Discussion Question #3: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Task: Connect the Tikkun Olam, mentioned by Norah, with Nick and Norah's relationship potential.

   The Tikkun Olam, a Jewish concept of putting back the pieces of a broken society, relates to the theme of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. The belief of Tikkun Olam is brought up by Norah, and Nick further develops its relation to their own lives. Both Nick and Norah have recently suffered from being heart broken. In Tikkun Olam, the portrayal of humanity's role is to come together to heal the problems of society. The broken pieces of the world may be compared to Nick and Norah's hearts, and perhaps it is their role to come together in order to move on from their traumatizing past. If Nick and Norah connect with each other and continue to put effort in their prospering relationship, they might be able to become whole again, and to stop future heartache. Nick proclaims, "Maybe it isn't that we're supposed to find the pieces and put them back together. Maybe we're the pieces...what we're supposed to do is come together. That's how we stop the breaking"(145). Nick implies that for Norah and himself to move on with their lives and put together the broken pieces of their hearts, they must come together. He suggests that maybe Tikkun Olam can be applied to people in general, and that in this case it applies to their lives. Some may argue that Tikkun Olam is a myth and cannot be applied to only two people in a certain instance. The overall responsibility in the concept of Tikkun Olam is placed on a whole society, but in this case, it can also relate to two people who need to come together  to better themselves. The healing of humanity symbolizes the joining of Nick and Norah's broken hearts.