Hanna Schmitz's Illiteracy

Hanna Schmitz’s illiteracy played a pivotal role throughout the novel. Moreover, this is most notable during Schmitz’s war trial. This became a very repetitious act for this character throughout the novel. The literature suggests that the biggest life decision the former Auschwitz guard made through illiteracy, was the decision of the prison sentence. Schmitz found that it was easier to settle for a life sentence, than to come clean about the issues regarding her illiteracy. "So you're saying that the arresting judge misinterpreted the fact that the defendant ignored all letters and summonses, and did not present herself either to the police, the prosecutor, or the judge?" (Schlink 98) The biggest struggle that Schmitz faced was keeping her