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10. Birds of America
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 and Marie-Laure wake up in the cellar and have no idea what time it is. Quickly they climb out the cellar. Werner finds an old white pillowcase and gives it to Marie-Laure, instructing her to wave it when she feels that she’s in danger. Together, they walk through the streets, hoping that the ceasefire is still in effect.
Werner takes good care of Marie-Laure, even though she’s an almost total stranger to him. It’s as if the two can sense that they are more strongly connected than they seem to be, and instinctually recognize that they are kindred spirits—or maybe, in some sense, they are even in love. It also seems to be the case that Werner’s connection to Marie-Laure has finally inspired him to break from the Nazis completely.
Themes
As Marie-Laure and Werner walk along, Marie-Laure suddenly pulls Werner off the road. She says that she needs to go somewhere, and Werner follows her. Marie-Laure walks toward the beach, until she’s standing by Harold Bazin’s gate. There, she opens the gate, walks down into the grotto below, and places a small wooden object there. Then, as Werner watches, she climbs back to the gate and locks it behind her.
We can tell what Marie-Laure is up to, even if Werner can’t: she’s hiding her diamond is a safe place—a place that almost no one knows about. This might also be a way for her to break the “curse”—she has no desire for the diamond because of its beauty or value, and in returning it to the sea, she may be finally fulfilling the legend and freeing herself from any sway it might hold over her.
Themes
Werner tells Marie-Laure that it’s time for them to part ways. He points her toward the city center, tells her to wave the white pillowcase, and assures her that the Germans won’t shoot a girl. Marie-Laure nods and squeezes Werner’s hand. She says, “Goodbye, Werner.” Werner walks away from Marie-Laure, praying that she’ll be safe. Then he realizes that Marie-Laure has given him something when she took his hand—a small iron key.
Almost as soon as Werner and Marie-Laure meet, they’re separated yet again—and for the last time. For a few fleeting moments, they felt a connection much bigger than themselves. But this connection by necessity couldn’t last forever—the larger forces of history, politics, and war almost immediately push the two apart.
Themes
