The majority of this novel takes place in Nazi Germany during WW2. While the book covers many significant events that happened in the war (such as the Holocaust, the invasion of Paris, and Russian sieges) Doerr does not go into very much detail when he talks about these events; he presumes that the reader has some basic knowledge of the time period to start with. With this in mind think about how the war relates to the development of the characters. In Germany around the 1930s, Germany was controlled by the Nazi party (a fascist group who wanted an active military, racial purity, and strong government control). Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of the Nazi party believed that Jews and other minority groups were the roots of Germany's social and economic problems. Nine years later in September, Hitler launched full- scale war (he wanted to conquer Europe) He succeeded in winning battles with Poland, Russia, The United Kingdom, and France. However, in 1944, Russia made key advancements, and the U.S. joined the fight creating the “allied powers” of Russia, The United Kingdom, and The U.S. Soon after the war in Europe ended in 1945 as Germany surrendered. The events of WW2 significantly affected the lives of protagonists Marie-Laure and Werner. Marie-Laure is forced to flee Paris with her Father when it is invaded. Werner is caught up in the Nazi cause, but after witnessing terrible things on the Russian front, he begins to question the morality of the regime. And both protagonists are affected by the bombing of Saint-Malo, where the Allies attacked only because it was an outpost for the German occupation.
In All the Light We Cannot See, the French resistance of 1940 is another critical factor. While it unclear how much this event affected the fight against the Germans, most of the people fighting in this war were Nazi soldiers that had no loyalty to Hitler just like Werner. The moral ambiguity of this resistance has been captured in this novel through Etienne LeBlanc who is a resistance fighter that is unsure who and what he fights for. But at the same time, the novel demonstrates how women and children such as Marie-Laure and Madame Ruelle have found subtle ways to fight against the Germans. In the U.S WW2 is often presented to us with clear lines between good and evil/ right and wrong; however, Doerr shows how during the war many moral distinctions were blurred. As All The Light We Cannot See presents people living in the WW2 era had to make many decisions that crossed minor ethical lines (or, more often, between complicity and resistance). European civilians such as Werner and Marie-Laure shaped by the immense political forces in their countries, and they had to react to these forces with their own decisions, for example, Werner’s decision to go to the boarding school.
In All the Light We Cannot See, the French resistance of 1940 is another critical factor. While it unclear how much this event affected the fight against the Germans, most of the people fighting in this war were Nazi soldiers that had no loyalty to Hitler just like Werner. The moral ambiguity of this resistance has been captured in this novel through Etienne LeBlanc who is a resistance fighter that is unsure who and what he fights for. But at the same time, the novel demonstrates how women and children such as Marie-Laure and Madame Ruelle have found subtle ways to fight against the Germans. In the U.S WW2 is often presented to us with clear lines between good and evil/ right and wrong; however, Doerr shows how during the war many moral distinctions were blurred. As All The Light We Cannot See presents people living in the WW2 era had to make many decisions that crossed minor ethical lines (or, more often, between complicity and resistance). European civilians such as Werner and Marie-Laure shaped by the immense political forces in their countries, and they had to react to these forces with their own decisions, for example, Werner’s decision to go to the boarding school.