Le Silence de la Mer Flashcards
(31 cards)
1
Q
Relationship between l’oncle et la nièce
A
- Stronger relationship at the start
- He breaks his silence - she disapproves –> emotional toll of war and the resistance
- They try to go back to the way it was - they’re not on the same page anymore
2
Q
Relationship between l’oncle et Werner
A
- More and more distrustful of him
- In the beginning liked him and looked forward to him talking, worries about him
- Disbelieving of his ignorance of Hitler
- Notices his absence at the end
3
Q
Relationship between la nièce and Werner
A
- Ignores him - passive resistance - knitting etc
- Symbol of France and Germany - gendering of the nations - opposites - union by the occupation
- Love? - says goodbye -> jealous of ex - breaks thread
4
Q
L’oncle et la résistance
A
- Silence - passive
- Finds it hard to maintain - emotional impact
- human / average person
5
Q
L’oncle et la dignité humaine
A
- respectful, polite
- still acts kindly to Werner
6
Q
L’oncle personality
A
- Cultured / well-off -> educated, books, arts, château
- Old fashioned -> stereotypical views - werner’s eyes, routined, patriotic, gender roles - he is in charge
- Questioning / suspicious -> internally questions the actions / intentions of Werner, wonders what the niece is thinking
7
Q
L’oncle role as narrator
A
- Vercors’ mouthpiece
- Attentiste - ordinary French
- Represents his views - unreliable
8
Q
Role and importance of oncle
A
- Human dignity - who is the real enemy
- Human / average person - anyone can resist
- Reality / toll of war - hard to maintain resistance - must persevere
- Narrator
9
Q
La nièce as a symbol of France
A
- Strong and resistant - uplifting country
- Passive resistance - inspiration
- Human dignity - the real enemy
10
Q
La nièce et le silence
A
- Vigilant - refuses to speak - ignores him completely - much stronger
- Acts as normal - passive resistance
- Affected by the silence - not to same extent as oncle
11
Q
La nièce in a female role
A
- Asked for bedding - femme au foyer
- knits, sews, cooks
- Critique of nazi sexist ideology
- Quiet strength of France
12
Q
Impact of war on la nièce
A
- Used to be musical - like Werner
- Stopped now - piano - more serious
13
Q
Ending for la nièce
A
- 1 line to Werner - breaks silence - human dignity - looks at him - recognises existence for first time
-Adieu - knows she won’t see him again
14
Q
Role and importance of la nièce
A
- Resistant - strong France in the face of the occupation
- Stereotype - anyone can resist, critique nazis
- Human dignity - talks to him - recognises him is more important than silence - he is not the real enemy
15
Q
Werner as typical nazi enemy
A
- Aryan race - not obviously German - uncle thinks he is Dutch initially
- Indoctrinated into the party - group not the individual
16
Q
Background of Werner
A
- Small German village - brainwashed
- Status - nice clothes, officer - career army
- Physically doesn’t fit - symbol / metaphor
17
Q
Werner personality - respectful
A
- Talks kindly - je vous souhaite une bonne nuit
- Understands their resistance - doesn’t want to push them - talks in statements not questions
18
Q
Werner and the arts
A
- Shows off education - art, literature, music
- Musician above all - forced to choose
- Believes in their cultural union
19
Q
Werner’s views of France and Germany
A
- France = sweet, innocent - niece
- Germany = harsh - ex girlfriend in Germany
- Dreams of their union - genders them - marriage, mother
- Even he cannot escape the oppression - broken by the realisation - loses naivety - Othello
20
Q
Werner change in character
A
- Condescending and irritating - mansplaining the occupation, looks down on France
- Broken by realisation in Paris
21
Q
Role and importance of Werner
A
- Show the enemy
- Make the reader question their thinking - unsure, kind, then see his true self - make them always wary
- Understand the indoctrination - he truly believed them - power of propaganda - be careful
22
Q
Passive resistance
A
- Forced to host a soldier - lack of choice - silence is the only way to resist -> understood by Werner
- Refuse to change anything
- Becomes hard - wears on them - pushed to their limits - losing strength - do talk to him both
- Werner like them at the end - leaving to die - only way to resist
23
Q
Audience viewpoints
A
- Patriotism - Werner uses their story to justify his agenda
- Aggravated - hating on the French, taking from them
- Offended - laughed at, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about
24
Q
Human dignity
A
- Help soldiers - place to sleep, still tolerant and polite
- Takes Werner to his room - respectful
- Let him speak to them - can’t be cruel even to the enemy
- Lacking in Werner - hurtful, wants to destroy their country, all for him
- Uncle welcomes Werner, niece says adieu
25
Stereotypes
- Blond soldiers
- Domestic women
- Germans very different - not French
26
Life in war
- Shortages
- Less light
- Conserve energy
- Sewing - make do and mend
27
Gender roles
- Werner and niece = France and Germany
- Weakness of France - submissive and domestic
- France = dream princess - fairy tale
28
Beauty and the beast
- Mansplaining by telling them the story - its French
- France and Germany = princess and captor - will eventually love it and join in a beautiful union
29
France and Germany metaphors
- Mum and child - dependent, taking from them
- Must love each other for the union to work
30
Macbeth
- Parallels to Hitler - crimes on his hands
- Useless power - fear not loyalty - get nowhere - about power not support from his people
31
Change
- Werner in uniform again - barely recognise him - going to eastern front to die
- 'back to normal' when he's gone - strained, new normal
