The chapters are brief to respresent the the fast-paced life of war.

In Medias Res represents the situation of the characters who are thrust into conflict. This concept is represented in the novel by starting with Werner and Marie-Laure in the middle of the bombing. The novel then jumps to the beginning of the story and works its way back to the middle. For instance, the first part discusses the destruction of the bombing Saint-Malo. In the next part, the reader goes back in time to when Marie Laure was still in Paris and Werner was in the orphanage before working its way back to the climax.

Etienne's brother, the French man on the radio that Jutta and Werner listen to as children, has made a big impact on the course of Werner's life. It inspired him to begin his education. The characters can learn from each other's experiences from the educational radio.

The dual narrative structure allows the readers to analyze the conficts of war through different lenses. From these prospectives, the readers explore the human cost of war and the interconnectedness of distant lives, which highlights both resilance and brutality.

In the novel, letters are used to connect characters across countries and timelines. The letters contribute to themes of solitude and disconnect. The letters also add to the structure with their placement being prior to the characters' discomfort.

In the book, while Werner and Marie-Laure are very different their stories are so similar as they try to navigate self-identity in a war-filled world that contradicts those ideas. For example, the use of the radio connects their stories; not only did both listen to the radio's science broadcasts at some point, but the speaker in radio that Werner idolizes so much and inspires his actions that lead to his involvement in the Nazi Youth also happens to be Marie-Laure's grandfather who passed away before she was born. Even though neither child have met the man in the radio, he has had a massive impact in both of their lives, spurring them both to make life-altering decisions.