli is trying to tell Oskar he knows with his friends it could get complicated him being born a boy.

Because Oskar has long since come over that, it's not important, not at all.

[drakkar]

7. As the others said, no. Oskar has has seen porno magazines, so he clearly collects information - but he isn't there yet. I believe that is why he asks Marie-Louise, his teacher, about these things, to learn.
Eli's note about Romeo and Juliet has spurred him to find out what this "love" thing is. And notice Marie-Louise's answer: you love someone when you know - or strongly believe - that you will be together with this person forever. So Oskar gets his answer right there. Why is does Oskar blurt out with the question about love between two guys? Could be a "just-in-case" question, since Eli said He isn't a girl, or it could be out of pure curiosity. Oskar is gathering information, remember. And he also gets the answer from Marie-Louise that love also can exist between two men, but she also shows him this is a touchy matter.

Anyway, when Eli tells him his real name is Elias, Oskar deep down instantly accept it:

He (Oskar) was sucked forward, inward, turned into a slow sommersault in space, into sleep.
Far away he felt someone stroke his cheek. Didn't manage to articulate the thought that, because he felt it, must be his own.
But somewhere, on a planet far far away, someone gently stroked someone's cheek.
And that was good.
Then there were only stars. (This star thing is actually a homage to Dante's Divine Comedy)

The day after, when he comes to think of it he remembers the words used by the other boys, fag, fucking fag. So, at least partially, his issue with Eli being a boy is more a conformity issue - this Oskar knows something about - than a sexual issue, which he doesn't know much about yet.

cory wrote:
2. In Bjornsongatan in the courtyard why did Eli consciously let herself land so hard it hurt?

I cannot find such an episode. But Eli did on purpose let himself land hard when he was on the hunt for blood, and had been watching the empty pool and thinking of playing there. I guess he was sad, he wanted to be a happy child, but was a monster about to kill someone. Maybe he wanted the physical pain to overshadow the pain of not having a (good) life.

It's outside the bath house, not in Björnsonsgatan.

[metoo]

...
The day after, when he comes to think of it he remembers the words used by the other boys, fag, fucking fag. So, at least partially, his issue with Eli being a boy is more a conformity issue - this Oskar knows something about - than a sexual issue, which he doesn't know much about yet.

This is my view, too. It's a conformity issue.

It's outside the bath house, not in Björnsonsgatan.

Actually, the address of the school is Björnsonsgatan... (Oskar lived on Ibsengatan, though.)

http://kartor.eniro.se/m/aJhN5

[drakkar]

Actually, the address of the school is Björnsonsgatan...

Aww - not good. I had my mind glued to the underpass in Björnsongatan where Eli noms Jocke.

[autumnsoul]

A little bit of deus ex machina would be nice right about now.

[drakkar]

It didn't happen, even if JAL pays homage to "The Divine Comedy". I guess the epilogue, Let the Old Dreams Die, is as close as you could get.