Guilt, Shame And Betrayal In 'The Reader'
analytical Essay
661 words
Prompt 4 : The context of guilt, shame and betrayal in''The Reader''
By Andreas Kill
The Reader is a novel by Bernhard Schlink set in postwar Germany. The novel revolves around the live of Michael Berg, who, at the age of 15 met and had a love affair with Hanna, a much older woman in her 30's. After a brief afair that lasted only months, Hanna dissapeard one day, leaving Michael to face inner termoil regarding the reasons for her disertion of him. Many years later, when Michael is a law student, they met again at a war crimes trial. A war crimes trial for Hanna, who worked at Auschwitz concentration camp. In the end, their feelings of guilt and shame lead to Hanna's tragic death. But why did the author place so much emphasis on these emotions? In doing this, Berhard schlink was trying to portray these emotions as things which can destroy us, and those around us. Exsamples of guilt, shame and betrayal can be found all through the novel, but I will focus only on three of them in this essay. The first major exsample is the shame of adults, including Michaels father, for their acceptance of the Nazi regime during world war 2. The second is Michaels guilt for betraying Hanna by not aknowledging her at the swimming pool. And the third is Hanna's own shame at being illiterate.
During the time in which the novel is set, many parents lived in the shame for tolerating the actions of the Nazi regime. Michael explains how you people reacted to their parents as more and more discoveries about Nazi atrocities were being made by saying, 'We in all condemned our parents to shame, even if the only charge we could bring was that after 1945 they had tolerated the perpetrators in their mist.“ (34). The shame caused by thier tolaerance ...
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...e, as shown when she refuses to have her handwriting tested against the written report during the trial. Instead she opts to take the full blame. It is ironic that while her illiteracy lead Hanna to make many unwise choices, becoming litterate in the end of the novel, and the subsiquent knowledge she gained by reading, brought about her untimely death.
In conclusion it is important to distiguish between the concepts of shame and guilt in he context of the reader. All key junctures in The Reader are more closely related to shame then with guilt : Hanna's shame about her illiteracy, Michaels shame at reveiling his relationship with Hanna, ect. An analysis of guilt would require the asking of questions relating to morality and hence responsibility, wheras shame has more to do with self conciousness nad self awareness, and is irrelevent in determining culpability.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the context of guilt, shame and betrayal in andreas kill the reader, a novel by bernhard schlink set in postwar germany.
- Explains how many parents lived in the shame for tolerating the actions of the nazi regime. the shame prevented michael's father from creating a true bond with his children.
- Analyzes how michael and hanna began to grew apart towards the end of their relationship. michael sees hanna, but doesn't acknowledge her presence because his friends are there.
- Analyzes how hanna's shame of being illiterate is one of the defining aspects of her life, leading to her court appearance and life-time jail sentance.
- Concludes that it is important to distiguish between the concepts of shame and guilt in the context of the reader.
Related
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- Concealed and Confessed Guilt in The Scarlet Letter and Macbethargumentative essayHester Prynne has a fairly unconventional approach to her “sin.” She does not feel ashamed of her wrong and therefore does not feel guilt as others in The Scarlet Letter do. She is marked with a large “A” for her sin of adultery and embraces this by embroidering the letter. "And never had ...
In this essay, the author
- Compares the themes of concealed and confessed guilt in the scarlet letter and macbeth. the guilt is seen in the minds and outward appearance of hester prynne and arthur dimmesdale.
- Explains that the human conscience makes it difficult to completely forget about a wrongdoing. it shatters barriers and in turn causes the doer to admit his/her wrong.
- Analyzes hester prynne's unconventional approach to her "sin." she is marked with a large "a" for her sin of adultery and embraces this by embroidering the letter.
- Compares dimmesdale's approach to dealing with his sin to that of a moral leader.
- Compares macbeth's guilt to the guilt dimmesdale feels, but not replicated. they both begin to go mad when the sin begins to tear the mind apart.
