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Archive 08-19 GR Discussions
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All the Light We Cannot See, March2015 Group Read
Viola, I think that your comments about complying with authority, especially in times of extreme threat, is correct. I want to think that I would hide Jews or any other hunted people, that I would resist a tyrant, that I would.... But, I suspect that if I feared arrest, torture and death, especially of my children, spouse or elderly parents, that bravery would melt before the practical and very real presence of the fear. If it became a choice of relinquishing my radio or my life, of giving up my gun or my child, the answer would be a no brainer.As for your question about the portrayal of the blind girl in this book, I don't think that is an answerable question. It is like asking if a character was an accurate portrayal of an American childhood. There is no true blind experience. Like any other broad group to which a person might be assigned, the individual differences far out number the thing that makes them similar.
Mod
And as to the blind character, Irene said it really well. Marie is really nothing like my daughter, so there is no 'accurate' way to portray all people who are blind or visually impaired. But I am still enjoying reading this story as to how this character, who is blind, is shown reacting to an experiencing the times that this novel is set in.
I agree with Irene and Shelia about does the character of Marie show an accurate portrayal. I am visually impaired. I can only speak about my experiences. I thought the character of Marie and her being blind was a positive portrayal. I can say that I have not found many books to have a main character who is blind.
Point taken about my question. It could have been interpreted as an offensive question in and of itself. Of course everyone's experiences are unique. Still, sometimes there are things that we read in books that strike us as being completely untrue.
I don't mind when things are not entirely true. If I did, I sure would read fiction! (on a side note, thanks for disregarding my many typing errors! nanny deaths? sheesh! stinkin' phone!)I also enjoyed the supporting characters as well. I thought it was a colorful mix if personalities for the two main characters. I thought the author did a great job of creating a cast that is believable and interesting.
I read this book last summer and loved it. I didn't find the short chapters anoying and I didn't think that they distrurbed the flow of the book, in my opinion I could folow the different people and theri stories well.I didn't see this as a war story but as a story about people that happen to bee living in war time.
I somehow liked Werners story over Maries.
The character that haunted me through the book was Werner's friend (was his name Fredrick?) He remained so gentle, so positive despite the brutal world he occupied. My heart broke for his fate. There is no room in a militaristic society for the artists and poets, the gentle and the selfless. He was simply crushed.
Mod
No offense taken, Viola. :-)
I personally enjoyed Marie's character because while she was blind, she was also a well rounded, unique, strong girl. A survivor.
I don't know about anyone else, but reading All the Light We Cannot See, I just wait from page to page for the inevitable meeting of the two main characters' story lines. Unlike many above, I prefer Werner's story (not that I dislike Marie's, but I agree, the steps would vary from day to day). I wonder if he had a bit of autism. I worry for him and for his sister.
The thing that got me most about the book were the boy/young men soldiers. I know that these characters were portraying something that probably happened to many young German boys during this time. The thing that was pulling at my heart and made me read the book a little slower was that these boys were all close to my son's age when they got to Marie's town. I could see my son in The Giant, because my son was and always has been quite a large person (He's nearly 23 now, 6'3 and over 250 lbs.) I think of my Dad as a 20 year old soldier in Vietnam doing what he had to do to keep himself alive and his friends alive (didn't work in some cases) and how now as a man nearing 70 years old, what happened over there haunts him, much like the Giant was haunted by all that happened to him and Werner.
Mod
Irene, I really felt for Werner's friend Frederick too. Such a sad story, a boy who just wanted to do his own thing.
Tina, thank you for sharing! I can certainly see how these men would be haunted their entire lives by what they saw and did.
Irene, I still do not know what to think of the stone. My I have finished this week's reading, and am about half way done with next weeks. I have a theory that Marie has the stone though, as in the beginning of the book she opened a hidden box on her map and took something out to fondle it, then put it back int he hidden box. I am guessing it is the diamond, and that is why her father made her those secret boxes to open every year, then hid a box in one of her maps. To give her the diamond to hide where nobody else would find it.
Human nature is always looking to blame human behavior on things (stone and war) that are irrelevant instead of taking it at face value.
I just finished this story today!How are people enjoying the redolence of time, people, and narrative throughout the story? I really enjoyed how Doerr would connect the characters' lives to one another through both stark and at other times mundane memories from the past. Sometimes a constant reminder of perhaps their guilt or fear and at other times a force that propels them forward and gives them hope.
