Plot
What does Werner find behind a storage shed when he was eight? (Jerrae)
What is Daniel Leblanc's responsibilities in his job? (Kaydee)
He is the principal locksmith at the National Museum of Natural History. In the morning, he stands in front of the key pound and gives out keys to the employees.
In this passage, "a half-dozen American artillery units drop incendiary rounds into the mouths of mortars", what theme is present here? (William)
The destruction of war / World War II
What are the two literary devices found in the quote below? "Then she hears its as big as a matchbook, a day later it's blue and as big as a baby's fist." (Casey)
Simile and visual imagery.
What is so special about the Sea of Flames when someone obtains it? (James)
It gives the person eternal life but gives bad luck at the same time
When the Germans are nearing, how does this impact the French people? (Edlan)
The French people felt fear, the Germans were very cruel and were very powerful.
How does Daniel LeBlanc take care of Marie-Laure? Give 2 examples and explain. (Kaydee)
He is patient when he takes care of Marie-Laure, such as when Marie-Laure was challenged by her father to navigate home. Her father was supportive and was here for her when she's nervous. Her father also creates puzzles and a model for her to be independent and trained, this shows how he cares for her future.
Identify one theme in the following quote, "Marie-Laure LeBlanc stands alone in her bedroom smelling a leaflet she cannot read", and what is the mood created? (Edlan)
The theme is loneliness/isolation. The mood is very dark, stressful, and urgent as she is all alone without any understanding of the urgency.
What 2 literary devices are in the quote: "as though a spotlight has been shined into a wedge of bloodshot water, and the sky has become the sea, and the airplanes are hungry fish, harrying their prey in the dark." (Carson)
Metaphor and simile.
At what age was Werner when he was able to repair radios? (Janson)
13 years old.
When Jutta is eleven, what does Werner catch Jutta doing? (Jerrae)
Jutta is caught on the radio listening to German planes bombing Paris.
In the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, who is the "aging mollusk expert" that Marie-Laure often visited? (Carson)
Dr. Geffard.
Jutta: "They said they wouldn't let us swim with a half-breed. Unsanitary. A half-breed, Werner. Aren't we half-breeds too? Aren't we half our mother, half our father?"
Werner: "They mean half-Jew. Keep your voice down. We're not half Jews. We're whole German. We're not half anything."
What theme can you identify and why is it important to the story? (Jessica)
The theme in the quote is war anxiety/paranoia. Jutta is saying that they're Jews and at the time Germans hated Jews so if they heard what Jutta said they would be killed. This is important to the story because it shows how the war affects the children physically and mentally. It also shows how war can shape a person. As they have to be careful of what they say/do to avoid extreme consequences at a young age.
"Her Majesty, the Austrians call their cannon, and for the past week these men have tended to it the way worker bees might tend to a queen. They've fed her oils, repainted her barrel, lubricated her wheels; they arranged sandbags at her feet like offerings." What 2 literary devices are listed and what does this illustrate about the significance of the cannon to the Austrians? (Casey)
Simile and personification - they usually spoil the queen by describing what the Austrians do for the queen. It creates this worshipping quality as if addressing Her majesty, this shows how important of a weapon it is.
Marie Laure: "How far is Evreux?"
Daniel LeBlanc: "It will take us two years of walking to get there"
What does this quote tell us about Daniel Leblanc's personality during these type of situations and how does this affect Marie-Laure? (Jessica)
Answer: This tells us that Daniel Leblanc likes to joke around and lighten the mood in these situations. Showing how considerate and thoughtful her father is too. This could make Marie-Laure happier and not worry about the situation.
What does Daniel Leblanc and Marie-Laure do every Tuesday? How is this significant towards Marie-Laure in the future? (Jessica and Jerrae)
Marie and Daniel goes out to the neighborhood to practice Marie's navigational skills, this is significant in the future if Marie-Laure wants to evacuate out of the neighborhood by herself in wartime.
How does Werner’s creativity lead him to join the war? (James)
His ability to fix radios help Germans communicate well in the war.
“A demonic horde. Upended sacks of beans. A hundred broken rosaries. There are a thousand metaphors and all of them are inadequate. Forty bombs per aircraft, four hundred and eighty altogether seventy-two thousand pounds of explosives.” What is the theme present here and the significance of this quote? What figurative devices can you see? (Edlan)
The theme is war/war destruction/human conflict. The broken rosaries and the bombs convey how much war and violence there is. "A thousand metaphors (...) are inadequate" shows how much suffering and chaos brought by the war. These themes highlight the physical and emotional effects of conflict. Figurative Device is Metaphor.
“Otherwise, the night is dreadful. Silent: no engines, no voices, no clatter. No sirens. No footfalls on the cobbles.” What figurative language is used here, and how does the phrase help to further extend the tension in the story. (Kaydee)
The figurative device used here is anaphora. The repetition of "no" becomes overwhelming for the readers. There are no sounds and the silence can create tension and there are only sounds of airplanes, making the scene very silent.
Who is Monsieur Giannot and where does he live? (William)
He is a friend of the museum's. He lives in a town called Evreux.
How does the location of the 2 characters' birthplace affect their destiny in the war? Explain why. (Janson)
Marie-Laure was born in France, which was in war, and she was constantly running from war. Werner was born in Germany, which is currently attacking Marie-Laure's country.
What are two qualities that Marie-Laure develops and what is Daniel Leblanc's role, respectively, in the development of these qualities? (William)
Marie-Laure develops resilience and independence, despite her blindness. Her father is essential in the development of these qualities: he creates a model of the city, then trains Marie to interpret it and connect it with the real city, and also gives her a book to read independently in her free time.
List 3 themes presented in Part 1 and explore their significance to the story. (Casey)
Propaganda: this creates tension and anger.
War: By mentioning war, it could showcase the situation of the story.
Love: With love mentioned in the story, it illustrates the love of the characters they have for each other.
What is this figure of speech and what effect does it create? In this quote, "Marie Laure knows this even though her back is to him, even though he says nothing, even though she is blind - Papa's thick hair is wet from the snow and standing in a dozen angles off his head, and his scarf is dropped asymmetrically over his shoulders and he's beaming up at the falling snow." (Carson)
Irony. It emphasizes the power of intuition and emotional connection.
What are the similarities between Marie-Laure and Werner? Why does the author make these similarities? (Janson and James)
Both are curious and independent. This creates a relationship between the two. This creates different perspectives between the two sides in war as well, showing the difficulties that war creates on both sides and how innocent civilians are affected.