All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See

by

Anthony Doerr

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on All the Light makes teaching easy.

All the Light We Cannot See: 5. Letter #9: Werner to Jutta Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Werner writes Jutta a letter that’s heavily censored (more than 75% of it is blacked out). He says that life is very difficult for him. He mentions Frederick, who once said there is no such thing as free will. He says, “My mistake was …” but the rest of his message is blacked out.
Werner seems to be thrown into fear and anxiety by the absence of Frederick and Hauptmann, and the realization that he actually has very little control over his own destiny. The absence of free will in Werner’s life will persist for some time, as he’s now controlled by the Nazi state and part of its war machine.
Themes
World War II, the Nazis, and the French Resistance Theme Icon
Interconnectedness and Separation Theme Icon
Fate, Duty, and Free Will Theme Icon
Family Theme Icon
Science and “Ways of Seeing” Theme Icon