- Analyzes how guilt in similar situations can end so differently, as seen from the examples from the scarlet letter and macbeth.
542 wordsRead More - Guilt in The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorneanalytical essay“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23). Since the beginning of time guilt has existed, and in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, guilt illustrates itself through adultery involving Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale resided in New England during The Puritan Age and committed adultery while Hester’s husband was out of town. Hester’s sin did not go unnoticed, as her baby illuminated the situation. While Hester’s mister hid in the shadows, she was branded with a scarlet letter A for adultery as punishment for her sin. The scarlet letter was more than a piece of cloth over her chest; it was reminder to everyone around about Mrs. Prynne’s actions. Hawthorne uses biblical and spiritual allusions to argue that guilt causes individuals to change their lifestyles.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne's the scarlet letter illustrates guilt through adultery involving hester prynne and reverend dimmesdale.
- Analyzes how hawthorne uses allusions to the bible to argue the change in lifestyle brought forth by guilt. hester's suffrage from receiving the scarlet letter parallels the mark that was branded to cain when he killed his brother abel.
- Analyzes how hawthorne uses biblical allusions as evidence towards guilt changing dimmesdale’s lifestyle.
- Analyzes how hawthorne's allusions to the bible argue the lifestyles of sinners and their product were twisted due to their guilt. hester and dimmesdale attempted to ignore the changes brought forth in their lives, not realizing that guilt will instill itself in the possessor if they don't fight back.
774 wordsRead More - The major theme of the book is shown through the bonds of friendship and how in the most of unlikely circumstances friendship can survive and exist between people possessing an extensive and most restrictive division. A second theme is the evil and the intolerance which existed around these times of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust, as seen by the Germans having the Jews in the concentration camp. And the third theme is the curiosity and innocence of Bruno, Shmuel and Gretel, who all seem to fail to properly notice and understand what is really happening in the world around them, all contrasting with the well acknowledgement of others, such as Lt. Kottler.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes john boyne's book "the boy in the striped pyjamas" set in nazi germany and poland in 1940s. the story concerns a young german boy named bruno, his family, and the unlikely friendship he has between another boy imprisone
- Analyzes the themes of friendship, evil, intolerance, and curiosity of bruno, shmuel and gretel, who fail to understand what is happening in the world around them.
- Analyzes how boyne uses the settings of berlin and auschwitz to highlight and scrutinize the major themes of the book.
- Analyzes the prominent settings used throughout the novel, including berlin and auschwitz, the fence, and the gradual changes of gretel's room.
- Analyzes how the first theme in the novel highlights the contrast of locations and the division of the two races.
- Analyzes how the friendship between bruno the german and schmuel the jew is reflected in the locations of berlin and auschwitz.
- Analyzes boyne's application of childhood and its innocence in its manner to display and show the idea that no one is different from each other even in the most unlikely of circumstances.
- Analyzes how themes and settings interlink to highlight the importance and impact each has throughout the novel. many lessons are also taught through this novel, such as friendship and proper understanding of the events going on around you and others.
932 wordsRead More - Guilt and Shame in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayGuilt and shame haunt all three of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, but how they each handle their sin will change their lives forever. Hester Prynne’s guilt is publicly exploited. She has to live with her shame for the rest of her life by wearing a scarlet letter on the breast of her gown. Arthur Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is just as guilty of adultery as Hester, but he allows his guilt to remain a secret. Instead of telling the people of his vile sin, the Reverend allows it to eat away at his rotting soul. The shame of what he has done slowly kills him. The last sinner in this guilty trio is Rodger Chillingworth. This evil man not only hides his true identity as Hester’s husband, but also mentally torments Arthur Dimmesdale. The vile physician offers his ‘help’ to the sickly Reverend, but he gives the exact opposite. Chillingworth inflicts daily, mental tortures upon Arthur Dimmesdale for seven long years, and he enjoys it. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all connected by their sins and shame, but what they do in regards to those sins is what sets them apart from each other.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hester prynne, arthur dimmesdale, and rodger chillingworth are connected by their sins and shame.
