UNVEILING HANNA SCHMITZ: A SOCIOCULTURAL ANALYSIS OF MORALITY, GUILT, AND MEMORY IN BERNHARD SCHLINK'S THE READER

Mahir Ahmed Bakr, Zanyar Kareem Abdul, Ahdiyeah Alipour

Abstract


This paper, titled "Unveiling Hanna Schmitz: A Sociocultural Analysis of Morality, Guilt, and Memory in Bernhard Schlink's The Reader," explores the enigmatic character of Hanna Schmitz by examining her moral decisions, guilt, and the influence of societal norms. Through an in-depth analysis, it delves into the complexities of identity formation, memory, and the aftermath of historical trauma, offering insights into the human condition. The study reveals the external factors and internal motives behind Hanna Schmitz's involvement in the Holocaust, following a sociocultural analysis of various aspects that entangle the main character in the consequences of her choices, ultimately leading to her suicide. The analysis highlights how literacy and education can become destructive tools when wielded by ignorant and arrogant elites to segregate and manipulate. Hanna suffers from a societal disease that shapes her actions and fate. The paper argues that society and the tyrannical regime play pivotal roles in shaping Hanna's unfortunate destiny. Her struggle with illiteracy and her efforts to conceal it further underscore the societal pressures and personal conflicts she faces.

Keywords


Hanna Schmitz, Holocaust, Illiteracy, Post-war Germany, Power dynamic, sociocultural

Full Text:

PDF

References


Evans, R. J. (2005). The third reich in power. Penguin Books.

Fritzsche, P. (2008). Life and death in the third reich. New York: Harvard University Press.

Fulbrook, M. (1992). The two germanies, 1945-1990: Problems of interpretation. Macmillan.

Giesen, B. (2004). Triumph and trauma. Paradigm Publishers.

Johnson, E. A., & Reuband, K. H. (2006). What we knew: Terror, mass murder, and everyday life in nazi germany. New York: Basic Books.

Kershaw, I. (2001). The hitler myth: Image and reality in the third reich. Oxford University Press.

Meinecke, W. F. J. (2007). Nazi ideology and the holocaust. New York: Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Schlink, B. (1995). The reader. New York: Penguin.

Snyder, T. (2015). Black earth: The holocaust as history and warning. Tim Duggan Books.

Tetruashvily, E. (2012). A moral dilemma: Evaluating the reader as a representation of the holocaust. TCNJ Journal of Student Scholarship, IV.

Uzun, G. S. (2022). Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader, the trauma of second-generation Germans. European Journal of Language and Literature, 8(2), 33-43. https://doi.org/10.26417/ejls.v10i2.p34-40

Winfrey, O. (1999). Oprah’s book club selection: The Reader. The Oprah Winfrey Show.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30743/ll.v8i1.9059

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Fakultas Sastra 
Universitas Islam Sumatera Utara (UISU), Medan
Jl. Sisingamangaraja Teladan Medan 20217
Telp. (061) 7869911, e-mail: language_literacy@sastra.uisu.ac.id