Do any of the infected blame Oskar for leaving his parents

[dongregg]

I agree with everyone here. And anyways, Eli needed Oskar more than Oskar's parents needed him anyways.

I also think that the invitation scene is a nice echo to Oskar's scene with his father. "It's your turn" vs. "what happens if you come in anyways?" an unspoken ultimatum by Oskar to see which one cares about him more, and Eli came through while his father did not. Interestingly Oskar never even gives his mom a chance like he did with his father, a little cruel, but he's too young to know better.

Agree.

We see from the snowmobile and the kitchen scene (smells his father's sweater) how much Oskar would rather be with his father. He really doesn't seem close to his mother at all. I think he loves her but realizes they'll never be on the same wavelength. He's evidently outgrown watching the shows they are used to watching together.

But then, meeting Eli has changed the equation, and whether he were to stay in Blackeberg or go with her, nothing will ever be the same.

Oh, and cmfireflies. Nice 999th post.

[gkmoberg1]

from the context of the Novel: Oskar's contemplation of his father as a werewolf says a lot. This part of the story showed a deep feeling he has about his father. That, plus the drinking. Plus, working with his father's irresponsible nature. As for his mother, though, there is little other than a typical child/mother relationship dynamic. He seems to love his mother, yet he is experimenting -as children do- with separating himself from her. He is learning how to be himself as a young person and not just a child who stands next to his mother. And that includes not telling her about Eli, about sneaking things, some aspects of his petty thievery, and so on. So I can understand how he has no strong bond with his father. But he surely has a strong bond with his mother. As for his thoughts about Eli, there is the strong tug that occurs with a new friendship, the strong tug of having learned so much about Eli, plus the intense emotions Oskar has been living with for the prior three days in Eli's absence. I add it up to easily see how Oskar would end up running away with Eli. Yes, he'll likely miss his mother very much in due time. But he's twelve and thus he acts in the moment. And in the moment where the decision is made to run off together, the ingredients lead to the outcome.

from the context of the film: yes, we see Oskar having a bad moment with his father, but we also got to see them having fun together (the snow scene) and spending time together (the kitchen scenes). and we see Oskar and his mum doing fun things together such as goofing about while brushing their teeth. All seems normal, other than the moment wherein he runs away from his father's place. The films also shortens the impact of the time period where Eli has had to leave -it's reduced to teary-eyed Oskar looking out the window- , so it is harder to understand the decision to run off together. Yet... we know they are young children. Plus, that unexpected act of running away gives the ending such a gripping twist - makes it harder to mentally put the story away. The first time I saw the movie (I had not read the novel at that point) I was up and yelling "No! This isn't going to work!" because not only did I not see it coming, but to me it just was not a recipe for any kind of success (young boy running off into the Swedish winter with little provisions, accompanied by similarly young vampire child?). But oh, it makes for a terrific ending!

[metoo]

There are a set of circumstances around Oskar's running away that need to be considered.

• The training at the pool house would be over at around half past eight, which gives the time when Jonny and Jimmy (and Eli) arrived.
• Oskar's whereabouts between when he disappeared from the pool house and when he was sighted by Stefan Larsson the next day are unknown.
• At the train Oskar has two cardboard boxes in addition to a large trunk. The cardboard boxes presumably are Eli's boxes that Oskar had kept in his mother's storage compartment in the basement where he lived. Thus, Oskar and/or Eli must have passed by to collect the boxes.
• The trip by train from Stockholm to Karlstad takes about three hours, which sets the departure time to around noon if Oskar is to arrive at Karlstad after sunset.

Questions to answer:
Why didn't Oskar and Eli leave earlier?
Where did Oskar (and Eli) spend the night?

The fact that Oskar did not leave until fifteen hours after the pool event must have some importance. It also makes it hard to imagine a scenario where Oskar decides to run away with Eli just by an impulse. There was too much time for that. Furthermore, Oskar had already spent at least a couple of hours contemplating the pros and cons of running away with Eli, after he mistakenly believed he had become infected from handling Eli's blood-soaked clothes. He was familiar with the idea.

So, something must have held Oskar back. Something made him hesitate taking the final step. What?

Perhaps the thought of his mother. I don't know. Perhaps he didn't, perhaps he had too much else to think about. But he must have been thinking.

Or maybe he spent all those fifteen hours trying not to think at all, because all thoughts were too upsetting. So Oskar spent the hours numbly unthinking until he finally realised something that made him come into a sudden hurry. Given my idea that O&E spent the night in Oskar's basement, his revelation might have been:

They are going to search for me! They will find us here! I must take Eli away. NOW!

That way, the decision was in a way forced on Oskar. He had no alternative. But later at the train, when things had calmed down, Oskar found that he was happy with the way things turned out in the end.

[Daniel Ether]

thats a very interesting question. when ever such questions are asked i try to remember how i felt and what i thought when i so it the first/secend/thirt time. like the first thing that got to my mind when i saw it.
I can remember i had kind of the same thoughts:

... Oskar seems to be leaving his child hood behind as well as his parents. In the film he shuts his Mom out of his room and then he starts shutting the doors on his toy cars. The pool scene is the final break with the past and everyone- Mom, Dad, Mr. Avila. Eli has replaced all those people who might have been important in Oskar's life.

but the audiocommend pointed it out for me... at this scenes Tomas Alfredson and John Ajvide Lindqvist talked about "little goodbyes" i think.
Maybe at that point he already knew... and like you said, pool feels like the final break.
I for myself can't blame Oscar for leaving... maybe for other things but not for leaving with Eli

[Daniel Ether]

There are a set of circumstances around Okar's running away that need to be considered.

