Prompt: The title of the novel suggests the limitations of the physical sense of sight; indeed, the most perceptive characters in the novel are blind or have limited sight.
Sight is more than simply the ability to observe your physical surroundings, rather the ability to perceive the truth: what is morally right and wrong.
In the fictional novel, ‘All the Light we cannot See,’ Doer seeks to demonstrate that physical sight is limited and that fear can lead to a ‘calcified’ conscience.
In order to highlight this the author explores this dual nature of sight in the reference frame of World War II, where, like any war, the lines between right and wrong is often blurred. The author demonstrates this inurement through Werner Pfennig’s journey, from aspiring scientist, to Nazi soldier and an accessory in the murder of millions. And vice versa, Marie-Laure in her physical blindness retains her moral discernment and refuses to oppose it regardless of the danger it might entail.
This is similarly reflected by Werner’s visually impaired friend Fredrick, who ultimately gives his life by doing what is right. However, although sight may appear to impair perception, Werner’s sister, Jutta demonstrates that this is not always the case. Nevertheless, by juxta-positioning these characters throughout the book, Doer highlights the shortcomings that are associated with actual ‘sight’ and the importance of really ‘[seeing] what you can’ before you lose the ability to.
Through Werner’s life, Doer demonstrates how a person can lose their perception of right and wrong. Over the course of Werner’s life, he is forced to make many decisions upon which the course of his life depends. However, through these choices we see that his discernment is often compromised by fear. His primary motivation for going to the Schulpforta is the fear of going to the Zollverein mines. Because,”it’s dangerous,” to disobey the Nazi regime, he crushes their radio and betrays his sister Jutta. When Fredrick is being beaten Werner ‘opens his mouth but closes it again … he shuts his eyes, his mind.’ Werner find himself keeping ‘doubts at bay by memorizing lyrics or routes to class rooms’ and tells himself that he is doing his duty.’ He pretends that there were no choices’ but when his unit accidentally kills an innocent mother and daughter, Werner can no longer block out reality. Through Werner’s character Doer illustrates how if you put the frog in a pot of cool water and then slowly bring it to a boil’… ‘it cooks.’ Only when something shocks Werner does he realize what he has become a part of. So, although Werner can see physically, the gradual indoctrination process reinforced by his own fear blinds him to reality.
The author shows how the reverse can also be true. Both Marie-Laure and Werner’s friend Fredrick demonstrate how perception is independent to sight. Where Werner chooses to be oblivious to the choices he can make, Fredrick has both the discernment and courage to say, ‘I won’t!’ to what he knows to be wrong, regardless of his impaired vision. Similarly, Marie-Laure loses her sight at a young age, yet overtime recovers her independence. When the war comes, and she begins to ask her father difficult questions. Initially, she cannot differentiate between the truth and white lies her father tells her in order to protect her innocence. However, over time she learns to questions what people tell her, what strangers say and even what her father says. In this way she learns to be to perceive truth; what is right and what is wrong, sometimes she evens questions whether she is doing what is right. When rebelling against Germany she asks herself, “we are the good guys. Aren’t we?” In this way the author both demonstrates her ability to truly see irrespective of her blindness and shows how the common trait of curiosity shared by both her and Jutta ultimately allow them both to distinguish the truth.
In contrast to Werner, Marie-Laure and Fredrick, Jutta exhibits both physical sight and moral perception. In this way Doer illustrates that these traits are not necessarily independent of each rather that it requires great strength of character to possess them both simultaneously. In a similar fashion to Marie, Jutta from an early age is curious and this has taught her to see more clearly than others. From listening to banned foreign radio, to asking, ‘questions that should not be asked’ she demonstrates no small amount of courage over the years as she persists in questioning everything that everybody else accepts. And yet Werner is surprised by how Jutta understood ‘so much about how the world worked,’ where he does not. The strength she exhibits, is the strength to bare up under all the suffering and fear and yet retain her morality. While Doer does suggest through the development of his other characters that it can be difficult, he does show that it is possible through Jutta’s character.
Although these characters develop the ability to see, Doer demonstrates through their individual journey’s the magnitude of the challenge this poses to them. In Werner’s life he shows exactly how easy it can be to fall prey to fear and to ‘shut (your) eyes.’ Yet through this we see the limitations of physical sight and how circumstances can blind you to reality. Through the other character’s lives we also see how impaired vision doesn’t prevent perception. In fact, Doer appears to suggest that impaired sight inspires the necessary moral fortitude. And although, Jutta Werner’s sister exhibits this strength and discernment from a young age regardless of her physical sight, the author still shows how difficult this can be. Through all these character’s Doer explores the limitations of sight, the importance of perception and how difficult both can be simultaneously.
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