Previous
101. Joana
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Salt to the Sea, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Agency, Willpower, and Fate
Storytelling and Fantasy
Memory and Survival
Family and Community vs. Selfishness
Summary
Analysis
Florian brings the Poet and Klaus into the projection room to sleep. The Poet asks Florian about his hollow heel, which he noticed many days ago. Florian worries the Poet will ask more questions, but he doesn’t. Instead, he talks about how the war has stolen six years from him. Florian wonders “What would it mean to be German after the war? What would it mean to be Prussian?”
Both men have grown closer and more comfortable with each other, even though Florian still holds on to some secrets. They wonder how their ethnic and national identities will shape their futures. For many years, any sense of culture or pride in one’s national identity were systematically stripped away as the Nazis divided groups into desirable and undesirable based on race, ethnicity, and nationality.
Themes
The Poet tells Florian that Klaus came out of the woods with an address pinned to his coat. They wonder who is waiting for him at that address in Berlin. The Poet explains that while he understands everyone dies, it is hardest for him to accept the death and suffering of children.
The Poet has become increasingly attached to Klaus. This is because he loves the boy, but also because he has empathy for the plight of all children.
Themes
