The film suggests an uneasy feeling before they get in the courtroom; “from both sides”. The brilliant narrative device of using Michael’s sexual awakening with Hanna as the means to link his generation to the previous generation, allows the complexities involved to be explored on a personal level.

The Uncommon Reader Themes. When I read the book I felt that Hanna’s intentions were portrayed differently to in the film. One last thing. One of the most critical thematic elements of The Uncommon Reader is the way that Bennett explores how a monarch operates according to duty rather than desire. Enter your email address to subscribe to Cinema Autopsy and receive notifications of new posts by email. This Study Guide consists of approximately 58 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Reader. The story is told in three parts by the main character, Michael Berg. Since it's original German publication in 1995 and then English translation in 1997, it has won multiple awards and become a best seller. However, if you have questions to move the discussion, please forward to me as discussing the book is important to this group. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Or did she believe she could escape exposure altogether?

If you have any questions regarding the content of The Reader by Bernhard Schlink, its characters, or something about the analysis of this novel, feel free to put a comment under the corresponding page. I think saying that Hanna ‘dumped’ Michael as opposed to ‘left’ him is a bit more accurate considering her circumstances, however I can see from Michael’s perspective it merely looked like she had ‘left him in the dust’ because perhaps she got bored of him. To commit crimes to avoid the same thing? Michael is studying law at Heidelberg University and attends a trial of former SS guards who let 300 Jewish women die when a church they imprisoned them in caught fire.
Any thoughts? Bernhard Schlink. Hello! This wikiHow article will teach you how to activate the dark theme on Adobe... Adobe Acrobat DC is a PDF tool from Adobe Systems. The crucial decision in "The Reader" is made by a 24-year-old youth, who has information that might help a woman about to be sentenced to life in prison, but withholds it. The Jewish voice is not left out and the final third of the The Reader, where Michael is an adult and played by Ralph Fiennes, includes an important Jewish perspective. After reading twice, I chose it for my BookClub to read. Although this novella focuses specifically on the English monarchy, this idea could apply to political contexts across the globe. Print Word PDF. He is ashamed to reveal his affair with this woman.

Hi! As a film, it got me thinking, as films rarely do; that’s the DVD version, not the preferable, more impressionable sometimes big-screen. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. My granddaughter read this book as well as my daughter. In 1958, Michael Berg is a middle-class, 15-year-old living in West Germany. I have some stuff written down, but narrator techniques is definetely not among my abillities. Thank you for this site. The Reader is an adaptation of Der Vorleser, a partly autobiographical novel by Bernhard Schlink, a German law professor and judge. This website about the novel, The Reader, written by Bernhard Schlink, was published during a project work in a German class. Right from the time when Michael forms a special friendship with Sophie and neglects Hanna to some extent, guilt is woven into Michael’s emotions. This site is very helpful to me to put together some questions to help move the story and insights garnered by reading. The extent to which Hanna is guilty is a complex question and one that Michael attempts to unravel when he demands: But could Hanna's shame at being illiterate be sufficient reason for her behavior at the trial or in the camp? Readers may ask themselves these same questions. This website about the novel, The Reader, written by Bernhard Schlink, was published during a project work in a German class.We created summaries on every single chapter, wrote characterizations, built presentations, and collected information on the Holocaust topic during the weeks of our project work. Tram conductor Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet) assists him when he is sick in the street but when he returns to her apartment to thank her they begin a passionate affair. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. This is explored a lot more in the book as well. Der Vorleser = The Reader, Bernhard Schlink The Reader is a novel by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink, published in Germany in 1995. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Each part takes place in a different time period in the past. Michael is part of the first generation to come after World War II and a key theme of The Reader is how this generation of Germans, and others after it, confront the horrors of Nazism and the Holocaust. This section contains 1,353 words
Hanna’s literature about concentration camps, Michael’s Change from Youth to the Present, Transition from Reality to the Dream World of Michael Berg, Michael’s skepticism about Holocaust education. Summary, characterisations, interpretations, presentations and much more. Writer, broadcaster, film critic, public speaker and film programmer. Why is this relevant to the book? The page should give you an overview of the whole plot and the story, The Reader, with Hanna and Michael Berg. The Reader is not a cold academic exercise but a deeply moving film. So I need help in answering why exactly that event was mentioned? This first third of The Reader focuses on the dynamics of this affair and it is an erotic, tender and slightly unsettling romance. Was she simply stupid? Thanks for answering! This Study Guide consists of approximately 58 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Reader. And no one’s mother these days would say “Make sure you thank her personally”. After a brief flash-forward to Berlin in 1995, The Reader opens in Neustadt, 1958, where teenager Michael Berg, played by German actor David Kross, is sick with scarlet fever. It is an emotional and philosophical exploration of national guilt, the difference between morality and the law, and how to assign responsibility to something as evil and all consuming as the Holocaust. The Reader addresses the legacy of guilt that the Holocaust has left behind, and Hanna's question to the judge at her trial, "What would you have done?" I think the film was great, but have to agree with critics who say it should not be lauded; Kross seems a better actor when he’s angry, and who hasn’t had a Hanna or two, for those of us with any appreciation of stray nannies. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Thomas Caldwell with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Themes - Analysis of ‘The Reader’ by Bernhard Schlink Guilt. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. To accept exposure as a criminal for fear of being exposed as an illiterate? This Study Guide consists of approximately 58 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - Don’t be annoyed by our advertisements, please keep in mind that running this site without advertisements would not be possible. Can I find any information about links between some of them and the story (there is the Odyssee, of course, but he also talks about book titles like Emilia Galotti or Intrigues and Love) ? The Reader is an adaptation of Der Vorleser, a partly autobiographical novel by Bernhard Schlink, a German law professor and judge. The Duty of the Monarch. Since it’s original German publication in 1995 and then English translation in 1997, it has won multiple awards and become a best seller.

In the film The Reader Michael Berg’s daughter plays a much larger role than she does in the novel. At this trial Michael again encounters Hanna and discovers who she was prior to their affair in 1958. You can be sure one of us or another visitor will help you. Hello And what about the books Michael reads to Hanna ? This film adaptation is aware of its distinguished literary background and… We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. What role does it play? There was much more of an emphasis on the idea that she didn’t want to leave but felt she had to.

We created summaries on every single chapter, wrote characterizations, built presentations, and collected information on the Holocaust topic during the weeks of our project work. Could you maybe give me a few notes on it? This film adaptation is aware of its distinguished literary background and the serious acting, serious Philip Glass inspired score and serious cinematography all insist that The Reader is An Important Film. You can easily use it to get in touch with the book, repeat different things during reading, or prepare for an exam. Part I begins in a West German city in 1958. If you are looking for a book that is a fast read and a real page-turner that leaves you craving others to discuss its moral ambiguity with, "The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink is a great choice.It was an acclaimed book published in Germany in 1995 and its popularity spiked when it was chosen for Oprah's Book Club.The 2008 film adaptation that was nominated for several Academy Awards, with … By making this decision, he shifts the film's focus from the subject of German guilt about the Holocaust and turns it on the human race in general.