The Reader:

By: Bernhard Schlink

Page Number: 218

Published on: 1995

"To accept exposure as a criminal for fear of being exposed as an illiterate?" (pg. 133)

Thoughts:

Justice, in theory and practice, gets re-evaluated and re-defined at times when the legal system proves inadequate to solve new problems. Law is shaped by the resolutions reached during such decisive times. A great example of such an era is depicted in The Reader.

Nazi regime in Germany between 1933 to the end of World War 2 was a fascist government style. Nazi leaders led the nation with dictatorship, racism, and extreme nationalism. The atrocities committed against Jews and ethnically non-German populations were not solely done at the hands of the government but by many of the German civilians.

After the war, the trials held in the International, German, and Israeli Courts, introduced questions that did not have definitive answers in law practice. Many were skeptical about if it would be possible to persecute the vast amount of people who had Nazi affiliations in Germany.

On what evidence was the defendant to be persecuted if the system that submerged the whole nation was inherently criminal? Who was to be held responsible for the Holocaust; can you hold every guard, officer, and involved individual responsible? Or should the blame fall on the leaders only? If everybody was following the road drawn by Hitler, should Hitler be the only responsible party?

Not having definitive rulings for those questions allows the judges to decide based on individual cases. The judge can decide the final order based on the available evidence, the defendant's role in the crime, the defendant's attitude, and the strength of the case.

In the book, the accused Frau Schmitz, or Hanna, is given a life sentence based on her role as an SS guard at Auschwitz and in the death marches. It becomes apparent that Hanna's involvement in the SS was for her to avoid being exposed as an illiterate. The main character realizes the reason behind Hanna's involvement with Nazis but does not justify it. Understanding the crime in the criminal's mind does not mean freeing them of the consequences. He understands and condemns Hanna's actions.

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Quotes:

- "We did not have a world that we shared; she gave me the space in her life that she wanted me to have. I had to be content with that." (pg. 77)

- "Leaving was her punishment." (pg. 83)

- "I also remember that the smallest gesture of affection would bring a lump to my throat, whether it was directed at me or at someone else. Sometimes all it took was a scene in a movie. This juxtaposition of callousness and extreme sensitivity seemed suspicious even to me" (pg. 89)

personal rating of the book: 6/10