Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Sarah’s Key, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Remembrance and History
The Power of Silence
Guilt
Identity
Bravery
The Limits of Love
Summary
Analysis
It is July 15th and Julia waits at the abortion clinic. She has told no one about the abortion, except for Bertrand. While she waits, she reads Sarah’s file. Earlier in the morning, Julia had contacted a Nathalie Dufaure, great-granddaughter of Jules and Geneviève, and she is hoping to hear back from her. Julia’s phone rings and she answers breathlessly, only to hear Bertrand’s voice on the other end of the line. “What [can] I say to him?” she thinks bitterly.
This chapter emphasizes the depth of Julia’s obsession with learning Sarah’s fate. Even as she waits to have an abortion she doesn’t want, she is focused on thinking about Sarah. Julia’s disappointment at hearing Bertrand’s voice on the other end of the phone also shows the alienation she feels from her husband.
Themes