This book touches quite a bit on disabilities. While some are quite obvious - Marie Laure's blindness and Frederick's eventual incapacitation - others are more subtle - Volkheimer's size, Werner's size, Etienne's mental state - What are your all's thoughts on these disabilities and the role they play in All the Light We Cannot See?
Irene wrote: "Human nature is always looking to blame human behavior on things (stone and war) that are irrelevant instead of taking it at face value."I agree; it is so easy to have someone or something to blame, so much easier than looking in the mirror. On the one hand you say what choice did Werner have? But we all have choices every day. Somehow I still admired him though, all the way through, to his last moments. I think that Marie Laure did as well.
I got behind on the readings last week, but now I'm all caught up! I hope you all don't mind, but I want to comment on last weeks' questions as well as this weeks'. :-)I agree that the alternating POVs was not distracting, but that compounded with the time changes is just too much to keep track of. I'm reading.. and trying to remember what each character is doing in the designated time period and I'm just lost.
I like both of the main characters. I like Marie because I don't think I've ever read a book with a blind girl as a main character - and I love this! Because I think it adds to the description of her scenes.. And it makes me realize how much I take for-granted. When I read her scenes, I think of the obstacles she has to overcome just to meet daily needs. And I'm also in awe - because her other senses have developed to compensate for her lack of sight. I've reflected... would it be better to be born blind? Or to have sight and then become blind later? I love her father's patience in helping her adjust.
I also like Werner's storyline. I don't always comprehend all the mathematical stuff incorporated, but I can appreciate that he is intelligent and has found a niche to help him survive.
I actually just finished reading Unbroken. So, I will compare this book to that one. I've read several WWII books - the interesting aspect of these 2 books is that they tell of WWII from different perspectives. Unbroken touched based on American POW experiences, and Japan's involvement. This book incorporates German youth, and French citizen experiences. I like that WWII novels are branching out to incorporate the lesser-known or lesser-told aspects of the war.
As for following directives.. I think our society would collapse if we had to turn in electronics!! lol!! This made me think, though.. I'm grateful that war is not in our backyard.. that we aren't required to evacuate and leave our things and lives behind. I have a hard time comprehending this aspect because it seems like American wars are always fought elsewhere.
As for the readiness of the characters to turn in their radios... I think we have to consider 2 things. First, there is a general unrest and lack of acknowledgment of the war in general.. there is a denial. And there are rumors spreading about the viciousness of the Germans. Second, with Warner.. he understands the way the political climate is changing, and the necessity for survival to cut off ties to other countries and so he destroys his radio. With Marie... she is quite literally kept in the dark. This is told through her perspective. She is aware of the rumors of Germans.. but she is also not told the severity of the circumstances of this war and occupation. She does not fully understand the fear, and therefore would likely not comment on it in her sections. All she knows is that she wants to get out and see the ocean and the town, and her father keeps denying her.. and then out of nowhere, there is an order for radios to be turned in.
Ohhh! Good question, Nicholas - about the portrayal of multiple disabilities! I am only up-to-date with the reading schedule.. so I cannot say how things will turn out. But I like that people with disabilities are incorporated. I think Etienne's mental illness is particularly interesting - definitely PTSD.. and I'm most curious to see how that pans out. I know other's have mentioned Werner's autism/asperger's characteristics, but I personally do not see those qualities in him. I see Werner as a mini-Einstein who learns something quickly and loves it, and then uses it to survive.
I'm also curious about the diamond and the supposed curse that follows it. I wonder how this will play into the story later! Is Marie's father cursed?!
This book is so good! I love the portrayal of how the war affects so many different people. While the shifting of perspectives was somewhat annoying at first, I grew to really enjoy it, with it's inexorable march of the character's paths closer and closer to one another. I loved being let into Marie-Laure's world and how everyone around her adapted things to allow her to make the most out of her life. Her father had extreme patience in building those models and thought of as much as he could to protect her, keep her safe, and also develop her independence. Werner's life was also interesting - his early life near the mines with his sister in Zollverein and his time in the Schulpforta. How sad for the German youth what they went through. It's a side of the war that I've not yet read about.I agree that human nature is pretty much universal, and this story of conquest and intimidation would play itself out over and over again. We here in our society are not immune to the exact same actions and reactions. We would turn over whatever was demanded, some would turn in others, some would resist, and all would fight to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, no matter what that entailed. If you think the French gave in so easily to the Germans, don't forget that Europe is a very different place than the US. Europe is not isolated and has seen many more wars. They just went through this in WWI, and they know the risks and dangers and the end-result of non-compliance. They also knew not to trust all their neighbors.
