Doerr’s authentic telling of the past displays certain moral and mental developments within the novel that both protagonists face, like Werner’s disloyalty to the fascists, which altogether proposes a more complicated portrait of heroes and villains. By having two protagonists on opposite sides of the war, Doerr skews the definition of hero and villain furthermore, leaving it ambiguous so that the readers can articulate their own opinions. This depiction shows how in the novel the two main characters are portrayed through their similar experience in the loss of their youthful innocence due to the war, yet their status as enemies in the war clearly separates them.

In the novel, Doeer characterizes Werner when he writes, “He is undersized and his ears stick and he speaks with a high, sweet voice the whiteness of his hair stops people in their tracks Snowy, milky, chalky” (Doerr 24). However, in All the Light We Cannot See, Doerr alters these standards by producing sympathy within the reader through one of the main characters, Werner. This type of writing is described by Kevin Vanzant when he describes, “Author’s scope can appear quite limited and even dishonest if they seem to be claiming a measure of objectivity that for many is no longer possible”.

By ignoring the true character of Germany and characterizing them as an evil tyrannical monster, most historical fiction author’s poorly depict Germany. In the genre of historical fiction, most of the time Germany is portrayed as the evil assailant of the war.

To do this, Doerr creates a realistic novel by using characterization and character interaction, the theme of the tragedy of war, and the symbolic nature of the radio to commemorate the memories of World War II before they transform into history, which overall aids in writing a successful historical fiction novel. In All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr redefines the definition of a hero and villain by creating a story of two innocent children on opposing sides of World War II. By presenting the reader with opposing narratives of two coinciding lives riddled in war, Doerr allows the reader to articulate their own opinions on the endeavors that are presented before them, rather than having their opinions chosen for them. However, Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See, employs this genre differently by allowing the reader insight into not only one member of a past society but two. In historical fiction, authors utilize the genre to give readers insight into a member of a past society, allowing for a connection between them and this past society.

The light which we cannot see