Defiance & Disappointment

[Eric]

Common themes in All the Light We Cannot See include defiance and disappointment. Werner wants to defy the authority of the Nazi Party by standing up for Frederick and refusing to hunt down civilians for their illegal radio use, but he is disappointed in himself when he just follows orders.  Madame Manec is disappointed in the inaction of the citizens of Saint-Malo when the German Army occupies the city.  She chooses to defy the Nazis and to pass along secret messages for a group resisting the German occupation.

[Holly]

Defiance and disappointment are common themes found in the novel, but I believe another common themes are perseverance or determination to keep pushing through. As a young child, Marie-Laure becomes blind, with determination she is able to memorize the map of the city. She is determined to keep the stone safe from Von Rumple. Werner is determined to join the National Political Institutes of Education. He is determined to save Marie-Luare.