Tommy | Tommy's relationship with Oskar and Eli | His views and thoughts

[Milkman]

The writer of the letter is referred as a person by the narrator, male to be exact, which implies that the writer had presented himself with name and all in his letter. The fact that the name is absent in the narrator's tale would plausibly be because the narrator chose not to reveal it.

Ohhh yeah ... you got a point there.

[Galen]

So much interesting discussion here. I didn’t give Tommy enough attention when I read through the first time (until toward the end of the book, of course) but I, too, really like his and Oskar’s relationship because of how real it feels, not to mention his scene with Eli.

I wanted to parrot metoo’s perspective of their relationship being like the older / younger brothers that they didn’t have:

As a young, insecure kid who is picked on, if you have a friend who is in an older kid group (a brother or otherwise) -- or even just a friend from a group that has a higher social status than yours, you have a very different relationship with them. Whenever you get some genuine friendship from them you feel on top of the world, and even though you’d love to go make it obvious you are friends with them, you are generally wise enough to keep it private so as to not risk your friendship with them (by hurting their status in public). At least I’ve had and seen that experience growing up.

I imagine Tommy liked being able to mentor someone, like an older brother, and Oskar clearly respected him. So it was a mutual friendship, even if not equal (what childhood friendship really is?).


Eli and Tommy’s scene hit a lot of the subject matter I find so fun to read in all of the fanfictions on this site -- unique, fleeting interactions Eli has with someone outside of his world, where they really get to see something is definitely wrong. The fact Tommy lived makes it all the more interesting, of course.

The part where it becomes obvious to Tommy that Eli “has done this before”, with the razor blade, makes me think there must be some interesting stories to tell in Eli’s not so distant past.


On the matter of Tommy writing the letter:

Because the letter only mentioned Oskar. If the writer had recognised Eli he would have said so, I think. Furthermore, he would have expressed himself in much more certain terms.

I can see this as a really strong case for it not being Tommy -- how could he forget Eli?

But being what -- 27 years later -- I’m trying to imagine what it would be like to suddenly see someone who looks mostly like a kid you knew (Oskar was described to look a little different at least). I bet I would mostly just be unsure of why I thought some random kid looked familiar to me, and go on with my night. Maybe it would dawn on me that they reminded me of someone I knew -- maybe I could even remember who that was, but they’d be long gone by then.

Now, if that kid had gone missing, that definitely increases the chances I might take a picture. But, noticing that the kid was walking next to someone who looks just like another, weird, kid who made an impression on me, from that same point in time, would probably give me some sort of existential crisis, make me take that picture, look at it a lot, and then send it in to the police.

Maybe he was still too frightened of Eli to mention “the girl”, or at the very least, still in disbelief.

[metoo]

The part where it becomes obvious to Tommy that Eli “has done this before”, with the razor blade, makes me think there must be some interesting stories to tell in Eli’s not so distant past.

I have imagined that Eli long ago had a helper who was a barber. In the old days, barbers not only cut hairs (and beards), but they also practised bloodletting (among other things).
I envision this barber as an old and lonely man, who was able to help Eli for several years without killing people. One of the few nice ones.
Eli could have learnt how to do bloodletting in a safe way from the barber.

On the matter of Tommy writing the letter:

Because the letter only mentioned Oskar. If the writer had recognised Eli he would have said so, I think. Furthermore, he would have expressed himself in much more certain terms.

I can see this as a really strong case for it not being Tommy -- how could he forget Eli?

But being what -- 27 years later -- I’m trying to imagine what it would be like to suddenly see someone who looks mostly like a kid you knew (Oskar was described to look a little different at least). I bet I would mostly just be unsure of why I thought some random kid looked familiar to me, and go on with my night. Maybe it would dawn on me that they reminded me of someone I knew -- maybe I could even remember who that was, but they’d be long gone by then.

Now, if that kid had gone missing, that definitely increases the chances I might take a picture. But, noticing that the kid was walking next to someone who looks just like another, weird, kid who made an impression on me, from that same point in time, would probably give me some sort of existential crisis, make me take that picture, look at it a lot, and then send it in to the police.

Maybe he was still too frightened of Eli to mention “the girl”, or at the very least, still in disbelief.

