A little bit about Anthony Doerr
Anthony Doerr was born in Cleveland, USA in
1973. A short story writer and novelist, he has
won three O. Henry Prizes, the Rome Prize, the
Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, the Hodder
Fellowship at Princeton University, and a 2010
Guggenheim Fellowship. His most recent novel,
All the Light We Cannot See, won the Pulitzer
Prize for Fiction.
‘All The Light We Cannot See’ is the beautiful,
stunningly ambitious instant New York Times
bestseller about a blind French girl and a German
boy whose paths collide in occupied France as
both try to survive the devastation of World War II. This brilliant read is currently
in the ring for a major blockbuster TV or film adaption.
Reading Comprehension Activity
Reread the lines indicated with each question below. Answer each
short question, citing text evidence (P.Q.E.)
1. Lines 1–11: What details does the author use to describe the precise setting into
which Tom is born?
2. Lines 15–23: What major conflict is introduced in this passage? How does Tom’s
mother respond to the problem?
3. Lines 66–77: Does Tom’s reaction to the book seem extreme? What does his
reaction reveal about him?
4. Lines 91–100: Recall the first mention of the curtains in line 20. What might the
curtains symbolize for Tom?
5. Lines 115–116: What is the meaning of this figurative language? What does it
reveal about Tom?
6. Lines 136–152: What conflict arises between Mother and Mr. Weems? How is
the conflict resolved, and how does this resolution affect Tom?
7. Lines 153–173: Do you find it believable that Ruby would seek out Tom? Why or
why not? What do these two characters have in common?
8. Lines 229–239: Describe the effect of the colour imagery in these lines. What do
the various colours represent? Yellow, orange, and red are considered warm
colours, while green, blue, and violet are cool colours. Why did the author
choose yellow for the flame inside Tom’s chest?
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