"The Reader"‚ by Bernhard Schlink is set in postwar Germany and tells the story of fifteen-year-old Michael Berg and his affair with a woman named Hanna‚ who was twice his age. After some time‚ she disappears. When Michael next sees Hanna‚ he is a young law student and she is on trial for her work in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Their feelings of guilt and shame lead to Hanna’s tragic death near the end of the story. Bernhard Schlink is trying to portray these two emotions in his book as things
Free Guilt Auschwitz concentration camp Shame
More than just a book‚ The Reader reminds that the concepts of guilt and responsibility are not clear-cut ideas‚ and even more so during the Nuremberg Trials. Guilt is simply one of the many human emotions‚ but the feeling of guilt is unique to everyone and there is no one meaning for guilt. Though guilt is such a strong feeling‚ judgments must not be made simply on how "guilty" one feels for their actions. If that is so‚ then Hanna would never have gone to jail at all. Judgments should instead be
Premium Emotion Guilt Nuremberg Trials
"Leaving was her punishment." Throughout "The Reader" the relationship between Hanna and Michael changes. In Part 1 their relationship begins and develops into a very sexual and personal affair. He blames himself for her leaving him. In Part 2 it turns political and they are very separated throughout the trail‚ Michael also learns about the truth about Hanna. In Part 3 Hanna kills herself because she can’t face Michael because of what she has done. Part one is where they first meet. When Michael
Premium
The novel “The Reader” is narrated in first person by one of the main characters‚ Michael Berg. It is told in the style of an autobiography therefore includes his memories of certain events intermingled with current events. Consequently‚ these events are told from only one point of view and are reliant on one person’s memory‚ but also provide insights into Michael’s character and personality. There will be a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of having this style of narration in this
Premium Narrative Narrative mode Narrator
n part II‚ chapter eight of Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader‚ the first-person narrator Michael describes reading the account written by a concentration camp who had survived along with her mother‚ the soul survivors in a large group of women who were being marched away from the camp. He says‚ "the book...creates distance. It does not invite one to identify with it and makes no one sympathetic..." The same could be said of The Reader. The book is written in such a way as to distance one from the characters
Free Nazi Germany Germany Nazism
Essay Response To “The Reader” To what extent does Schlink in his novel “The Reader”‚ show that it is impossible to escape one’s past. In his novel “The Reader”‚ author Bernhard Schlink through the use of techniques such as structure‚ setting and characterisation reveals to an immense extent that it is impossible to escape one’s past. Schlink utilises the main protagonists of the text‚ Michael and Hanna‚ depicting their relationship‚ along with the idea of post war German guilt to further
Premium The Reader
undergoes a traumatic situation‚ the ramifications of these actions seep into an individualfs psyche unknowingly. In effect this passes through memory and becomes sub-consciously buried within a personfs behavioural patterns generally. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink explores the concept of a young mans subconscious desire for a woman whom he gcanft remember to forgeth (1Memento) as she is so deeply inlaid within his soul. Critically acclaimed as gA formally beautiful‚ disturbing‚ and finally
Premium The Reader Mind Emotion
In the story The Reader‚ the main characters Hanna and Michael are faced with several moral dilemmas‚ which challenges them into making changes that lead simultaneously growth as well as their demise. Hanna faces the challenge of deciding if her pride is worth more then her own freedom. It is in this fear‚ the loss of her dignity‚ which ultimately shapes the character she becomes in the end. Michael‚ the other main character‚ falls deeply in love with Hanna. He is forced to make a decision on whether
Premium Prison Interpersonal relationship Love
church was bombed and caught fire. The guards‚ however‚ did not open the doors and most women burned to death. Both persons read about the trial but only one of them knows that it is an extract from a book‚ the Reader (written by Bernhard Schlink) and has read the rest of the book. One of the readers is familiar with the character of Hanna Schmitz‚ the
Premium Nazi Germany The Holocaust Adolf Hitler
FOA Martijn Outline: 1: Introduction: Structure and content/part Task division Learning outcome 2: Body (2): Compare writers Writers; Background Age Stature and credibility Conclusion writers How do age‚ background and nationality of writers influence language and meaning? What are the consequences of this influence? 3: Conclusion: Effects Noor‚ Martijn‚ Joos and Nadine on language and meaning Compare gravity of different aspects’ effect Introduction: [Slide 1.] Sociologists
Free Sociology Gender Gender role