Previous
9. Numbers (2)
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
Marie-Laure studies the Sea of Flames, which she has just discovered inside Daniel’s model of Saint-Malo. She can tell that the stone is beautiful, but it intimidates her because of its reputation of doom. Marie-Laure tries to convince herself that the diamond’s “curse” is just a story—it’s no different from any of the other carbon stones in the Earth’s mantle.
Throughout the book, there’s been a noticeable conflict between the ordinary and extraordinary, or between fate and random chance. The diamond is an apt symbol of this ambiguity. It is a priceless gem but also just a lump of carbon—a cursed object, but also totally powerless and meaningless.
Themes
Late at night, Etienne wakes up and goes into Marie-Laure’s room. He explains that he’s going out, but will be back very soon. Marie-Laure points out that the Allies could begin bombing the city any day now—he could be caught in the middle of an air raid. Marie-Laure then asks him a question that’s been disturbing her for some time—does he regret having to take care of her? Without a second of hesitation, Etienne replies, “You are the best thing that has ever come into my life.” With this, he leaves the house.
Etienne’s words to Marie-Laure are touching—we can sense that he’s been feeling these sentiments for a while—but also a little sad. His parting has an elegiac tone, as if this is the last time he’s ever going to see his beloved grand-niece. For her part, Marie-Laure’s question suggests that she too is now sucked into the idea of the diamond’s curse, and wonders if she has doomed Etienne and Saint-Malo itself by possessing the stone.
Themes
