Emmitouflee answers “[Spoiler Alert] Why do you think the...”

Genetta asked this question about All the Light We Cannot See:

[Spoiler Alert] Why do you think the author decided to add the rape scene? Does it add anything to the characters' arcs? Does it propel the plot forward? Does anything result from that scene? Frau Elena, Jutta, and the other three girls were already obviously miserable. The reader has already experienced the cruelty of war. Why was the rape scene necessary?

Emmitouflee I think it was because after Germany was defeated, and occupied by Allied forces, millions of German women were indeed raped primarily by Soviet soldi…moreI think it was because after Germany was defeated, and occupied by Allied forces, millions of German women were indeed raped primarily by Soviet soldiers, but also by soldiers from the US, UK, France and so on. The women are hardly the central focus of the book, and most of the action takes place far away from them, highlighting their innocence, and yet they had to endure such suffering. It just further compounds the cruelty of war.

I think it was masterfully done, and we so often shy away from this harsh truth in history classes and history books, because it is much easier to portray the Allied forces as the "good guys," period, and a mass raping of helpless women makes us uneasy and doesn't align with our narrative of war, so I'm glad the author didn't try to just ignore that part of history. It stands in stark contrast to Volkheimer's arc, as by the end of the novel, despite killing hundreds of people, we don't see Volkheimer receive any sort of specific punishment.(less)

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Randall Smith The numbers are much higher. The Soviets are said to have committed 2,00,000 rapes in Germany alone. When you add in the rapes that occurred across Ea ...more
Jul 27, 2018 05:19PM

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All the Light We Cannot See

by Anthony Doerr (Goodreads Author)

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