Light. We all have it in our lives. Whether it be love for someone, passion for what we do, talent, pure interest, or curiosity, there is always something providing a beacon that guides our day-to-day actions. So what about the light we cannot see? Is it something visible we simply take for granted or a blind spot we cannot sense?
In the novel, All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, light is a motif in many ways. It is a scientific phenomenon, a sheer coincidence, and a compass. For Marie-Laure, a blind young girl, there is no light for her to see. She is engulfed in a literal darkness and a figurative one, as she is living in one of the darkest times of world history (World War II). Yet, she is surrounded by love and family, so she is guided by a spiritual light. One unseen by the naked eye, but extremely
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He is even unknowingly guided by the very families he hunts, including Marie-Laure (whose broadcasts provide him with strength as a child and as an 18 year old trapped into a war). Even when he is being led down the darkest of paths he always seems to find light in the words and morals of his sister.
After reading this novel, I was prompted to identify the light in my own life. My parents who have supported me endlessly, my physical therapist who has help me come to terms with a muscle tear that turned into a chronic injury, and my true friends who have been there for me even when I did not deserve it. Yet, I couldn’t pinpoint an example of unseen light. This is simply because unseen light is just that. Unseen.
There is no way of recognizing all the people and events who have shaped our lives for the better. We don’t know about all of the light in our lives, and we don’t know all the ways we serve as a light to others. Even when it appears that we are in our darkest and most challenging time in life, there is always a light we cannot see. A way out of the