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1. Exodus
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
It is 1944, and in the city of Saint-Malo, the Americans have just finishing their bombing. The city is mostly in ruins—buildings have been reduced to ash, and there is fire everywhere. Even the mighty Hotel of Bees has been destroyed.
We now jump back to the scene of the prologue, as Doerr tells his story both through two storylines and two timelines. We’re reminded of Dr. Geffard’s words: everything goes extinct in the end, even a city that’s defended France for thousands of years.
Themes
