ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE

Discussion Questions and Quotes to Ponder

Discussion Questions:

1. Would Werner grow up to be like Etienne if he had survived the war? How are these characters similar?

2. Do you think Werner's childhood is essential to his decision to leave the diamond behind?

3. If Werner had survived, what type of relationship do you think he and Marie-Laure would have had?

4. Would your reaction to the story been changed if it was told in order rather than moving around in the timeline?

5. By the end, do you believe Sergeant von Rumpel wanted the stone for Germany or for himself? Is he really a

bad guy?

6. Why does Marie-Laure work so hard to keep the stone hidden just to throw it away? Why not just let von

Rumpel have it if she doesn't want it? Did she make the right decision?

7. Did the curse take Marie-Laure's eyesight after the museum tour?

8. Is the diamond actually cursed?

9. Rape is often a big moment in character development but this story presents it as a minor event and then never

really mentions it again. Why do you think the author chose to include it in the story at all and in this quick way

compared to the development all the other events received?

10. Why does Werner put the key in the house?

11. Is Frederick the weakest cadet? What lessons does Werner learn from him? How is Werner changed by

having met Frederick?

12. What is the light that the title refers to?

Interesting Quotes and Passages to Discuss:

"Your problem, Werner," says Frederick, "is that you still believe you own your life."

"Open your eyes, concludes the man, and see what you can with them before they close forever, and then a piano

comes on playing a lonely song."

Above Fort National, the dawn becomes deeply, murderously clear. The Milky Way a fading river. He looks across

to the fires. He thinks: The universe is full of fuel.

The upperclassman hands over a third pail. "Throw it," commands Bastian. The night steams, the stars burn, the

prisoner sways, the boys watch, the commandant tilts his head. Frederick pours the water onto the ground. "I will

not."

Werner waits for the child to blink. Blink, he thinks, blink blink blink. Already Volkheimer is closing the closet door,

though it won't close all the way because the girl's foot is sticking out of it, and Bernd is covering the woman on

the floor with a blanket, and how could Neumann Two not have known, but of course he didn't, because that is

how things are with Neumann Two, with everybody in this unit, in this army, in the world, they do as they're told,

they get scared, they move about with only themselves in mind. Name me someone who does not.

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