All the light we cannot see

All the light we cannot see’

Introduction

The flow of a novel brings about the understanding of all the events captured. According to Vollmann, authors usually focus on creating multiple themes within a book in order to touch on various issues that can connect with the reader (par.1). The book of Doerr, ‘All the light we cannot see’, is a good example of how authors engage different themes. However, the problem is that some themes many not well synchronize will the whole theme of the book, therefore creating a disconnection of themes in the book, making the book fall short of the intended impact.

This is a reflective paper on the novel ‘All the light we cannot see’, which aims at examining the romanticizing the final parts of the book, and why it is a problem.

Summary of the book ‘All the light we cannot see’,

The book is about the Second World War which examines the conflict between France and Germany and the oppression of the Jews. The novel begins with the occupation of Germany in France. In the book, Doer engages in a high level of imagination which brings together the different events which connect with the characters in the book. Marie-Laure is one of the major characters the book. Marie-Laure is a young blind girl from France. During the war in Germany, Werner Pfennig and his sister Jutta, are orphaned when their parents are killed during the war (Callil, par.2). Although he is a young boy, Werner is gifted with understanding various events in life with a special interest in science and intricacies in radio. He is a handy person, where he is able to fix every gadget that comes along his way. The Novel begins in 1934 when Marie-Laure is only six years. The novel opens up with a 6-year old girl is living with the father who is a locksmith and also the keep of the keys of the National Museum in France, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Callil par.3). The Museum has a wide range of artifacts, and cultural collection, including a precious grayish-blue sea diamond, which has been hidden for the last 200 years before the war.

The father of Marie-Laure also engages in the making miniatures which helps Marie-Laure to learn how to navigate through the city of France. Throughout the occupation of Germany, Marie-Laure is able to survive the destruction of the Germans in France. The Nazi government notices the talent of Werner and sends him to the national school that trains the cadre for the Third Reich. Doerr spends considerable time describing the life of Werner in the National school (Callil par.2).

My problem with the book

My major problem with the book is the fact that romanticized some areas making it lose its credibility. I am a big fan of history books especially those that rotate around the world war.  Vollmann identified the romanticized sections of the book with the video of Book Thief (par.2). The book starts well with examining the history of the events that occurred during the Second World War. The book expands by examining the unfolding events of the Germany occupation of France. The book goes on to examine the life of the two characters, Marie-Laure and Werner.

The book captivates me by explaining the challenges that preceded the world war and the challenges that people went through. For instance, Doerr explains how the Marie-Laure and her father had to escape Paris in the 1940s before taking refuge in Saint-Malo in Brittany. To this point, Doerr explains that Marie-Laure and Werner had not met. However, somehow, I find it superficial that the two would later meet through the creative connection of the author.

The meeting of Werner and Marie-Laure starts when Werner is working in tracking radio transmission across Russia and Central of Europe. Later he is sent to Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure has a great uncle. After the Germany occupation continues, Marie-Laure’s father is arrested and taken to prison camps.  It is during this time that Marie-Laure decided to take some strong stands against the occupation of Germany. She receives loaves of bread with paper with information on Allied Intelligence information that she passes to Etienne (her uncle) to broadcast them.

Personally, I pretty sure that even before reading the book, many readers are already well informed about the Second World War even before they encounter the book. Therefore, I find it very wordy that Doerr would have to go around and around before reaching the point where we already know. But, perhaps, I think it was because his aim was on creating the best opportunity in the book for meeting Werner and Marie-Laure. And yes, Doerr is finally able to create a meeting of Marie-Laure and Werner, but in my view, it does not achieve the intended impact of romanticizing a scene. Well, this is my take, on this aspect, that since it as a history on war events, romanticizing it did not have appeal on the readers. Or maybe, it was not wall slipped into the book.

Let see, in the middle of the book, Doerr explains that Etienne learns that Allied soldiers are coming and decided to explain the location of the Nazi anti-aircraft guns and other details. Etienne is intercepted through the technological knowledge of Werner. Looking at how Werner becomes part of the military, Dr. Hauptmann, who acts his entry point lies that he is 18years rather than 16 year. According to the argument by Callil, the introduction of Werner into the military can clearly be seen as a strategy by Doerr to have him meet with Marie-Laure (par.8). This clearly based on the fact that Marie-Laure is also engaging in matters of the broadcasting or at least connected in a way.

This meeting happens so superficially, in my view, given that Werner is tasked with tracking down the radios that were anti-Germany. Werner and his team are called to the Saint-Malo to examine the radio wave of anti-Germany. This is the point where Werner meets Marie-Laure and the two falls in love. Although the romance between the two is short-lived after Werner tries to reach Marie-Laure and both get trapped in the house (Jeresova par.7). Finally, an act of heroism for love is seen when Werner kills von Rumpel to allow Marie-Laure to escape. Werner is then arrested and taken to prison before triggering an explosion where he is killed. The problem that I find with romanticizing the story is that it leaders to the anticipated ending of the story, where Werner ends up finding the grayish-diamond, based on the help of the model house found by Werner (Vollmann par.2).

Conclusion

            Although the novel ‘All the light we cannot see’, is creatively written with a clear articulation of historical events, of the Second World War, it challenges me with the issue of romanticizing the issue of the two characters. Unexpectedly, Werner and Marie-Laure start from two separate worlds before they somehow meet and fall in love. The issue is made more complicated by the fact that the two had not met in any previous sections of the book. I fail to understand why romance was incorporate n the book, yet it had already flowed well through the events. However, I guess, it was an artistic strategy of Deorr to avoid the monotony of relieving the events of the Second World War.

 

Work Cited

Callil, Carmen, “All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr review – a story of morality, science and Nazi occupation” The Guardian.  17th May, 2014. Web. 17th Apr. 2019. <https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/may/17/all-the-light-we-cannot-see-anthony-doerr-review>

Jeresova, Leah “ Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See: All the history the novelist cannot see” World Socialist Website. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2016/03/23/doer-m23.html

Vollmann, William T.  “Darkness Visible”  New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/11/books/review/all-the-light-we-cannot-see-by-anthony-doerr.html

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