All the Light We Cannot See
Paper Airplane
by Anthony, Doerr,The chapter “Paper Airplane” follows Jutta and her son Max as they navigate an evening in Paris, blending moments of exhaustion with fleeting glimpses of wonder. After visiting a museum filled with natural history exhibits, Jutta feels drained, leaning against a tree while Max questions her fatigue. The city around them feels quiet, with few cars and the glow of televisions illuminating windows, creating a sense of isolation. Jutta reflects on how the absence of bustling crowds allows people to forget the weight of history, as if the earth itself buries memories beneath its surface.
As they return to their hotel, the mundane details of their journey—the elevator ride, the maroon-and-gold carpet—contrast with Max’s childlike curiosity. He struggles with the room key, while Jutta responds to his questions with quiet resignation. The hotel room becomes a space of juxtaposition: Max folds a paper airplane from stationery, embodying innocence, while Jutta turns on the television, seeking distraction. The view from the balcony evokes nostalgia in Jutta, reminding her of the cities she once drew as a girl, now replaced by the real, fragmented skyline of Paris.
The television broadcasts a soccer match, its tension mirroring Jutta’s internal state. A pivotal moment in the game—a ball rolling unchecked toward the goal—parallels her own sense of unresolved emotions. Meanwhile, Max launches his paper airplane into the night, a fleeting gesture of freedom and imagination. The scene captures the duality of their experiences: Max’s playful exploration contrasts with Jutta’s contemplative detachment, highlighting the gap between childhood wonder and adult weariness.
The chapter culminates in a phone call, as Jutta reaches out to her husband, her voice connecting across the distance. Max’s paper airplane hangs momentarily in the air, symbolizing the fragile, transient nature of their moments together. The juxtaposition of the soccer match’s unresolved tension and the quiet “hello” on the phone underscores the chapter’s themes of connection, memory, and the passage of time. Through subtle imagery and dialogue, the chapter paints a poignant portrait of a mother and son navigating their shared yet separate worlds.
FAQs
1. What details from the natural history museum does Francis share with Jutta and Max, and how might these details contribute to the chapter’s themes?
Answer:
Francis mentions “forty-two thousand drawers of dried plants,” “the beak of a giant squid,” and “a plesiosaur.” These specific, scientific details contrast with the chapter’s emotional undertones, highlighting how knowledge and discovery coexist with human fatigue and memory. The vast collection of plants suggests preservation and cataloging, which parallels Jutta’s own attempt to mentally preserve moments while grappling with exhaustion. The extinct plesiosaur and rare squid beak subtly reinforce themes of transience and the passage of time, mirroring Jutta’s reflection on how “the sod seals [bodies] over” and memories fade.2. Analyze the significance of the paper airplane scene in the chapter’s closing paragraph. How does it connect to broader motifs in the narrative?
Answer:
Max’s paper airplane, folded from hotel stationery and launched over Paris, symbolizes both fleeting childhood innocence and the fragility of human connections. Its brief flight—”sail[ing] a few dozen feet and hang[ing] for an instant”—mirrors the transient nature of the moment Jutta shares with her husband on the phone. The airplane also contrasts with the televised soccer game’s tension, emphasizing small, quiet acts of creativity amid larger, impersonal events. This motif of flight (birds, airplanes) recurs in Jutta’s observation of Paris’s “wheeling flock of birds,” tying the scene to themes of freedom and impermanence.3. How does the chapter use sensory details and setting to convey Jutta’s emotional state? Provide specific examples.
Answer:
The chapter immerses readers in Jutta’s fatigue and introspection through vivid sensory cues. Auditory details like “gravel crunch[ing]” underfoot and the televised soccer game’s distant excitement contrast with her quiet exhaustion (“I’m tired, Max”). Visual imagery—blue-lit windows, the “river of maroon” carpet, and the “half block of Paris” she observes—creates a melancholic, detached mood. The absence of crowds (“all the bodies”) amplifies her isolation. Even tactile details (removing shoes, fumbling with a key) ground her weariness in physicality. These elements collectively paint a portrait of a woman mentally and physically drained, seeking solace in small rituals (calling her husband) amid an impersonal urban landscape.4. Interpret the line: “It’s the absence of all the bodies, she thinks, that allows us to forget. It’s that the sod seals them over.” What might this reveal about the novel’s exploration of memory and loss?
Answer:
This reflection suggests that physical absence (whether through death, distance, or time) enables forgetting, as there are no tangible reminders to keep memories alive. The “sod sealing over” bodies evokes burial imagery, implying how nature obscures traces of the past. Jutta’s observation underscores the novel’s preoccupation with how memory functions—or fails—in the face of erasure. It also hints at collective amnesia; the blue glow of televisions in windows symbolizes modern distractions that further distance people from history. This line positions forgetting as both a natural process and a societal choice, raising questions about responsibility toward remembrance.
Quotes
1. ““And Francis said there are forty-two thousand drawers of dried plants, and he showed me the beak of a giant squid and a plesiosaur …””
This quote captures the wonder and curiosity of discovery, as Jutta recounts the marvels of the natural world to Max. It sets a tone of awe and reflection that contrasts with the chapter’s later themes of absence and memory.
2. ““It’s the absence of all the bodies, she thinks, that allows us to forget. It’s that the sod seals them over.””
This poignant reflection by Jutta highlights the chapter’s central theme of memory and loss. The physical absence of those who are gone makes it easier for the living to forget, a thought that lingers as she navigates the quiet streets of Paris.
3. “The half block of Paris that she can see reminds her of the cities she drew as a girl: a hundred houses, a thousand windows, a wheeling flock of birds.””
This beautifully descriptive passage ties Jutta’s present moment to her childhood imagination, emphasizing the continuity of memory and the way past and present intertwine. It also paints a vivid picture of the scene, grounding the reader in the setting.
4. “No one is there to kick it away. Jutta picks up the phone beside the bed and dials nine numbers and Max launches an airplane over the street. It sails a few dozen feet and hangs for an instant, and then the voice of her husband says hello.””
This closing passage juxtaposes the mundane (a soccer game on TV) with the profound (Jutta reaching out to her husband). The paper airplane, a fleeting moment of suspension, mirrors the delicate balance between isolation and connection that Jutta feels.