I was excited to have had some understanding of the terrain, as I have been to Dinard and the area around St. Malo, and am a bit of a Francophile, so I always love stories set in France. It's always exciting to read about something and realize you've been there. Made me want to go back.
Hmmm, I did not understand this to be a novel heavy with characters who had disabilities: Werner's mechanical intellegence, Marie's blindness, what's his name's hight, don't see disabilities here, just varying characteristics.
Irene wrote: "Hmmm, I did not understand this to be a novel heavy with characters who had disabilities: Werner's mechanical intellegence, Marie's blindness, what's his name's hight, don't see disabilities here, ..."I so agree. Rather, to me, these characteristics made them who they are in the best way. Each of them would have been lesser and wholly different without these characteristics.
It is so difficult to "walk in another's shoes," to say authentically what we or I would have done in such a situation or would do tomorrow to save my own loved ones. I recently read Jojo Moyes's novel set in wartime France, The Girl You Left Behind, and here, too, the choices are heart-wrenching and vital and never easy or obvious.
@Kasey,You asked if it was better to be born blind or have sight and become blind later. Speaking from someone who is vision impaired, I have had my disability since 9 days old so I have will never know what is like to have 20/20 vision. I have known people who are blind from a young age and have lost their sight later in life and I think it is more devastating to lose their sight later in life because you have to relearn things to compensate for the vision loss. I have learned to compensate and lead the best quality of life I can. Of course this is just my point of view.
While I noticed the differences our obstacles the characters had to work with, for me too it was not a novel about disabilities. we all have different levels of poop to deal with, and I felt like essentially that's what the author was highlighting. The fact that nearly everyone is dealing with some sort of disability our challenge helped it to feel more universal.
The Germans started daylight savings time to save energy during WWII. Why is this still a thing. There is no evidence of saving anything, just half asleep people.
True, not a story all about disabilities. I thought it was interesting how each main character seemed to all be fighting some sort of physical challenge or ailment. Perhaps disability was too strong of a word. I do like the comment about how it makes the characters more relatable. But I also wonder if it all goes back to the quote we see over and over - Open your eyes before they close forever... That may have been a bad paraphrase of that quote! Both physical and social challenges face us all. With each of these physical challenges and changes each character faces, some overcome while others are engulfed or destroyed by them.
Werner struggles to develop in the moral sense. He is stunted in that way - always retreating to his transceiver and his work when ambiguity confronts him. Even with Jutta serving as a role model for always knowing what to do and what is right, he admits he can never figure it out for himself or see it clearly.
I definitely agree that the author was not highlighting disabilities, in a certain sense, as an axiom for the theme of the novel.
I agree that the choices the characters make in the novel would be so difficult. A major theme to so many stories written about WWII. Has anyone read In the Garden Of Beasts, by Erik Larson? Nonfiction and an interesting lead into the rise of Nazi Germany in Berlin from the perspective of the American Ambassador to Germany and his family in the early to mid 1930s, set mostly in Berlin. I think the question of what should we have done or what would we have done is so hard to answer. So much of the propaganda started early on was subtle and turned gradually more sinister over time.
I think we are all good people though :) I hope we would be able to be brave tomorrow, should we ever have to face making such deleterious decisions.
Mod
Kasey, I am wondering about the 'curse' and if Marie's father is going to be cursed, or if they are going to be the ones that show the curse is not true.
As to your blindness question, since my daughter was born blind she doesn't know anything else, so it just is what it is, she doesn't know what sight is like so she can't miss it. So there is no trauma in it for her. I would imagine it would be psychologically harder to lose your vision (or to lose any physical capability that you once possessed).
Irene, so the Germans started daylight savings time? Now I know who to blame for being tired the last week! LOL
Maureen, I would love to visit Saint Malo some day! It is going on my bucket list (along with a whole bunch of other places I would love to see in person some day!)
Mod
I'm done. I hope I haven't ruined it for anyone.
