The White Tower is a motif that emphasizes The Destructive Power of Lies and The Complexity of Human Relationships, and it is also an important point of reflection for each of the protagonists. The story of the White Tower, told by Nico and Sebastian’s grandfather, is a parable that teaches that a man would do anything to be forgiven. The White Tower functions differently for each of the characters but remains a central element of the plot and is referred to numerous times.

The White Tower plays a significant role in Nico’s decision-making and his quest for redemption. To Nico, the idea that “[a] man, to be forgiven, will do anything” becomes a concept that he lives by after realizing the impact of his actions on the train platform (66). Nico often thinks of the man in the White Tower and, like him, believes that he must do everything in his power to atone for what he has done. For Fannie, the White Tower represents the loss of her childhood innocence. When she encounters the tower after she returns to Salonika, Fannie thinks of the difference in the way that she now perceives the world after the war.