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2. Hotel of Bees
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 forces herself to stand up and make her way out of her house. She puts the stone back inside the model house, puts the house in her dress pocket, and looks for her shoes. Unable to find them, she decides to leave bare-footed. She also takes her great-uncle’s coat and a loaf of bread. She walks from the house, dazed, as the sounds of the airplanes fade away. Using her cane, she walks to the cellar underneath her house, pushes open the heavy metal door, and climbs down. She feels for the model house in her pocket, and is relieved to find that it’s still there.
Marie-Laure’s instincts of survival don’t fail her. While someone used to relying on their vision might be disoriented by the bombing, Marie-Laure’s training with navigating her way through complex places gives her a huge advantage. She uses her cane to navigate to the cellar, find bread, and keep herself safe and alive.
Themes
