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Similes
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
All the Light We Cannot See is written in short vignettes, each of which provides a window into the life and experiences of certain characters as their paths converge with one another. This style of writing simulates the randomness of life, chance, coincidence, and the impact that a stranger’s kindness can have on the entire trajectory of a person’s life—prominent themes in the novel.
This vignette style also lends itself well to the central motif of light and sight. Each chapter only serves as a short glimpse into the lives and minds of those contained inside, like a bright but quick flash of light, a glance into someone's home through a window, or the rapid movement of electrons along wires in radios. The vignettes complement the novel's theming, providing images of lives lived, but giving the reader only a short look at a singular moment before moving on. This approach mirrors the serendipity of strangers meeting.
Doerr's writing style also leans heavily into sensory imagery, as though the senses of both writer, reader, and characters should be heightened. Doerr's liberal use of imagery is purposeful, meant to provide the reader with other ways of "seeing" the world and other people that go beyond simple sight.
Related Themes:
