21st Century Literature discussion

Please don't read any further if spoilers will bother you.

Use this space to discuss the characters beyond Marie and Werner. For instance:

Who did you most closely identify with? Who was most well-drawn? What did you think of the eventual fates of each character? Was there anyone you would've liked to see more of in the novel?

These are general questions; feel free to throw your own specific ones out there, like:

How did you connect with Etienne's agorophobia -- what impact did it have on you when he eventually left the house?

A character who never technically appears in the novel is Etienne's brother. How does his presence make itself known despite this? How important is he to the story?

Well, we had a long discussion about Volkheimer, my favorite character, in another thread, so I won't bring him up again, even though he is the one I wanted to know more about.

I'd like to bring up Frau Elena, the protestant nun who "is more fond of children than of supervision." I think of her as the "good orphan master." And how she does love the children, to the extent that she goes first to be raped by the three Russian soldiers because they will then be gentler with the girls. Whether that is true or not is questionable.

Linda wrote: "...And how she does love the children, to the extent that she goes first to be raped by the three Russian soldiers because they will then be gentler with the girls. Whether that is true or not is questionable...."

Sounds a bit reminiscent of Sophia Loren in "Two Women" -- re. any possibility of "gentler"...

Frederick -- does Doerr expect us to assume that his family is (secretly) Jewish? Or maybe only his mother? That he might have been prompted (by his father?) to enter the army to help keep his family "safe" from suspicion? (Who remembers the infamous leaders who had marital ties that threatened them? My mind draws a blank on names right now, but we recall the stories.)

If so, how does his situation become like or unlike Marie's if she is indeed hiding the Sea of Flames, each placed in endangerment by those under whose care they ostensibly belonged?

Why do you think Frederick or his mother was Jewish? I do not see that. My nephew is like Frederick. He has his own "fairness" standard. In grade school and high school he got great grades but spend lots of time in detention for calling teachers on things he considered unfair, even when he was not the subject of the unfair action. Luckily, however, he did not have a psychotic teachers who wanted him to assist in torture.

Linda wrote: "Why do you think Frederick or his mother was Jewish? ..."

I don't know. As far as I can tell, Doerr only leaves the possibility open. The strongest "evidence" to me was where Frederick lived, e.g.:

"Frau Schwartzenberger — that’s who she is. The Jewess in Frederick’s elevator."

Doerr, Anthony (2014-05-06). All the Light We Cannot See (p. 450). Scribner. Kindle Edition.

But if the ruthless commander had any suspicions...

Still, that latter probably goes too far into speculations; it only fits if the dwelling area is likely to be relevant.

I don't see Frederick's standards as tied to any particular ethnicity; what I do wonder about is his treatment. Doerr creates a sinister environment. Is Lord of the Flies an appropriate comparison? It has been so long since I've tried to read that thing, but the combination of mob/leader/peer influence always appalled.

But, she did not live there long. When Werner went to see Frederick, she was gone and Frederick's family had obtained her larger apartment on the top floor. Frederick's mother treated her terribly. Frderick, of course, treated her like he treated everyone -- as a human being entitled to respect.

A character who never technically appears in the novel is Etienne's brother. How does his presence make itself known despite this? How important is he to the story?

Etienne's brother is very important to the story in my opinion. He and Etienne teamed up to create the radio broadcasts that reached Werner and Jutta, and later saved Marie's life. It was that connection that helped Werner make the heart driven decision to not kill those responsible for broadcasting from Saint Malo. That Werner had heard Marie's great uncle over the airwaves helped her feel connected to Werner. I also think that, in addition to the war, Etienne's brother's death had an impact on Etienne's mental health. His struggles added character (no pun intended) to the story, and his triumph over his fears and illness was rewarded by him living his life before dying (credit goes to Madam Manec).

Ah, yes. Thank you, Kerri, for bringing Etienne into sharper focus. He's a great character; the book would not be the same without him.

Now I'm superimposing the author with this character. And with my reading self, having been overly sensitive about war -- especially the holocaust -- for too long. I'm beginning to fit it all together, but still not able to put into words all of what it means to me. Maybe I don't need to; maybe I'll just settle for feeling satisfied. Doerr helped me settle old scores with the world, and reaffirm a conviction that art trumps just about anything and everything.