Chapter 13

In this chapter we find out after all that the grandfather is the renter. But learning this raised a few questions. Much earlier in the book it says, "Mom told me not to ask questions about the renter, but a lot of the time I couldn't help it" (69). So I am wondering, does the mom knows about the renter and that it is Oskar's grandfather? Also while Oskar and the grandfather are talking, why doesn't the grandfather tell Oskar who he is? Instead he asks him a whole bunch of questions about what Oskar thinks of his grandfather. He is taking the cowardly way out once again just like he did when he left the grandmother. Lastly I am wondering why he runs out gets Oskar's attention to come back just to tell him "Please don't tell your grandmother that we met" (258). Why do they have to be so secretive about it and why couldn't Oskar know that his own grandfather is living in the house that he visits just about everyday?

One questions that is answered during this chapter is that back when Oskar was at the art supplies store and saw "Thomas Schell" written on everything. He was very confused because they manager told him that those papers haven't been out for 2 years which is when his father died. But we now know that it was the grandfather who wrote his name on all of them. This makes a lot of sense because he is a sculptor so of course he would be in an art store.