21st Century Literature discussion

Please don't read any further if spoilers will bother you.

Use this space to discuss Marie. For instance:

What did you think of Marie? How did Doerr create a 'voice' for her that gave her an identity? How did your opinion of her change over the book? How well did you feel able to understand her blindness and her view of the world from within it? How did you feel about her final chapter and the way her life turned out?

I was sort of surprised that in 1974 she did not tell Jutta how Werner had saved her life. It was such a missed opportunity. Marie could, I think, have helped Jutta.

And I'm not sure why the final chapter was included. Perhaps the author intended it as a warning about forgetting. See page 529: "Every hour, she thinks, someone for whom the war was memory falls out of the world."

Is it too awkward and heavy handed to suggest that Marie is a metaphor for the blindness with which most must endure/survive through war that surrounds them? That careful thought, preparation, caution are important, but still an encompassing blindness exists? Or is Doerr saying something entirely different when he makes this main character blind?

I find Marie charming and likeable as a character. Clearly, she is deeply loved, by her father, by Etienne, by people of the town (not all) and household. And yet, her father and Etienne place her at great risk, even as they make elaborate efforts to protect. The creation of that tension between safety making and need to confront/escape/confound the danger probably strikes me as much as anything Doerr does with this story, although I suspect we will get to other issues as well.

Lily wrote: "Is it too awkward and heavy handed to suggest that Marie is a metaphor for the blindness with which most must endure/survive through war that surrounds them? That careful thought, preparation, cau..."

Lily, I would not claim your idea to be either "awkward" or "heavy-handed." This suggestion is plausible, especially since Marie survives despite her blindness. She also does not suffer the fate rumored when the Nazis are advancing; while vulnerable, she is not raped or tortured. Jutta, however, is not as fortunate. She does endure being raped.

Marie seems to be protected, but I don't think Doerr means her to be somehow special because of this. Instead, I think she is an example, as are the other characters, of the twists and turns of fate during times of crisis. Good people suffer, bed people suffer, all people suffer in some way.

Marie in her blindness does not see the dark, she sees colors and going into the dark grotto brings no fear. Also, she carries the light, the Sea of Flames. So I sense that she represents a broad or long view that, for me, helps to put war itself in an ecological perspective. Humans are cruel and loving and brilliant and stupid. If I look closely I can probably see that even when we're phenomenally wrong-headed, we often have our hearts in the right place.

Lacewing wrote: "If I look closely I can probably see that even when we're phenomenally wrong-headed, we often have our hearts in the right place...."

Which is certainly often "light we cannot see."

Lacewing wrote: "Marie in her blindness does not see the dark, she sees colors and going into the dark grotto brings no fear. Also, she carries the light, the Sea of Flames. So I sense that she represents a broad o..."

I found it interesting that, although Marie was limited in some ways by her blindness, that it was an advantage in certain weird ways. For example, although she could not determine if it was day or night time, she didn't think twice about walking into a dark room or space. Werner, on the other hand, was trapped in a dark area for days, and the lack of light and supply of batteries created dramatic tension.

Linda wrote: "I was sort of surprised that in 1974 she did not tell Jutta how Werner had saved her life. It was such a missed opportunity. Marie could, I think, have helped Jutta.

And I'm not sure why the fi..."

Yes, I wondered why Marie did not tell Jutta too. Jutta needed that. Was that intentional on Doerr's part? Lost opportunities and eternal pain -- that sort of thing?

In the epilogue the world has moved on, is rebuilt. The war is her grandson's history, but not his experience, and history and experience never equate. This can lead to repeating mistakes, but it also frees one generation from the heartache and pain of another's. Maybe it's just me, but despite the sweet relationship between Marie and her grandson, who always visits to walk and talk, I felt a great gulf between them, that difference between history and experience. I didn't think, like some, that the epilogue was unnecessary. I thought it showed Marie's isolation as the world slowly healed leaving her behind with the pain of her memories and losses.

Xan, it occurs to me now that the epilogue ties into the author's intent, that he wishes for us to put that war to rest. I link it to the fairy tale opening mood which also signals days gone by.

Lacewing wrote: "Xan, it occurs to me now that the epilogue ties into the author's intent, that he wishes for us to put that war to rest. I link it to the fairy tale opening mood which also signals days gone by."

I can't imagine such to be Doerr's intent -- i.e, for us to put that war to rest.

Into perspective, maybe. To "understand" once again what we must try to avoid repeating?