Kindertransport (motif)
As a Jewish child, Jacques is among the children shipped to the United Kingdom before the start of the Second World War. Kindertransport was the initiative by the government to offer asylum to children from Nazi-occupied nations. Therefore the novel delves into the purpose of this rescue effort and the impact it had on the children, whereas the program offered a safe haven it also erased the heritage and identities of the evacuees. The personal journey that Jacques is taking in his adulthood is as a result of this event that separated him from his parents.
Historical trauma (motif)
Through the protagonist, the novel showcases the shared trauma of Holocaust survivors. Jacques is burdened by a past he does not remember which affects him every time he learns about it. The more Jacques accesses his repressed memories, the more he understands how the past dictates his present. His present highlight the loss of identity that is suffered due to the historical trauma that he and many others experienced.
Holocaust (motif)
The novel highlights several aspects of the Holocaust including the aftermath and the conditions at the concentration camps. Jacques is seeking to know his past by visiting significant landmarks, libraries, and meeting historians. Thus, he finds and familiarizes himself with the records, photographs, and stories about this devastating period in history. He explores and relives this period which takes him on a powerful emotional journey. He relives the pain of Holocaust victims in the concentration camps and of the survivors all around Europe.
Nervous breakdowns (motif)
The main theme is mental health since the protagonist is dealing with mental instability and past trauma. The story delves into the mechanics of coping mechanisms and repressed memories through Jacques’s journey. He suffers from frequent panic and anxiety attacks as a result of his connection with his past. The nervous breakdowns are a response to the trauma he and others like him suffered. The burden of their past is too heavy since they are re-experiencing the shared pain and suffering.
Architecture (symbol)
Jacques gives emphasis to architectural structures and buildings to tell his story through their features. The history of architecture is incorporated in the story to symbolize the nature of history and fleeting time. The novel also contains images of landmarks, buildings, and structures that represent how the past endures in the future. Moreover, the narrative highlights the passage of time through structures that have subsisted a period of despair and destruction.
