Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Nightingale, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Morality and Impossible Choices
Antisemitism and Active Resistance
Gender Roles
Love and War
Summary
Analysis
Summer ends and fall arrives. In Paris, Isabelle is walking to the train station when an air raid siren blares overhead. For a moment, everything goes black, and Isabelle hears screams all around her. However, nothing happens for several minutes, and then the lights come back on. When Isabelle steps toward the train, a German soldier approaches her and questions her. However, before long, he sends her on her way.
Paris is in a state of constant chaos. Between deportations, air raid sirens, and other disturbances, there is rarely a moment when Isabelle is not on edge. Nonetheless, she goes about her business as calmly as possible.
Themes
Isabelle meets Anouk in a bistro to deliver her a message. After Isabelle delivers the message, Anouk tells Isabelle that there is an upcoming meeting in Carriveau, and Gaëtan will be there. Isabelle tries to hide her feelings for Gaëtan, but Anouk tells her that she is not fooling anyone. Although love can be dangerous in wartime, Anouk thinks it is a positive thing because it is a reminder of why fighting the good fight is necessary.
Here, one of the book's central themes comes to the forefront: love. Love is a dangerous thing during wartime because of what one can lose. This is a lesson that Vianne already knows—but one that Isabelle is just beginning to learn. Anouk points out the bright side of love, but there is a downside as well.
Themes
Isabelle travels to Carriveau for the resistance meeting; there, Henri greets her kindly. Henri tells Isabelle that he’s been worried for her safety because the Nazis have recently begun arresting women involved in resistance efforts. Additionally, the name “the Nightingale” is known everywhere, and the Nazis are doing everything they can to find him or her. Also, Henri informs Isabelle that Vianne was fired for speaking up to a Nazi officer. Even worse, rumors are swirling around town that Vianne and Beck have started a romance.
Finally, the Nazis discover that women are part of the war effort, making Isabelle's life much more dangerous. Still, the Nazis likely think they are searching for a man. In this passage, Isabelle also learns about Vianne's bravery, which makes her see her sister in a new light.
Themes
Meanwhile, Vianne is doing her best to care for Ari, but it’s difficult because she cannot take him outside of the house when he has no papers. As Vianne makes dinner, Beck comes home and gives her a gift: a fake birth certificate for Ari with the name Daniel on it. Vianne is grateful to Beck. Even though she wants to pretend that there is nothing between them, she knows that he's taken a giant risk by doing her this favor.
Here Beck makes it clear that he is on Vianne's side. The birth certificate will undoubtedly cost Beck his life if the Nazis discover he gave it to Vianne. Vianne no longer worries that Beck will try to take advantage of her. He has done too much to aid her for his actions to be some sort of trick.
Themes
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That evening, Vianne tells Ari his new name and tries to get him to play along. Although Vianne feels terrible about it, she realizes that the only way to get Ari to comply is to tell him that Rachel is dead and that she is his new mother. Upon hearing Vianne’s lie, Ari cries. However, eventually Vianne gets him to learn his new name.
Vianne tries to act like Ari's new name is all a game, but she needs him to take the name seriously. As such, she tells a terrible but necessary lie. It is a hurtful lie, but it is the only way to keep Ari safe. It is yet another problematic moral decision that the war forces Vianne to make.
Themes
