The Assault Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

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The Assault Symbols, Allegory and Motifs

By · Edited by Jessica Fonvergne · Last reviewed

The gun

The gun is what set everything off, and when Anton finally sees it, it appears like a relic from a different time. Truu, the woman who comforted Anton as a scared boy in a cell, was the one who used it and hit the target. It is a cruel irony of fate that Anton has to come to terms with.

Light and darkness

Young Anton finds himself in a prison cell with an unknown woman. She talks about light and darkness. She compares light to love and darkness to hate. The woman talks about having to hate Fascists and how it is right to do that because it's done in the name of light, whereas Fascists hate in the name of darkness.

Dice

Finally, with his uncle in safety, Anton puts his child hand in his pocket and finds one of the dice from the game he played with his brother and father. It is the only thing left from his home, from his life that he will never get back.

Ravage

"Ravage" is the missing word in a word puzzle that Anton couldn't remember until the last piece of puzzle of his past had been placed. Everything that happened on that dreadful night was a combination of destructive circumstances that culminated and brought disaster upon his family.

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Study Guide for The Assault

The Assault study guide contains a biography of Harry Mulisch, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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