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147. 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
Alfred runs along the corridor, ignoring cries for help, and stealing a coat from a woman putting on her life vest. A fellow soldier helps smash the windows and break the doors of people stuck inside locked rooms, but Alfred has no desire to help anyone but himself. Instead, he runs the numbers in his head: the ship’s capacity is 1,463, there are 10, 573 people on board, and of the 22 lifeboats the boat should have, only 12 are accounted for.
Once again, Alfred demonstrates a total disregard for the wellbeing of others. Even though stealing a woman’s coat will mean she will likely freeze outside, Alfred doesn’t care. He only cares about his own survival, and only cares about the lack of lifeboats because it means he is less likely to get on one.
Themes
