The main theme that is seen very clearly through their relationship is Michaels inability to stand up for himself and continually be submissive due to his immense fear of losing Hanna, “Then when I proceeded to get bad-tempered myself and we started a fight and Hanna treated me like a nonentity, the fear of losing her returned and I humbled myself and begged her pardon until she took me back.
The reader by bernhard schlink essays trial#
Stage three of their love affair is when Hanna is brought to trial for her participation in war crimes and their relationship is ended. Stage two the relationship starts to grow and they both become more emotionally invested and Michael starts reading to Hannah because she claims “You have such a nice voice, kid, I’d rather listen to you than read it myself” (Schlink, p.42), but later we come to find out she was indeed just covering up her white lie that she was illiterate. Stage one of their relationship is very sexual and personal affair, it’s very revolved around being intimate with each other physically but not emotionally. Hanna and Michaels relationship goes through many stages throughout the book. He is able to place certain hints throughout the complicated love story that eventually lead the readers to feel considerate towards the Nazis as well.
Schlink isn’t blunt about his empathy towards Nazi’s, because it’s a very uncomfortable thing. Hanna is very vague about her past and emotionally very closed off and this is because she is desperately trying to hide her most shameful secret which is, she is illiterate. When Hanna and Michael would fight, she would refuse to take any blame and thus bullying Michael into holding himself responsible for the misunderstanding. Hanna and Michael have a very toxic relationship, since she is twenty-one years older than him, she is very dominant and also dismissive towards him. Michael falls in love with Hanna after they sleep with each other for the first time. Hannah is 36 years old she is a streetcar conductress and a former participant in war crimes as a former Nazi prison guard.
Hanna Schmitz is portrayed in the novel through her lovers eyes Michael who is often conflicted about her. Bernhard Schlink used his novel The Reader as a way to create a feeling of empathy towards the Nazis in the Holocaust.