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9. Hunting (Again)
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
Werner apologizes to Jutta for not having written for a few months. He explains that his fever is better, and that’s he’s been feeling clearheaded. He loves being stationed in Saint-Malo: he can see the ocean. He tells Jutta that when he stares out to sea, he finds it hard to think about his duties as a soldier. Werner concludes by asking Jutta to say hello to Frau Elena “and the children who are left.”
If Werner’s fever symbolized his inner turmoil, then it’s telling that he gets over his fever as he arrives at Saint-Malo. It’s as if the spectacle of so much natural beauty is reminding Werner of the good things in the world, and giving him new strength to perhaps stand up to the Nazis again.
Themes
