Eli asks Oskar

[sauvin]

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.

Seems to me a fair chunk of the answer to this question depends on how much she actually consumes in tandem with his blood alcohol level. I believe the average adult has about five litres of blood. If Eli can drain 80% of that, and if the blood consumed is directly incorporated into her blood stream rather than being subjected to some kind of digestive process, she now how four litres of high proof blood running around in her system, which doesn't seem likely to have more than four litres of nominal capacity. This puts her BAC at roughly 50% his.

That's highly speculative, since we have no idea what happens to the blood she consumes. Maybe it is digested, but it seems unlikely, given that her abortive attack on the Cancer Woman resulted in almost immediate intoxication. I don't believe morphine is absorbed through what I'd recognise as a human digestive tract quite so quickly.

Since Eli isn't likely an habitual drinker, her tolerance for alcohol - always assuming her metabolism allows for such a thing - isn't likely very high. Folks who drink heavily can consume prodigious amounts of hard liquors before showing outward signs of intoxication, where people who drink only two or three times a year can start slurring and wobbling on a single can of American beer.

I think it likely alcohol had affected her, and may have had a disinhibiting effect.

[Jameron]

Hi, I'm new here just finished the book a week ago and accidentally come across this forum.
I didn't plan on registration (thinking i will just fine something interesting to feed my brain and be gone by the morning), but it turn out that i can't resist the urge to post something on this topic......

Hello and welcome to We The Infected.

Such an interesting post

I hope you're tempted to post more than just this once.

PS. Your English is very good.

.

[gattoparde59]

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.

Seems to me a fair chunk of the answer to this question depends on how much she actually consumes in tandem with his blood alcohol level. I believe the average adult has about five litres of blood. If Eli can drain 80% of that, and if the blood consumed is directly incorporated into her blood stream rather than being subjected to some kind of digestive process, she now how four litres of high proof blood running around in her system, which doesn't seem likely to have more than four litres of nominal capacity. This puts her BAC at roughly 50% his.

That's highly speculative, since we have no idea what happens to the blood she consumes. Maybe it is digested, but it seems unlikely, given that her abortive attack on the Cancer Woman resulted in almost immediate intoxication. I don't believe morphine is absorbed through what I'd recognise as a human digestive tract quite so quickly.

Since Eli isn't likely an habitual drinker, her tolerance for alcohol - always assuming her metabolism allows for such a thing - isn't likely very high. Folks who drink heavily can consume prodigious amounts of hard liquors before showing outward signs of intoxication, where people who drink only two or three times a year can start slurring and wobbling on a single can of American beer.

I think it likely alcohol had affected her, and may have had a disinhibiting effect.

Some versions of the vampire legend say that the vampire incorporates the blood of victims into their own veins when they feed. Vampire descriptions from this school describe how sanguine the vampire looks, and how messy things get when you start driving stakes etc. So if that were the case then you are topping of and you will inherit the victim's intoxicants and they will affect you in the same way.

[Mendora]

Thank You very much, your guys are really nice! : D

by the way, look like I'm completely forgot about the main subject of this topic... sorry about that.
(I just love the issue that intrige and metoo bringing up too much, that i forget about anything else....)

Well, I can remember that when I read the book this scene come naturally to me...
I mean I didn't feel it's strange at all that Eli ask Oskar that question in the way he did -- at that moment.
May be it's mainly because I'm feeling that because it's the most darkest - worst moment for them,
then it's also the most suitable moment for Eli to ask that question as well... there couldn't have been any better moment.....

I mean on the one hand it may sound not logically make sense.
but on the other hand it's really sound emotionally make sense (at least for me.....
Well, I'm tend to think and feel this way when approach to this kind of story anyway )

Think about Albert Camus's Novel "The Stranger" -- whatever the protagonist of this novel do may/might never logically make sense to anyone in their right mind,
but somehow it feel right... for me it's emotionally make sense and it's come naturally... or even obviously?

and as metoo mention early, Eli did have the time before asking his question -- time for lie in the bed, for those emotions to sink in, for everything to fall into place.



