Anthony Doerr chooses a very different and appealing route for the course of this story. Rather than classical storytelling, he remixes the traditional aspects of narratives to create a unique and enjoyable novel, "All the Light We Cannot See." Doerr chooses to tell the stories of two very different teens by alternating perspectives every few chapters. By setting up his book in this way, we are forced to look more closely at the similarities and differences between our two main characters.
The telling of two tales
Since Doerr is constantly shifting between stories, we are really exposed to the two different lifestyles lived by these kids amidst World War II. The switching allows us to constantly have fresh details about one side in our mind and naturally we compare it with the other side we have just read about. Details are really what make a story interesting and since we are always comparing and contrasting the two situations we've read about, it makes the story much more enjoyable.
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Image from The Odyssey
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One of the most obvious yet important choices that Doerr makes in his book, is that he switches back and forth between stories every few chapters. It's important to note the chapters are only several pages so the switch happens fast and often. Doing this causes a juxtaposition because the two sides are so unalike. Marie-Laure lives a comfortable life with her father who works at the museum. Even after she flees Paris her life is relatively drama free. Werner comes from basically nothing. He lives in a children's home where he is only really close with his sister Jutta. He too leaves his home though his was by choice. Werner wanted to pursue his dream and was enrolled in a Nazi school.
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Tone and mood
The tone and mood also go along with the alternating between stories. For most of the book Marie-Laures chapters have more of a positive and inquisitive tone. She often marvels at the natural world which is one of the reasons she feels such a strong connection with the author Jules Vern. The tone around Marie-Laure reflects her adolescence and outlook on life as well. She had a nice childhood with a loving father and spent much of her time examining what was in the museum where her father worked. Even when she struggles with her blindness and fleeing to Saint Malo, she's comes out positive in the end.
Image from Wikipedia
Quite the opposite goes for Werner who is more of a negative story. His upbringing was lonely and he had close to nothing. When he arrives at the National Institute, he does get to learn like he wanted to, but he figures out what his contributions to the Reich will really be used for and he has a moral battle for most of his teenage years. As he gets older he sees what humanity is really like and his dreams of becoming a scientist deteriorate, much like his sense of hope and righteousness.
Image from Wikipedia
yin and yang
The switching between stories as well as the tone and mood bring about a sort of Yin and Yang effect. A balance between good and evil could be discussed. Marie-Laure seems to be more of a positive and much more innocent story so she represents the good while Werner is a soldier of the German army and he knows what he is doing is wrong. They are affected by the same war, same problems and share similar outcomes. Good and Evil mix in the end and balance is restored.
The video is of a trailer made by the YouTube channel "TheDJandSki." It does a great job of showing the contrast between the two sides, the conflict between good and evil.