Harry Mulisch, through his novel The Assault, describes the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1945 with full emphasis on the impact on people's lives. Anton Steinwijk, the novel's protagonist, goes through a traumatic experience when the military attacked and killed his entire family. His desire to leave what happened to him in the past is influenced largely by his devastation and undesirable perception of war from what he has experienced. Furthermore, the people around Anton encourage him to expect a peaceful future, away from war. The light and darkness symbolize Anton's perception of the war, and the ashes of the volcano represent traces of his past, which influence how Anton reacts in times of difficulty and when approached with information from the past. Darkness was used extensively to describe the conditions Anton has to live in Haarlem during the first episode. The descriptive visual images of Haarlem show insight into how Anton relates to Haarlem. A cynical and condescending comparison is made regarding Haarlem, which looked “like one of those spent gray clinkers they used to pull out of the stove” (Mulisch 9). The association of darkness is referenced in terms of color and shadows and shows how Anton lives in the atmosphere of darkness. Such images formulate Anton's perception of seeing Haarlem in a negative way, as all of this is related to darkness and chaos. In addition to the city's appearance, the house in Haarlem where Anton had lived is illustrated negatively by showing “heaps of unironed shirts” and “closed curtains against the cold” (9). Furthermore, Anton is not allowed to play outside and has to experience terrible conditions that trap him in isolation and limitations as a child. ...... middle of paper ...... rest of Anton's family and why the attack ever happened, "even though there are no ashes in sight." (Mulisch 84). Mulisch's use of light and dark motifs explains many of Anton's reactions when confronted with problems from his past. Perception of Darkness Anton Steinwijk, the main character, experiences such aggression from soldiers during the occupation and his family is killed by them. His desire to leave behind what happened to him in the past has been deeply influenced by some of the people he meets and by trauma. The light and darkness symbolize Anton's sensory perception and moral questions conveyed by the people he met, which influence him by observing the war and his last years of life, and the desire to leave the past behind and move forward. Works Cited Mulisch, Harry. The Assault. Trans. Claire Nicolas White. New York: Pantheon Books, 1985. Print.