The Medium is the Message?: Radio, Propaganda and Polemics in Anthony Doerr’s All The Light We Cannot See

Abstract

The interface between war and technology has piqued literary interest in recent decades, for technology has redefined human conflicts and disrupted human lives in unforeseen ways. Technological advancements in the field of communication have revolutionised warfare, and radio technology is one such innovation. This article aims to study the medium of radio as represented in Anthony Doerr’s novel, All the Light We Cannot See (2014), to gain insight into the pivotal role radio plays in times of crisis. It seeks to explore the relationship between the nature of the medium, the message it carries and the reception of the message, for which it will situate the novel within the theoretical framework proposed by Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan. This, in turn, will also shed light on McLuhan’s postulations.