Oskar is living in the past the entire book. He is the only character who does this. His mom seems to have moved on but still feels sad. Oskar never can get over what happened with his dad. He always brings up how he didn't pick up the phone and how he should of. This is what helps the story keep going. He feels that he can find closure by finding where the key goes. Oskar has nobody to help him try to move on that is one of the problems.

Living In the Past