Salt To The Sea
Ruta Sepetys
Contributed by Jama Rearick
Motifs
Motifs are devices or structures that are used by artists or authors to help in the development of a theme.
Gunshots

The motif of gunshots shows up in the first sections of the novel and reappears throughout the text. Along with bringing the sounds of war to life for the reader, the repeated use of the word “bang” also disrupts the narrative,just as it disrupts the lives of the characters. Sepetys also employs the sounds of gunshots (and bombs and Russian aircraft) to unify the experiences of the characters, who, regardless of what they are thinking or doing, feel the same fear as the others when a shot is fired or the sound of a bomb reverberates through the atmosphere. The motif of gunshots closely relates to the motif of “the hunter.”

Water, Snow, and Ice

Salt to the Sea is the story of the biggest maritime disaster of all time.The motif of water in its various forms appears throughout the text, including the title.The setting is January 1945 and temperatures are bitter; snow covers everything. It slows the movement of the evacuees on the frozen roads.The characters eat snow to avoid dehydration.The open waters of the Baltic Sea promise freedom to those desperately fleeing the region. The frozen lagoon provides a shortcut to the coast. Ice also becomes a weapon of warfare when the Russians shoot holes in it to kill refugees crossing the lagoon. When the Gustloff sinks, over nine thousand perish; some drown, others freeze to death in the icy waters. Thousands of dead bodies float in the water after the ship sinks. Water gives life and also takes it away. For the survivors, water is a place of freedom. For the deceased, the ocean is an icy grave.

Memory

The motif of memory closely relates to the theme of reinventing family.The four main characters are as ensconced in memories of the past as they are engaged in the present. Memory is a source of comfort and also a source of suffering. Each is “hunted” by memories (the memory motif is related to the motif of “the hunter”) and must come to terms with what memories will not allow them to forget. For Joana, Florian, and Emilia, even the most painful memories ultimately inspire change and help create new relationships and hope for the future. For Alfred, who refuses to remember his real life and instead lives in a fantasy world, disconnection from memories of his troubled past indirectly leads to his death.

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