Essay 2
“Stories make us more aware of how human imperfections shape the way composers
represent human experiences.”
Historical fiction ignites insightful ideas about the past by conveying truths about the fundamental
inconsistencies regarding human imperfections and how these imperfections shape the composers enable
us to see our world differently. In Anthony Doerr’s contemporary novel, ‘All the Light We Cannot See’
(2014), the setting of World War II transforms the individual’s experience, through highlighting the
individuals exposure to juxtaposing feelings of fear and determination amongst a climate of trauma
.Through this, individuals face the conflicts between their morality and patriotism catalysing the
inconsistencies in human behaviour, resulting in the individuals unreliability regarding their alliances.
Furthermore, the text illustrates the exploitation of language by political institutions in the form of a
single story and its function to manipulate the collective experience through propaganda. Through
utilising the historical fiction medium, Doerr exhibits the ability of stories to convey the inconsistencies
of the human experience and its imperfections and the effect of these inconsistencies on both the
individual and collective.
The variability of the individual experience, especially amidst the climate of war is conspicuous through
the individual’s fallibility regarding their inability to maintain conflicting feelings of fear and
determination. The backdrop of WWII in Doerr’s novel depicts collective loss through the universal
experiences of death, violence and loss that were contextually unanimous. These experiences resulted in
the perpetuity of the individual experiences through conflicting feelings of desolation and betrayal felt by
the collective. The perpetuity of the human experience is initially introduced through Doerr’s
characterisation of the protagonist Marie-Laure, whose loss of her father transitioned her from a
defenseless character into a self-reliant and courageous individual. Initially, Marie-Laure’s dependence on
her father, a result of her blind state is captured through the metaphor “every second it feels as if her
father slips farther away.” showcasing her inability to restrain her feelings of sorrow following her
father’s disappearance. Despite this, Marie-Laure’s desolate experiences transition her perspective of
misery to betrayal. Through Marie’s exclamation “he left me with nothing!” Doerr expresses her
inconsistent feelings to represent the juxtaposing feelings experienced by both the individual and
collective amidst moments of loss. Doerr further highlights this transformation of the fallible nature of
humanity through Marie Laure’s uncle Etienne Leblanc who had not “gone outside..not for years.” due
to his traumas from the previous war. However Etienne is later forced to overcome his trauma to save
Marie. Doerr’s employment of the truncated sentences “Twenty heartbeats, Thirty-five minutes. He
twists the latch, opens the gate. Steps outside.” reinforces the inconsistency of the human experiences
of trauma through conveying the opposing feelings of fear, and determination faced by Etienne. Thus
Anthony Doerr’s utilisation of the historical fiction medium enables him to convey the fallibility of
inconsistent experiences within humanity through showcasing the variability of the human experience of
trauma and its effect on the individual through his characterisation and setting of the story amongst the
climate of WWII.
Distinction between motivations that fulfill morality and patriotism is indispensable to the individual as
the inability to distinguish the two lead to inconsistencies in human behaviour, catalysing the individuals
unreliable hubris in their alliances. During WWII soldiers on both sides were killed for desertion and
minor acts of subordination due to the inability to distinguish between their morality and patriotism.
“Stories make us more aware of how human imperfections shape the way composers
represent human experiences.”
Historical fiction ignites insightful ideas about the past by conveying truths about the fundamental
inconsistencies regarding human imperfections and how these imperfections shape the composers enable
us to see our world differently. In Anthony Doerr’s contemporary novel, ‘All the Light We Cannot See’
(2014), the setting of World War II transforms the individual’s experience, through highlighting the
individuals exposure to juxtaposing feelings of fear and determination amongst a climate of trauma
.Through this, individuals face the conflicts between their morality and patriotism catalysing the
inconsistencies in human behaviour, resulting in the individuals unreliability regarding their alliances.
Furthermore, the text illustrates the exploitation of language by political institutions in the form of a
single story and its function to manipulate the collective experience through propaganda. Through
utilising the historical fiction medium, Doerr exhibits the ability of stories to convey the inconsistencies
of the human experience and its imperfections and the effect of these inconsistencies on both the
individual and collective.
The variability of the individual experience, especially amidst the climate of war is conspicuous through
the individual’s fallibility regarding their inability to maintain conflicting feelings of fear and
determination. The backdrop of WWII in Doerr’s novel depicts collective loss through the universal
experiences of death, violence and loss that were contextually unanimous. These experiences resulted in
the perpetuity of the individual experiences through conflicting feelings of desolation and betrayal felt by
the collective. The perpetuity of the human experience is initially introduced through Doerr’s
characterisation of the protagonist Marie-Laure, whose loss of her father transitioned her from a
defenseless character into a self-reliant and courageous individual. Initially, Marie-Laure’s dependence on
her father, a result of her blind state is captured through the metaphor “every second it feels as if her
father slips farther away.” showcasing her inability to restrain her feelings of sorrow following her
father’s disappearance. Despite this, Marie-Laure’s desolate experiences transition her perspective of
misery to betrayal. Through Marie’s exclamation “he left me with nothing!” Doerr expresses her
inconsistent feelings to represent the juxtaposing feelings experienced by both the individual and
collective amidst moments of loss. Doerr further highlights this transformation of the fallible nature of
humanity through Marie Laure’s uncle Etienne Leblanc who had not “gone outside..not for years.” due
to his traumas from the previous war. However Etienne is later forced to overcome his trauma to save
Marie. Doerr’s employment of the truncated sentences “Twenty heartbeats, Thirty-five minutes. He
twists the latch, opens the gate. Steps outside.” reinforces the inconsistency of the human experiences
of trauma through conveying the opposing feelings of fear, and determination faced by Etienne. Thus
Anthony Doerr’s utilisation of the historical fiction medium enables him to convey the fallibility of
inconsistent experiences within humanity through showcasing the variability of the human experience of
trauma and its effect on the individual through his characterisation and setting of the story amongst the
climate of WWII.
Distinction between motivations that fulfill morality and patriotism is indispensable to the individual as
the inability to distinguish the two lead to inconsistencies in human behaviour, catalysing the individuals
unreliable hubris in their alliances. During WWII soldiers on both sides were killed for desertion and
minor acts of subordination due to the inability to distinguish between their morality and patriotism.
