Who are the main characters in Salt to the Sea?

Salt to the Sea takes place in East Prussia in 1945. The book follows four central characters as they evacuate their home countries: Emilia, a teenage, Polish orphan; Florian, a restoration artist from East Prussia; Joana, a Lithuanian nurse; and Alfred, a Nazi.

Who are the characters in Salt to the Sea?

Who is the bravest character in Salt to the Sea?

However, Joana, the girl who protected and nursed the characters shows the most bravery. She defied Nazi beliefs, and saved people from being tortured, and ultimately slaughtered by the cruelty of Hitler's followers.

Do Joana and Florian end up together in Salt to the Sea?

Joana and Florian get married, raising Emilia's baby and the little boy. The novel ends on a bittersweet note when Florian, twenty-three years later, reads a letter from a woman who discovered Emilia's raft on her beach in Denmark a month after the ship sank.

Is Florian a soldier?

The book follows four central characters as they evacuate their home countries: Emilia, a teenage, Polish orphan; Florian, a restoration artist from East Prussia; Joana, a Lithuanian nurse; and Alfred, a Nazi. Emilia and Florian meet when Florian saves Emilia from a Russian soldier.

Ruta Sepetys discusses her new novel, SALT TO THE SEA

Who is Clara at the end of Salt to the Sea?

Clara Christensen is a woman who lives with her husband on the coast near the sinking site of the Wilhelm Gustloff. They were the ones who found Emilia's body, but they never knew who she was.

Why is Emilia's Hunter shame?

Hunters are persistent, they patiently await the perfect moment to strike. Emilia Stożek states that “Shame is a hunter”(5). Emilia feels constant shame because she has been raped and impregnated by Russian soldiers, she copes by convincing …show more content…

What does Emilia's pink hat symbolize?

Emilia Stozek wears a pink hat in Salt to the Sea. For her, her hat is a symbol of regeneration that takes place due to the war.

What is the theme of the book Salt to the Sea?

The theme of Salt to the Sea is the importance of family.

Who is the antagonist of Salt to the Sea?

For those familiar with young adult literature about World War II, the antagonist of the story is an unusual one in that of the advancing Soviets. In 1945, Germans realize that things aren't looking good and the Soviets are encroaching closer and closer. Caught between the two sides are millions of refugees.

Is there romance in Salt to the Sea?

'Salt to the Sea' effectively blends World War II history with teen romance. In this World War II story, set during the sunset hours of the terrible conflict, Ruta Sepetys effectively spins a tale that is equal parts romance, thriller, and real life dystopia.

Will Salt to the Sea be a movie?

Universal Pictures is developing a movie based on Ruta Sepetys' historical novel “Salt to the Sea,” and set up the project with “Transformers” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. The studio won the rights in an auction.

What is the main conflict in Salt to the Sea?

The conflict of Sepetys' Salt to the Sea is the main characters' fight for survival, as Joana, Florian, and Emilia are all refugees seeking to escape... See full answer below.

Did Emilia get raped in Salt to the Sea?

The hideous story of her pregnancy unfolds: Frau Kleist, August's mother, gave Emilia to Russian soldiers when they tried to take August's sister. The Kleist family watched as Emilia was “dragged to the cold cellar” and raped (239).

What is Emilia like in Salt to the Sea?

Although she feels stalked by shame and the lies she tells herself and others, Emilia is also arguably the strongest, physically and emotionally; in Joana's words, she is “deep with strength and secrets” (228). Indeed, Emilia harbors a terrible secret: she was raped by Russian soldiers.

What does the title salt to the sea mean?

Salt To The Sea Title Meaning

Throughout this WW2 novel, we realize how much bigger the world is and our small part in it. War takes away personality–with the goal to dehumanize–just like salt blends and dissolves into the sea.

What name is on Emilia's identification papers in chapters 83 129?

What name is on Emilia's identification papers in Section 3? Una.

What motivates Emilia in salt to the sea?

Reuniting with her mother was her motivation. She would slay dragons to get to her. Mother was anchor. Mother was comfort.

What secret did Alfred reveal to Hannelore?

Alfred's final letter to Hannelore reveals the truth about their relationship and why he could never truly love her. Alfred reported Hannelore's Jewish father.

Why does fate hunt Florian?

Fate is hunting Florian, a young East Prussian man carrying a grave secret and prized treasure that could seek revenge on Adolf Hitler. Shame is hunting Emilia, a Polish girl merely trying to survive after various persecutions from the Germans and the Russians.

What does fear is a hunter mean in salt to the sea?

The hunter is a symbol of war, and it is also a symbol of the mind. Each of the characters justifiably feels pursued by Hitler and Stalin as well as by his or her conscience. Each of the main characters begins his or her first section referencing the hunt: Guilt is a hunter (1). Fate is a hunter (3).

What is the climax in Salt to the Sea?

The climax in the story was when all of the main characters heard a loud bang and the lights went out on the ship. This was the climax because the ship had been torpedoed.

How old are the characters in Salt to the Sea?

Aryan-looking Lithuanian nurse Joana is around 21 and leads a motley group of refugees on foot; Polish 15-year-old Emilia only wants to stay away from the prying eyes of predatory soldiers; Prussian 19-year-old Florian is an art student and forger with a dangerous mission; and Alfred is the outlier, a young German ...

What happened at the end of Salt to the Sea?

The letter at the end of "Salt to the Sea" is from a woman who tells Florian that she found Emilia's body on a raft, washed up onto their property. The letter provides closure to those who might want to know what happened to Emilia.

Is salt to the sea based on a true story?

At the center of "Salt To The Sea" is the true story of a doomed German ship, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Late in the war, this one-time cruise ship became part of a massive evacuation of German soldiers and civilians plus refugees from Poland, Lithuania and beyond. All were fleeing the advancing Soviet army.