- Analyzes how hester prynne suffers public humiliation and shame for her adulterous actions when she becomes pregnant without her husband.
- Analyzes how hester's scarlet letter reminds her daily of her guilt, and her illegitimate child pearl. she doesn't hide pearl, but she shows her child off to the world.
- Analyzes how hester is publicly punished and shamed for their shared sin, but arthur keeps his involvement a secret. instead of confessing to the community, he lets his shameful deed eat away at his heart, soul, and body.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale's inward guilt destroys the reverend, making him a feeble, sick, old man. hester and arthur aren't the only people in the scarlet letter guilty of wicked sin.
- Analyzes how roger chillingworth hides his disgrace of having a disloyal wife and finds pleasure in tormenting the poor arthur dimmesdale. hester promises not to tell anyone that he is her real husband.
- Opines that chillingworth is a cruel and twisted man, responsible for the daily, mental torture of rev. arthur dimmesdale.
- Analyzes how chillingworth eats away at the reverend's very being, always searching arthur’s mind for a hint at his suspected, adulterous transgression.
- Analyzes how hester, dimmesdale, and chillingworth are all sinners, but they each handle their guilt in different ways. there is no true redemption, because there's no savior in the scarlet letter.
1108 wordsRead More - Dealing With Guilt in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayDealing With Guilt in The Scarlet Letter Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne attempted to expose the varying ways in which different people deal with lingering guilt from sins they have perpetrated. The contrasting characters of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale ideally exemplified the differences in thought and behavior people have for guilt. Although they were both guilty of committing the same crime, these two individuals differed in that one punished themselves with physical and mental torture and the other chose to continue on with their life, devoting it to those less fortunate than they. In order to show this difference in the two main characters, they both had to be put on relatively same grounds.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne exposed the varying ways in which different people deal with lingering guilt from sins they have perpetrated. hester prynne and arthur dimmesdale exemplified the differences in thought and behavior people have for guilt.
- Analyzes how hawthorne made hester prynne and arthur dimmesdale involved in the same offense: adultery.
- Analyzes how hester chose to deal with her guilt by helping others and becoming productive. she donated all of her earnings to the needy and sewed clothes for people.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale, often portrayed in the book as a coward, chose not only to refrain from confessing, but continued to hide his secret for seven years.
- Compares hester prynne and arthur dimmesdale's views of guilt in the scarlet letter. both methods of dealing with guilt were honorable.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that there are many examples of guilt in the book and in life, but the two main themes of these are public and private guilt.
- Opines that there is a fine line between private and public guilt, and that coming clean is the best thing for one's well-being.
- Analyzes how in nathanial hawthorne's book, "the scarlet letter", one of the townsmen states about hester on pg.
- Analyzes how the whole society switches up as they read further into the book. at first they were saying the punishment is too easy and she should die for her sin
- Explains that many people refused to interpret the scarlet "a" by its original sign; so strong was hester prynne, with a woman's strength
- Opines that the public humiliation usually ends with people forgiving and forgetting. lance armstrong, for years, was an american icon, but he finally admitted to blood doping and steroids.
- Explains that public guilt isn't fun and enjoyable, but it seems to be a lot better than private guilt. hester states on pg. 160 line 9, "it lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge."
- Opines that guilt is something that nobody in the whole world would ever look forward to. there's no such thing as "fun" or "cool" guilt.
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- Analyzes how connie's lack of fight and rebellion did not resemble the contemporaries of young women in the nineteen sixties.