I had finished this book the previous month. I do enjoy listening to other people's opinions. Overall, I found this book hard to follow but what got me through it was Marie's story because I was most interested in her. Also I really didn't see how Marie and Werner's story merged like the summary said. I read it as two parallel stories.
I agree that the "disability" aspect makes the story more realistic and interesting. The characters are definitely more relateable this way. Sheila, for some reason... I keep thinking of this huge diamond, and it keeps reminding me of Titanic lol! I think it looks like it might be a "curse", but I also think superstition plays into it. Also - I think people can find things in their environment to support preconceived notions... So if her father believes the diamond is cursed, then he looks for facts to support this idea. Just like the idea that "bad things come in 3s"... when one bad thing happens, people look for other bad things and then say "see, bad things come in 3s!" when in actuality there is no time parameter set on this notion... Does bad thing happen in 3s over a period of 1 day? 1 week? 1 month? 1 year?? The idea is vague enough that people can find "facts" to support it, and I think the same is true with this diamond.
There does seem to be a big hubbub about this diamond though. Who is this Sgt. Major von Rumpel? What is motive to seek this diamond so vehemently? He is apparently still searching for it in 1944, as he was in 1941. This part of the story reminds me of the book/movie The Monuments Men. I didn't read the book or watch the movie, but I know the gist is to protect ancient artifacts from being destroyed during WWII. Although I'm pretty confident that the Sgt. does not have such noble motives...
Great point about losing something in which you previously had, in this case, vision. To take my question further... does one still hold the capability to visualize things after they have lost their sight? So when something is described to them.. can they use previous memory to help them visualize things in their mind? I'm such a visual person.. I like to see things, I use visual memory for lots of stuff.. like where I left my keys, or when to turn on a certain road when driving etc. (My husband likes to move my things around as he "cleans up" and this drives me nuts because my memory is based so much on visuals! lol). So I've just been pondering this idea.. if I lost my vision, would I still be able to use my memory of what objects look like to help me adapt to life without vision? And I would imagine those that have never been able to see would just be more adept at using their other senses for memory. I know my previous question posed the idea that one way or the other would be "worse" and now that I'm thinking of it, I think that's unfair because each would have advantages and disadvantages. Either way, I would say Marie has adapted extremely well to her environment and perhaps having previously had sight, the memory of what things looked like might have been adaptive for her.
As for the reading.. I'm (finally) right on track lol. I personally would prefer to stick with the schedule, but I can adapt! ;-)
@Jayme - oh no! I was hoping that Marie and Werner's stories would eventually intersect!! :-/
I have noticed some minor intersections though. Like, I believe Entienne's brother who was broadcasting shows from the attic...is the same shows that Jutta listened to on Werner's radio. And I believe the Sgt. Major von Rumple is an intersection, but honestly I lost the foundation of his character with the time transitions. All I know is he is after this diamond! Hmm.. Are there any other intersections between the 2 characters' stories thus far?
I could have missed something. When I read the summary, I thought that Werner and Marie would meet. That's what I thought when it said their stories intersected. I don't remember them meeting.
Their stories do intersect. They do meet, Jayme. You might want to flip back to remind yourself. Their meeting wasn't particularly long, but it does happen.
Mod
How funny that you mention this Kasey, and I have been picturing this diamond in the exact same way! LOL
The story was also reminding me of the Monuments Men (saw the movie, have not read the book) but there was one scene in this book where a truck had some items (named works of art) and were heading to an underground storage place, which is what Monuments Men was all about.
I am happy to keep reading on schedule. :-) Happy to have those that are done keep chiming in as we go, and the slow pokes among us (raises hand) just keep plugging along. LOL
Viola wrote: "Their stories do intersect. They do meet, Jayme. You might want to flip back to remind yourself. Their meeting wasn't particularly long, but it does happen."I had to return my copy to the library so I don't have it on hand.
The curse on the diamond is an interesting sub plot that keeps us reading to find out. It is fun to picture things that are happening and try to determine if you or the characters attribute that to the curse. Will be a good discussion at the end of the book.To those that are reading on a kindle or kindle for iPad or other tablet - make sure you learn the tools provided to make it easier to flip around, create and find bookmarks, and looks up characters/places/things. I use Kindle for iPad, and I think the tools may be similar for other tablets.
