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  • Essay / All the Light We Cannot See: The Role of Radio in the Life of Werner Pfennig

    “All the Light We Cannot See” written by Anthony Doerr is a novel set during the Second World War, following the lives of two protagonists. The first being a blind girl, Marie-Laure Leblanc, living in Nazi-occupied France and the other being an orphan boy living in Germany, Werner Pfennig. While living at the orphanage with his sister, Werner discovers a broken radio. This radio is a profound and powerful moment in Werner Pfennig's life that provokes a change in the way he contemplates and interprets the world, changing his actions throughout the book. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay At the beginning of the novel, Werner is described as being driven by his passion to understand the world around him. When Werner discovered radio, he fell in love with the concept: "A mouth against a microphone on a distant but simultaneous evening - the witchcraft of it keeps him captivated." » Radio allowed Werner to develop his knowledge and understanding of physics. Listening to the Frenchman's soothing voice, Werner's curiosity was aroused and the radio was essentially what allowed him to attend Schulpfota's school. During Werner's time at the Schulpfota-based school and working for the German private force, obsessed with hunting and extinguishing Nemesis radio transmitters, he could find comfort and safety when near the radios . “Seeing them so far soothes him, as if he had turned around and found an old friend floating beside him in the middle of the sea.” This quote describes young Werner's emotional attachment to radios. In the midst of such extreme and unusual circumstances, Werner was able to retain the familiarity of his innate understanding of mechanics. Towards the end of his short but incredible life, he finally managed to free himself from the grip that Nazi Germany had placed on him. the ideology possessed by his actions. “Open your eyes and see what you can do with them before they close forever.” This particular quote is mentioned four times throughout the novel and was said by the Frenchman when Werner first discovered radio. The repetition of this significant quote allows readers to notice that Werner had difficulty interpreting its meaning. Werner's exposure to the outside world, mediated by wave frequencies and transmitted by radios, allows him to see through the propaganda and think critically about the manipulation of the German Nazis. By saving Marie Laure's life, Werner demonstrated that he had finally understood what the Frenchman had said several years earlier. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, this novel allows readers to visualize the role and effect of radios during Werner Pfennig's lifetime. This essay analyzes just three of the many cases where Werner was affected by the broken radio. Radio allowed him to gain understanding, which provided him with an incredible opportunity to change his worldview and ultimately grow in his beliefs and values ​​as an individual..