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5. Old Ladies’ Resistance Club
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in All the Light We Cannot See, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
World War II, the Nazis, and the French Resistance
Interconnectedness and Separation
Fate, Duty, and Free Will
Family
Science and “Ways of Seeing”
Summary
Analysis
Sergeant Major von Rumpel pays a visit to the doctor. Although von Rumpel has been successful in tracking down important gems, he is dismayed to discover that the doctor will need to “take a biopsy” to determine what’s wrong with him. Von Rumpel tries not to think about his health issues, and instead thinks about Dupont. Thanks to Dupont’s information, he’s been able to determine that there are three cunning replicas of the Sea of Flames sent out by the museum authorities, plus the real stone itself.
Von Rumpel’s character is made slightly more complicated with the introduction of his health issues. His desire for the diamond now starts to seem more poignant than greedy—in no way would a diamond make a difference to a man who’s seriously sick. The problem is that von Rumpel’s pursuit of his goal leads him to threaten, steal, and even (possibly) kill.
Themes