• The training at the pool house would be over at around half past eight, which gives the time when Jonny and Jimmy (and Eli) arrived.
• Oskar's whereabouts between when he disappeared from the pool house and when he was sighted by Stefan Larsson the next day are unknown.
• At the train Oskar has two cardboard boxes in addition to a large trunk. The cardboard boxes presumably are Eli's boxes that Oskar had kept in his mother's storage compartment in the basement where he lived. Thus, Oskar and/or Eli must have passed by to collect the boxes.
• The trip by train from Stockholm to Karlstad takes about three hours, which sets the departure time to around noon if Oskar is to arrive at Karlstad after sunset.

Questions to answer:
Why didn't Oskar and Eli leave earlier?
Where did Oskar (and Eli) spend the night?

The fact that Oskar did not leave until fifteen hours after the pool event must have some importance. It also makes it hard to imagine a scenario where Oskar decides to run away with Eli just by an impulse. There was too much time for that. Furthermore, Oskar had already spent at least a couple of hours contemplating the pros and cons of running away with Eli, after he mistakenly believed he had become infected from handling Eli's blood-soaked clothes. He was familiar with the idea.

So, something must have held Oskar back. Something made him hesitate taking the final step. What?

Perhaps the thought of his mother. I don't know. Perhaps he didn't, perhaps he had too much else to think about. But he must have been thinking.

Or maybe he spent all those fifteen hours trying not to think at all, because all thoughts were too upsetting. So Oskar spent the hours numbly unthinking until he finally realised something that made him come into a sudden hurry. Given my idea that O&E spent the night in Oskar's basement, his revelation might have been:

They are going to search for me! They will find us here! I must take Eli away. NOW!

That way, the decision was in a way forced on Oskar. He had no alternative. But later at the train, when things had calmed down, Oskar found that he was happy with the way things turned out in the end.

hmmmm.... i never thought about that...

[gkmoberg1]

It might be that Oskar & Eli went home to Oskar's apartment building, but chose not to return to his apartment. Rather something led them to decide upon running away - together. At that point, perhaps, they take Eli's boxes. Perhaps something of Oskars. And the two depart. The subway line into Stockholm is likely their means of initial escape. But after that, well, they have no plan. So they stumble about for a great while. They remain underground in the subway system doing some goofing about and some sleeping (for Oskar's sake). Then, somewhere late morning, they stumble upon a trunk (who knows where or how. it's just something that they come upon and it inspires their next move!) and make a plan for a grander escape than staying beneath Stockholm. At about noontime they board a train to Karlstad, taking the trunk with them. They stow the trunk properly and have Eli climb in. The train leaves, and off they go.

This go-with-the-moment approach is not at all impossible. And it builds through as sequence of events that involve lots of adventures for the two youngsters. There's no "oh should I go back?" moment. Rather, they are having fun, enjoying the freedom of feeling like escapees while down in the subway stations. Absolutely, I'd sure be one happy Oskar at the point when Stefan comes up on me in the train car that afternoon.

[intrige]

That does sound like a good FF GK

[metoo]

I my explorations of the events between the pool and the train, I have myself toyed with a scenario similar to GK's. I like the idea.

Still:
If O&E decided to run away early on, and fetched Eli's boxes with that purpose - then why didn't they board a train away from Stockholm while it still was dark? Both of the kids would plausibly have realised that running away would necessary include quickly putting a sizeable distance between themselves and Blackeberg. It wouldn't do remaining in the underground, so this extraordinary lack of initiative needs an extraordinary explanation. I couldn't come up with one, so I left this idea.

Regarding Eli helping Oskar onto the train at noon: The tracks leading towards Karlstad at Stockholm Central Station are situated partly below the station building, and are otherwise surrounded with high walls and buildings. The low winter sun would hardly reach the platform there, so this scenario is quite plausible.

[ltroifanatic]

I was thinking about Ferris Buller's Day Off the other day. For those who have not seen it, you really should. It's about a kid who skips school and talks his friend into taking his dad's antique car out for the day. They planned to return the car before the father gets home but stuff happens and the car ends up destroyed. This is played as an emotional moment where the friend has a realization about his relationship with his dad and decides to stand up for himself. Younger me never questioned this, but thinking back now, it would suck for your kid to destroy your passion and prized possession and make it all about him.

Which got me thinking. Are there any parents of Oskar aged kids among the Infected? If so, do you blame Oskar for leaving with Eli and abandoning his parents? I can imagine Oskar's dad being indignant if he learned where Oskar went. "I spend the entire weekend with you and have one drink with a friend and you run away with your vampire girlfriend? What do you want from me?!"

I've pondered about this.It seemed like Oskar didn't really have all that much to worry about.His folks love him and he seems to love them.But putting myself into the shoes of Oskar and trying to think like him has given me a better insight into how he really feels.He's a child that's been horribly bullied for years.He feels like he's being murdered daily.His mother is ineffectual and his father is a drunk.He's a scared lonely little child and he blames his parents for not seeing the situation or helping him.Seems illogical to us considering he hasn't told them about it but he's a child and children aren't always logical.When he meets Eli he really is on the edge.A danger to himself or others.He sees in Eli someone like him and goes with her because she makes him feel better.Pretty simple for a child but hard to fathom as an adult.

[gkmoberg1]

That does sound like a good FF GK

Definitely! But we already have this one: Endless , a couple by metoo, others by EEA and so on. All really good.