Salt to the Sea

Salt to the Sea

by

Ruta Sepetys

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The Amber Swan Symbol Analysis

The Amber Swan  Symbol Icon

Florian has stolen the amber swan from the shipping containers which hold the disassembled Amber Room. In addition to stealing the swan, Florian has taken a map to the location of the Amber Room and a key to the secret cellar where it is hidden. Stealing the swan is Florian’s revenge against Hitler for the death of Florian’s father, who participated in an assassination attempt against Hitler. More specifically, however, the swan represents “the endless circle of revenge.” Florian eventually realizes that answering pain by inflicting further pain will never bring him peace.

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The Amber Swan Symbol Timeline in Salt to the Sea

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Amber Swan appears in Salt to the Sea. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
53. Florian
Agency, Willpower, and Fate Theme Icon
Memory and Survival  Theme Icon
Family and Community vs. Selfishness  Theme Icon
Florian goes through his backpack and considers his special parcel: a tiny amber swan, stolen from the disassembled Amber Room. The Amber Room was stolen from Russia in 1941,... (full context)
97. Florian
Family and Community vs. Selfishness  Theme Icon
...Amber Room is the “greatest treasure of all.” Florian knows Hitler will look for the swan first, but Florian is the only one with a map to the cellar where the... (full context)
124. Joana
Memory and Survival  Theme Icon
Family and Community vs. Selfishness  Theme Icon
...that he isn’t really carrying anything for Koch, but that he is carrying the amber swan. He stole this out of revenge after Nazis killed his father. To try and explain... (full context)