There is a feature called X-ray, that allows you to tap the icon on the top of the screen, and it will show a window of people, terms, places, etc., both on the current page and in the rest of the book. You can use that if you've forgotten who a character is. You can filter it to see only people, or only terms, or both, and you can sort it by relevance, alphabetical, or order of appearance.
There is also a feature for bookmarks. You toggle the bookmark on and off by tapping the icon at the top of the page. You can then bring up a window of all your bookmarks, notes and highlights that you have made in the book by using the notes icon. You can filter this list by starred items, bookmarks, notes, or highlights by color.
Also, when you set a bookmark, it shows as a circle on the progress line at the bottom. You can guesstimate where your bookmark is by it's location on that bar, and tap it to go to that spot.
On my iPad the icons are listed on the top right. There are 3 (4 if you have the narration/audible download.) From right to left they are: 1) Bookmark icon, which is a toggle off and on (looks like a ribbon bookmark with a 'v' cut into the bottom; 2) X-ray icon (looks like a page with an 'x' over it; 3) Notes icon (looks like a page with lines on it,) used to retrieve notes and highlights that you have made; 4) Headphones icon for the audible narration.
I didn't understand these at first and had to go learn how they worked, so maybe this will help others.
I really love the relationships built between the characters in the novel. The friendship/brotherhood between Werner and Volkheimer is amazing. It highlights the humanity underneath the soldiers. From the beginning, Werner doesn't seem to buy into the Nazi ideology 100%, but Volkheimer appears to be a good Nazi soldier. It's not until later that we get to see Volkheimer's softer side, and his protectiveness for Werner. The connection between Marie-Laure and Madame Manec and Etienne is also very sweet and provides some much needed safety and support throughout the novel. Marie-Laure is very vulnerable, and having Madame Manec and Etienne as her support team was powerful.
Mod
I have to admit though that I now feel like reading Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. LOL!
Towards the end of this week's section (page 283 of my hardcover, just before the chapter where Madame Manec gives the analogy about boiling a frog, there is a letter from Werner to Jutta, where almost the entire letter is blacked out. What do you think he was trying to tell her about?
What do you think of Madame Manec's boiling a frog analogy?
Sheila--I also felt like reading Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea!Chapters five and six were chapters I read as fast as I could; there is so much going on! These are the most painful chapters in regards to Werner's dissatisfaction with the Schulptforta and Frederick's abuse. When Werner goes to his home, we get to see the soft, vulnerable, intelligent Frederick--which we've seen glimpses of before, but this section provides more insight, and, for me, built more empathy. Frederick is simultaneously strong and vulnerable. The way he takes the beatings is horrific, but also show his strength and determination to make his family proud. Werner's obvious pain at watching this was also difficult to read, but totally realistic. What could one boy do to combat the Hitler youth?
For Marie-Laure, the chapter is one of joy. She discovers the ocean and all the tactile joys it provides. I could practically smell the salty air as she stepped onto the beach. Then the secret cavern she is giften with allows her to explore the sea away from the eyes of the soldiers (and I could sense some foreshadowing here, but I won't spoil!). When she chooses the code name "Whelk", I thought it was perfect: a hard shell of protectiveness, but unending swirls of secrets. And poor Madame Manec as the blade is pretty awesome, too. Once again Marie-Laure is faced with another soul being torn away from her.
This was another section where I kept asking "how much loss can a soul endure?" for both Werner and Marie-Laure. In spite of their losses, the writing is filled with so much hope and beauty, that it's difficult to sit in the darkness of the situations of the novel for long.
I also found the line towards the end of chapter six ("The Death of Walter Bernd") an interesting phrasing. It's as Werner is under the hotel with Volkheimer and repairing the radio. It states, "This is an act of memory." I don't know exactly why that stuck with me. Doerr could have written "This is an act of muscle memory" or "This is an act of repetition" or something. But it's an act of memory. For me, this implies more than just the muscles remembering what to do... There's a lot of depth to Werner and fixing/building a radio isn't just putting wires together, but a history of wires and music and broadcasts. Positive and negative. Jutta and Volkheimer. That's a heavy line to end that section with, and there's a lot relying on Werner's ability to make a radio. I am really enjoying the way Doerr writes and his ability to say so much with few words.
Mod
Frederick's beating was horrible, and it was so sad to see what ended up happening to him. He stood up for his beliefs, and in the end he lost. Sad.