As I have understood it, the person who wrote the letter didn't realise that Oskar was there until he saw the picture, perhaps several days later. If he was one of the people in the picture he would have had his back turned towards Oskar, and therefore couldn't have seen him. However, even if he was the photographer he wouldn't have recognised Oskar in the darkness. Oskar was visible in the picture only because he was illuminated by the camera's flash.

Anyway, I still don't think that Tommy would write that letter and send in the picture. He would be certain that it was Oskar, because he would never forget Eli's face. I also think that seeing Eli in that picture again would raise very unwelcome memories that would make him too upset to even think about sending the picture to the police.

Personally, I have held Johan as my favourite candidate. However, I have also have had some doubts that Johan would approach the police with any information concerning Oskar because of his role in the events. (He was the one who made the call to lure Oskar to the pool house.) I'd bet that Johan never told anybody about that in 1981, and I think it's rather likely that he still in 2008 was ashamed of what he had done and wouldn't want to connect Oskar's disappearance to his own person in any way.

I therefore think that the person who sent the picture wasn't involved in the events in the novel at all. He was there, but isn't mentioned in the novel because he isn't important. He should have been sufficiently close to Oskar to truthfully say that he knew Oskar well, but I believe that many of his class mates would fit the bill. Remember that this is Sweden, where most children go to day care from a very young age because both of their parents go to work every day. Oskar was certainly no exception to this. Several of Oskar's class mates would rather likely have spent their days at the same day care as Oskar, so they would have known him possibly for their entire lives and would thus fit the bill.

Such a person, I believe, is more likely than Tommy, Micke and Johan to be the sender of the letter precisely because of his lack of involvement in the events around Oskar. Ever since he was a kid he would have wondered what happened to Oskar, and it would be a logical step for him to forward the picture to the police as soon as he realised what it might mean.

[Siggdalos]

However, I have also have had some doubts that Johan would approach the police with any information concerning Oskar because of his role in the events. (He was the one who made the call to lure Oskar to the pool house.) I'd bet that Johan never told anybody about that in 1981, and I think it's rather likely that he still in 2008 was ashamed of what he had done and wouldn't want to connect Oskar's disappearance to his own person in any way.

Technically, Johan didn't exactly lure Oskar there. Ávila was the one who first called and encouraged Oskar to come to the training, then Johan called to ask if Oskar wanted to do something the same evening (presumably to lure him to a place where Jonny and Jimmy could get him). Oskar was already planning to go to the training and told Johan this, who then told J&J who changed their plans accordingly.

Minor difference all things considered, since it still ends with Johan ratting Oskar out, and I agree with the rest.

(In the movie, Ávila never makes the call and Martin--a fusion of Tomas and Johan's characters--is the one who expressly tells Oskar to come to the pool.)

You make reasonable points, but personally speaking, I still have the bullheaded desire to make it fit with Tommy... somehow. I have hope that I'll be able to come up with a version that seems reasonable in a future fanfic. Like as not it'll fall flat on its face and just seem contrived, but... I have hope!

[metoo]

Technically, Johan didn't exactly lure Oskar there. Ávila was the one who first called and encouraged Oskar to come to the training, then Johan called to ask if Oskar wanted to do something the same evening (presumably to lure him to a place where Jonny and Jimmy could get him). Oskar was already planning to go to the training and told Johan this, who then told J&J who changed their plans accordingly.

Minor difference all things considered, since it still ends with Johan ratting Oskar out, and I agree with the rest.

Yes, you are of course right. Ávila called first, and then Johan. I had forgotten Ávila's call.

You make reasonable points, but personally speaking, I still have the bullheaded desire to make it fit with Tommy... somehow. I have hope that I'll be able to come up with a version that seems reasonable in a future fanfic. Like as not it'll fall flat on its face and just seem contrived, but... I have hope!

Well, you certainly should try. I would be interested in reading it!

[Jedi Apprentice]

I'm not exactly sure how to start this.
First of all, I have to say that I really admire this character. Not so much as "admire" but, it's as if he's the most human character in the story. Despite hanging out with people like Lasse and Robban, despite he himself partaking in drug use and being involved in some way with criminal activity. Despite all this, he ends up being just a kid, growing up, dealing with personal stuff.

As you have mentioned Robban and Lasse, I cobsider them pretty funny characters that should have appeared more in the novel. They would TOTALLY work as the comic-relief duo of the story. Imagine a fanfic story in which they help Tommy find Oskar by following the traces the boy left in his travels with Eli