Peaches In 'All The Light We Cannot See'

Vikram Sathish

Mr. Perera

English 9

18 April 2023

Strength in Simplicity

You are helpless in a world consumed by war, chaos surrounding you as you find yourself in the eye of a hurricane. You feel as if the world is crumbling in front of you. You are famished, but sustenance is hard to come by. At last, you somehow get your hands on a can of peaches. And in your darkest moment, you taste one of the sweet, slimy peach wedges. Your anxiety and fear are washed away as the wedge slips down your throat, and the juice travels down into your stomach. Food in many forms is consumed every day by billions. It is an essential part of everyone’s life and is as basic as water. In All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, certain types of food have hidden

In the vignette titled “Madame Manec”, we see Marie-Laure and her father arriving to Etienne’s house in Saint-Malo. Upon their arrival, Madame Manec begins preparing food for them, peaches being one of the items she serves. She asks Marie-Laure “...‘How about peaches, dear?’ murmurs Madame Manec, and Marie-Laure can hear a can opening, juice slopping into a bowl. Seconds later, she’s eating wedges of wet sunlight” (Doerr 121). In this passage, we see Marie-Laure greatly enjoying the peaches after not having proper nourishment in a long time. The author uses the phrase “wedges of wet sunlight” to describe the peaches. Sunlight is often viewed as the glimmer of hope that appears after a long dark night, providing comfort. To Marie-Laure, the peaches are exactly that, a moment of comfort and safety in a world torn apart by war. Furthermore, the peaches being in wedges symbolize that there are ways to find comfort and safety even in the shattered world the characters live in. Another example of peaches being used in the novel to express safety in a time of war, is when Werner meets Marie-Laure in Saint-Malo near the end of the book. Werner kills Von Rumpel in Etienne’s house, and meets Marie-Laure. They talk about themselves for a little while, and eventually find a can of peaches, which they open and begin to share. “She dips in two fingers, digs up a wet, soft, slippery thing.

When Marie-Laure and her father first arrive to Saint-Malo, they find themselves in Etienne’s house. Madame Manec, knowing that the pair must be famished, makes omelettes for them. “The eggs taste like clouds. Like spun gold. Madame Manec says, “I think she likes it,” and laughs again” (Doerr 121). Omelettes, like the peaches, represent safety and comfort in the lives of Marie-Laure and Daniel LeBlanc. Doerr compares the omelettes to clouds. This comparison suggests that the eggs taste so divine that Marie-Laure and her father transcend to a heavenly state of being upon eating them. After such a difficult situation, the eggs figuratively transport them to an idyllic place. Even though they are light and airy, the impact they have is like a blow to head. Furthermore, the author’s choice to describe the omelettes as “...spun like gold.” is significant. Gold is an expensive commodity associated with luxury, which renders it quite valuable. Luxuries are not accessible to the vast majority of people, which makes having them special. To Marie-Laure, the eggs have the same value as a luxury, which makes the feeling of comfort they bring even more special, demonstrating that food can have meanings beyond physical properties. In the novel, the values of items are usually left to be perceived to the user, and food is no exception. For Marie-Laure, the peaches