A Study of Universal Grief in “Extremely Strong and Incredibly Close” Modern psychology describes five stages of grief that people go through when faced with tragic circumstances. The five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. This system was created by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler in their collaborations on death, dying, and mourning. The fact that these stages are experienced by so many people demonstrates that grief is a universal process. The term universal means that people anywhere in the world and at any time in history share the same feelings and psychological experiences. Although people experience loss in unique ways, they experience the grieving process the same way, and the five stages are a universal process for dealing with loss. Oskar Schell, the nine-year-old protagonist of Jonathan Safran Foer's “Very Loud and Incredibly Close,” is the central figure in an exploration of the stages of grief. After Oskar's father, Thomas, is killed in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, he embarks on a transformative journey through New York City, searching for clues to a lock and a way to revive a better world. in horror. Some parts of the novel's plot, as well as some characters, are representative of the five stages of grief, and we will see that Oskar makes the necessary and universal journey through the grieving process and ultimately emerges as a more understanding and healing person. Denial and anger are the first two stages of the grieving process. Denial is the step in the process that delays the emotions that accompany grief. Denial is first shown in the way Oskar and his mother, when his father Thomas doesn't come home... middle of the paper... the grieving process is painful and has no set time limit . For some it may take a short time, for others a lifetime, but the stages are undeniable. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are natural steps in dealing with tragedy. The process is universal, meaning that people in all walks of life go through the same process. Several characters in "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" are shown as being in various stages of the process, but all are journeying towards the final stage of acceptance. Oskar Schell traces the entire process throughout the story, and although the scars of a parent's tragic death can never heal completely, the grieving process, in its logical progression, is also a healing process. Oskar accepts that his father is gone forever, but the memory survives and the boy can begin to rebuild his shattered life..