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151. 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 makes it to the deck. Passengers are crying for help and looking to him, but he makes no effort to assist anyone. The chaos somehow calms Alfred and his “arm [begins] moving, turning the invisible crank of Death’s music box.” Alfred sees the ship’s captain boarding a boat. He thinks if the captain is evacuating, he should, too. Before he can, however, he sees Klaus, the Poet, and Florian, who is screaming for Joana.
Unlike Joana, who is volunteering her time, energy, and possibly her life to save other evacuees, Alfred only cares about himself. While Klaus, the Poet, Florian try to find Joana and Emilia, and Emilia tries to find them, Alfred instead tries to find a lifeboat to save only himself.
Themes