I thought Werner was a victim of circumstances, he thought he was doing the right thing by joining the Nazi group and living in an orphanage didn't help his situation. Marie was a survivor from the beginning so brave of her to want to walk on her own to the museum with her father. In essence he prepared her for what was coming.
Sheila wrote: "This book is told in short chapters, alternating between our two main characters. What does everyone think of this format? Also the time frame is going back and forth in time, starting in the war,..."
I didn't mind the way it was laid out because it was well done.
@Sheila - I also wondered about what they are writing to each other in the messages. It seems so much is censored, nothing of any value really gets through. Ugh - everything that happened to Frederick was awful. :-( That made me so sad.
I wonder what 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and All the Light We Cannot See have in common ?
Mod
Good question Irene. I have wondered that myself. Is that book somehow related, or just a random choice by the author?
They both have a homophone for the word Sea in the titles?
Mod
Madame Manec dies, and Marie takes over the retrieving of the bread. Etienne starts transmitting the numbers over the radio, and it makes him feel alive. Why does this become a turning point for him?
Werner then hears their broadcast, but tells nobody. Why? Does he really recognize the voice from the broadcasts of his childhood, which was really just a few years past? Why does he risk not telling though? He even goes out on his own, sees Marie. With all that is going on, with all that he has been involved with and seen, why risk this now?
Mod
Or maybe you can't see any light when you are 20,000 leagues under the sea? LOL
I suspect that Etienne no longer feels powerless when he begins transmitting those numbers. There is something that gives energy when we believe we are contributing to a righteous cause that is bigger than ourselves. Before this, when he was a weak civilian hoping for a saving army or political solution, his powerlessness to effect the outcome of the conflict created a type of depression. It allowed him to remain in the PTSD of his earlier experiences. Plus, it reconnected him to his younger self when life seemed to have great possibilities.I do think that Warner recognized that voice. Those radio transmissions of his childhood were extremely significant to him. I think they remained in a place of prominance in his memory. I think that Warner always had misgivings about the political direction of Germany. He feared the soldiers as a child in that orphanage. He became very troubled by the way Frederick was treated by the teachers and students in the boarding school. I think he continues to carry guilt over not protecting Frederick, even if he was not responsible. He wants to have Frederick's courage to stand up against forces of evil in some small way.
Irene wrote: "I suspect that Etienne no longer feels powerless when he begins transmitting those numbers. There is something that gives energy when we believe we are contributing to a righteous cause that is bi..."I agree. Each character takes a final stand, one s/he knows will likely be fatal, but takes it anyway. This is life.
Chicks On Lit
Books mentioned in this topic
The Storyteller (other topics)Pastel Orphans (other topics)
The Girl You Left Behind (other topics)
All the Light We Cannot See (other topics)
Blind (other topics)
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I'm not sure where you all are in the reading schedule, so I'll try not to give anything away.
1.) I was not a huge fan of the switching character narratives + time switching. I found it confusing to keep track of who was when and where. It makes me prefer physical books, because flipping a physical book is much easier than flipping through a Kindle book. But I read this on a kindle. I'm currently reading another book that does the same thing -- switch characters and time frames. I guess it's in fashion. I think I was okay with just one or the other -- either just switching characters OR just switching time frames. But when you add both together, I tend to get confused. It takes me time to figure things out. I go back and forth. And in the end, I wonder, was that really necessary???? Seems like extra work for no gain.
2.) I preferred Werner's story. I connected with his "engineering" mentality. I'm not an engineer, but my father is one and so is my husband. They all have this deep fascination with how things work, with technology, and I find it all very charming.
Sheila -- I find it interesting that you have a blind daughter. Do you think that this novel accurately captures a blind girl's experience?
3.) As to your question about turning in our computers/phones, I find your question almost offensive. It feels like you are using hindsight to look down upon those who did turn in their radios. To say, oh, WE would NEVER do that, because somehow WE are better (or stronger, smarter, or more principled). And I disagree. I don't think that the people back then were lesser than us today.
I think of the Milgram experiments. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_...) And think of how much we are willing or not willing to do based on social context and based on authority.
There are (or were) schools that banned phones. I believe that NYC public schools was one of them. And you know what? For the most part, the students complied. A new market emerged -- trucks that would be phone lockers for students. I hear that NYC public schools recently repealed the ban. But, my point still stands. Depending on the context, people for the most part still comply with authority.