Grand Illusion- Amanda Carman

If this were a painting, the composition of this still would suggest that the flower is the dominant in the scene.  It is placed near to center against a background that contrasts heavily to its darker tones.  More importantly, the various implied lines in this piece draw the eye around the scene and between the officers in such a way as to stop it on the flower, as illustrated below:

Considering the flower's symbolic significance in this piece, it is appropriate (especially in the context of the conversation taking place in this scene) that it be the focus of attention.  As Rauffenstein says, the flower is the only plant in the whole fortress, the fortress which holds him to the last shreds of military dignity.  He and Boeldieu are both career officers: the military is their life, and despite being on opposite sides of the war they find themselves connected by that outlook and the shared experience of being trapped in a fortress that for both of them symbolizes the end of that career.  As Rauffenstein states, after the war there will be no place for Rauffensteins and Boeldieus.  At the time, World War I was considered "the war to end all wars," and if that had been the case, military as a lifetime career would very likely have ended as Rauffenstein predicted.  The flower represents his career (and by extension, Boeldieu's as well, for they are in the same position); it is ephemeral, fated to die, but he cares for it and extends its life through his care.

This scene sets up the tension and continued symbolism of the later scene in which Boeldieu dies; by placing the flower in a significant and central position during the conversation that explains the relationship Boeldieu and Rauffenstein have to each other and their careers, when that conversation is mirrored in the death scene and Rauffenstein cuts the flower from the stem we can understand that in his mind his military career and, by extension, his life has ended.