Oh, and as i mention above
"there couldn't have been any better moment"
Eli bound to ask Oskar that question, the point is when?
and yes, the pool scene that happen latter do have some similar elements in it (it's some kind of the darkest - worst moment for one of them)
but it will not do, since it had no time for Oskar (for those emotions to sink in, for everything to fall into place, and so on....)
and the magic may not -- or even will never happen.

[intrige]

I do find the idea of Eli popping the question because he was slightly drunk hallerious though

But I agree, I think Eli knew exactly what he was doing, and that it was the last chanse. And parhaps, instead of Eli thinking the infection will help Oskar defend for himself when Eli has left, as some has suggested. Instead, the scene from the station, that had happenned earlier, made Eli to want Oskar to come with him, so that Oskar didn't have to face the bullies alone now that it had gotten worse. And also Eli not being alone anymore aswell..

But I feel like we're missing something here. I do remember these few pages from the book, like someone mentioned here earlier, about Oskar toughing over Eli's bloody clothes with is wounded hand. Thinking he now had gotten infected. I remember going back and reading this after reading the ending, parhaps for the first time. And thought that that part was written to mentally prepare Oskar, in a way, to become infected. Listening to his mom doing the dishes, thinking that he will miss it. Thinking that he now was with Eli, and growing a bit confortable with the thought. It is like his desition in LTODD, or even at the pool when chosing to run away, was all building up from that very spot, when it might have accoured to him that it can actually happen. And he can actually miss the sounds of his mom.
I donno, I just thought it was worth something to bring it up

Oh and welcome Mendora, btw!! Have forgotten to say that, even though you have mentioned my name in both of your posts. Gah, now waht kind of infected am I really? Enjoying your posts so far, keep it up!

[jcckidz]

Welcome, Mendora!

In regards to the pool scene, the thing is, Eli never knew he'd be coming back, so it's not like, when he was about to leave Oskar after killing Lacke, he'd think, 'I won't ask Oskar now, I'll wait until I come back to save his life.' He didn't know that was going to happen. As far as they were both concerned, this was their last moment together, and the last chance he had to ask.

[sauvin]

Welcome, Mendora!

In regards to the pool scene, the thing is, Eli never knew he'd be coming back, so it's not like, when he was about to leave Oskar after killing Lacke, he'd think, 'I won't ask Oskar now, I'll wait until I come back to save his life.' He didn't know that was going to happen. As far as they were both concerned, this was their last moment together, and the last chance he had to ask.

Do we know Eli knew she wasn't coming back? How?

[Swaefheard]

He threw the boxes from Eli’s balcony over to his own while it was still light, while Eli was washing himself.

Lindqvist, John Ajvide (2009-01-22). Let the Right One In (p. 491). Quercus. Kindle Edition.

Did Eli ask Oskar to look after his stuff so he could come back and collect it later, or was Oskar just hoping Eli would come back one day?
I don't think we know either way.

[drakkar]

It isn't stated. It's a convenient way of getting the boxes out of the way, I guess they might have an inkling the police was closing in.
But frankly, it should be possible for Eli to tuck the boxes away the moments it would take to get a taxi - lots of forest in the area. Or perhaps Eli didnt risk getting a cab considering all the fuss in the neighborhood.

Anyway this is never dealt with in the book. I got the impression that Eli and Oskar had agreed that Oskar should keep the boxes, and I also got a feeling JAL chose not to tell me everything going on between them.

[metoo]

Do we know Eli knew she wasn't coming back? How?

We don't, but this hypothesis seems stronger to me than the opposite.

Oskar threw the boxes between the balconies. This is a little hard to explain - why did he do that? I think drakkar's explanation is plausible - they wanted the boxes away from the apartment, and throwing them between the balconies was the simplest way to achieve this. Eli didn't intend to bring them, he apparently wanted to travel very light, probably because time was running so short, and he would have to literally run for his life. Or maybe fly, which would have made carrying the boxes even more impossible.

Oskar, at least, was convinced that Eli wouldn't return - when he later knocked on the wall it was "a door that was closed for ever". I find it hard to believe that Eli would plan to return while not telling Oskar.