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5. Frederick
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
In June 1942, Marie-Laure wakes up to find that Madame Manec is not in the kitchen as usual. She goes to Manec’s room, and is surprised to find her there, lying in bed. Marie-Laure feels Manec’s face, and finds that it is very hot. She calls Etienne, who rushes to Manec’s room. Etienne touches Manec, then whispers, “Madame is dead.”
Marie-Laure basically loses a mother-figure with Madame Manec’s death. Furthermore, Manec has been an important influence on Marie-Laure’s moral development, inspiring her to undermine the Nazis in France and focus on the things she finds most important.
Themes