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1326 wordsRead More - Is Shame Harmful Or Helpful?analytical essayEverybody feels the harsh sting of shame at some point in their lives, perhaps after cheating on someone, going against social standards, or breaking the law. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main characters, Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, feel shame for the reasons mentioned above after they commit adultery. Set in mid-seventeenth century Boston in a devout Puritan area, the book describes Hester’s public conviction, which causes her to be estranged from society. However, none of the residents know that Dimmesdale is the other person involved in the crime, leading him on a downward spiral of guilt and self-inflicted punishment. This story describes the physical, emotional,
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne's the scarlet letter describes the physical, emotional, and social shame that is placed upon hester and dimmesdale after they commit adultery.
- Analyzes how the scarlet letter demonstrates shame's harmful effects through the consequences hester faces and the negative outcomes they have on her wellbeing.
- Analyzes how reverend arthur dimmesdale suffers significant physical and emotional damage from the shame and guilt associated with his transgressions.
- Analyzes how shame and guilt in the scarlet letter can be harmful, but some people still believe that societal humiliation is beneficial to those it is inflicted upon.
- Opines that shame and guilt can be considered societal norms for responding to sinful actions, but they are harmful to the people affected by them, as illustrated in the scarlet letter.
1174 wordsRead More - Deception and Punishment in The Scarlet Letter and A Tale of Two Cities Nathaniel Hawthorn and Charles Dickens in their novels The Scarlet Letter and A Tale of Two Cities, respectively, both use punishment for deception as a recurring theme. Although they do so to different degrees and in dissimilar manners, both authors agree that deception is a sin that requires punishment. In The Scarlet Letter, the heroine, Hester Prynne conceived a child out of wedlock. Despite the pleas and demands of the clerical community, she did not reveal the identity of the father.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the woman who lived in demanded her to give up her conspirator or bear the consequences of the situation.
- Analyzes how the letter *a* embroidered on her chest served as a symbol of her crime.
- Explains that town liked him and respected him as a holy man. his deception was much.
- Opines that the pseudonym was used to hide his roots in the french aristocracy.
- Explains that lucy manette's roots lie in her father, dr.
- Explains that he had always been careful to hide his identity, and assumed no one knew.
- Opines that dr. manette hid the fact that she was not spared an unnatural death.
- Narrates how he was consigned to a solitary life.
- Explains that he was jealous of charles, who was just like him, but had nothing of himself.
- Opines that secrets that each hide, but both allow death to be an end.
- Explains that both characters were allowed to die in peace in a tale of two cities.
- Analyzes how dickens had his characters in a tale of two cities go through violent and violent situations.
- Explains hawthorne, nathaniel, and ross c. murfin's the scarlet letter.
- Analyzes how a man who had secretly lived his life in hate began to show his hatred towards the one who stole his wife's heart.
- Opines that charles* name saved him from a fatal end. he risked his life when he wanted to save the evr*mondes.
- Analyzes how charles* life was his gift to lucy and his revenge upon darnay who now owed his life to carton.
1293 wordsRead More - Guilt And Redemption In The Kite Runneranalytical essayGuilt is a strong emotion that affects many people around the world. It can either lead people into a deep and dark abyss that can slowly deteriorate people or it can inspire them to achieve redemption. Guilt and redemption are two interrelated subjects that can show the development of the character throughout a novel. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, are two literary works that convey the connections between guilt and redemption and show the development of the character by using theme and symbolism that are present in the novels.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that guilt and redemption are interrelated subjects that can show the development of the character throughout a novel. the scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne and the kite runner by khaled hosseini.
- Analyzes how guilt is detrimental to oneself and redemption is key to happiness in the scarlet letter.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale's emaciated stage and the guilt in his soul haunt him. he realizes that he cannot live happily with his sin and that his continued self-punishment will not help.
- Analyzes how redemption has an immense and positive effect on amir in the kite runner.
- Analyzes how amir feels that rahim khan reminded him of his "past of unatoned sins" when he tells him about the story of hassan getting shot by the taliban to protect his former house from the terrorists.
- Analyzes how both dimmesdale and amir realized that the only way to purify their souls and redeem themselves was to face their fears and obstacles.
1247 wordsRead More