Human Experience in 'All The Light We Cannot See' and 'The Book Thief'

It is important for texts to challenge preconceived assumptions and ignite new ideas about the human experience, providing insight into society and the wider world and the anomalies of human behaviour. The texts “All the Light We Cannot See” and the “Book Thief” epitomize this concept through the discussion of the duality of the timeless concern of conflict, challenging us to empathise with both sides of the story by framing them as collectively part of the human experience. Additionally, the texts deal with the idea of breaking out of stability, igniting ideas about how we should behave in our own comfort and society.

Anthony Doerr’s “All the Light We Cannot See” explores the collective human experience of conflict, as it challenges the responders assumptions by contrasting this common definition, and displays a broader perspective of both sides of the story, allowing us to empathise with each character through the use of third person narrative. The text also represents the individual universal human experiences of relationship and interconnection through Marie-Laure and Werner, by bringing them together despite the conflict around them. Doerr uses Werner as a strong example of this contrasted conflict by choosing to ignore the fact that Marie is on the opposing side of the war, and expresses endearment through the way he behaves around her, giving us insight towards the inconsistency in human nature showing how we would do anything for someone we truly care about.

“He hears only static. He will cover the signal meter with his palm. He will keep his face completely motionless.” Doerr uses tricolon on “He” to emphasise how Werner would go through all these rebellious things for this one a girl who he barely knows, again expressing the human experience of love and endearment, proving that even through conflict, these human experiences transcend any opposition they feel for each other. This also represents the experience of stability and disillusionment as it shows that Werner could’ve chosen the easy path by following societies normalities, but instead chooses not to reveal anything about Marie or the signal to protect her. This demonstration of breaking out of his stability and becoming disillusioned, thereby creating his own path and risking his life for the sake of a girl whilst ignoring the Nazi propaganda, is an example of an anomaly in the human experience, challenging us to analyse the direction of our own lives. “Is it right,” Jutta says, “to do something only because everyone else is doing it?” The use of Rhetorical question challenges the audience to rethink about what is right or wrong.

Similarly, through the direction of Brian Percival, “The Book Thief” details a World War II story of a young orphaned girl living in Nazi Germany with her foster parents, and challenges the assumptions about the universal experience of conflict as she questions the status quo and becomes disillusioned with the society surrounding her. Like “All the light”, the “Book Thief” challenges the experience of conflict by taking two characters from opposing sides of war, and joining them together despite the fact that they were considered enemies. This experience is exhibited through Hans and Liesel, as they express empathy by opening up their home to a Jewish man who they hide, risking their lives to do so. During the scene where Liesel is talking to Max about why he is hiding, Liesel mentions “Don’t worry I cried a lot too”, showing how their suffering and the destruction of war has only brought them closer, challenging the assumption of conflict and how through suffering, conflict becomes insignificant, thus putting into perspective how war divides people, but in the grand scheme of things everyone is still human. Throughout the film Hans’s family and Liesel constantly choose to stand up for what is right instead of blindly following the Nazi propaganda and conforming to the pressures of society, relating to the experience of stability as they choose to step outside their comfort zone such as when Hans willingly hides a man in his home or by letting Liesel keeping a stolen book.

Therefore, through the study of the texts “All the light” and “The book thief”, we are able to gain insight into anomalies of the human behaviour, and are able to challenge assumptions and ignite new ideas through human experiences.