Brutality Of War In 'All The Light We Cannot See'

Can light be found in a world of brutality and darkness? In Anthony Doerr’s All The Light We Cannot See, two protagonists experience the brutality of war and the loss of innocence it takes to survive. Marie-Laure is a blind girl from France who loves speaking on the radio and Werner Pfenning is an orphaned boy from Germany who loves listening to broadcasted recordings. The book follows the separate lives of the two as they share insight into their own lives in clashing countries. Marie-Laure and Werner are able to note that humanity exists on opposing sides of war through their connection with the radio and their perception of their responsibilities in war. Marie-Laure and Werner have different views on their responsibilities in war. Marie-Laura

He acknowledges his actions when confronted with their outcomes and is able to see the suffering he imposes on others. However, Werner is not able to do anything but stand and watch. For example, when someone in Werner’s unit kills a woman and child from France, all Werner can think of is his subconscious yearn for that child to be alive. “Werner waits for the child to blink. Blink, he thinks, blink blink blink.” (Doerr 268). This quote shows how Werner sees the consequences of his actions but does not want to accept the fact he openly contributes to the death of many people by exposing their locations through the radio he possesses. Werner has this passive mentality because the people around him encourage this way of thinking. For example, his commander says, “It's only numbers, cadet […] Pure math. You have to get accustomed to thinking that way!" (Doerr 140). This quote highlights the dehumanization and passive behavior towards violence that the army instills in people, as well as how Werner is forced to hold a mentally corrupted view about people upon joining war efforts. People are nothing but numbers, and targets, and no more than that. Werner embodies this mentality in his personal responsibilities in war and his perception of other

Werner spends a lot of his younger life listening to science and math recordings transmitted from France on his radio. In a night stay on one of Werner’s duties, he overhears Marie-Laure's call for help after completing a sentence of one of her books on his transmitter. “He is here. He is right below me.” (Doerr 286) While listening to this, all Werner can think is to help her, “Do something. Save her!” (Doerr 286) This quote shows how just by listening to her voice and sharing a common interest in the book she is reading, Werner is able to get a feel for her innocence and feels compelled to save her and defy his orders. In Werner’s story the radio symbolizes duty, but it also represents the change of heart he has from wanting to take down France to wanting to save a Parisian girl. The radio gives Werner a glimpse of the reality of war that occurs in France, and he starts to feel a shred of concern for his opposing