GERM 1171 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Kate Winslet, Absolution
Germ 1171
2/27/18
The Reader
Focus on:
- Hollywood movie unlike German movies
- Ethical questions
o Appropriate love relationship?
o Perspective on Nazi crimes?
o What about Jew? Human rights violation?
1958
- Michael has scarlet fever and a woman (Kate Winslet) helps him get home from school
- He returns to find out her name is Hannah
- Has an affair with her for several months
- She asks that he read to her
o She is illiterate
1966:
- Michael is attending law school
- His professor takes the students to watch the Nazi trials
- He notices one of the women on trial as Hannah
- She gives her testimony about being an SS officer and the tragic events of a church filled with
Jewish prisoners burnt to the ground leaving only one survivor.
- One of the 6 guards who choose 10 people a piece who were sent back to Auschwitz where they
died sent 60 women do their death
- had sick girls and request that they read to her
- the trial must prove that it was legal by the laws at the time, and there was the intent to murder
- Michael visits Auschwitz
o Dark, little lighting
o Silent, only hear the sound of his footsteps
o Eventually some ominous music
- Back at the trial the court askes who wrote the report about the church burning
o Haah is asked to rite her ae for a hadritig opariso ad she a’t so
istead of tellig the ourt she a’t she takes the lae for the report
o Michael knows she a’t write, goes to visit her but a’t bring himself to see her
- She is found guilty of murder and sentenced to prison for life
1976
- He has a daughter and is getting a divorce, has lost contact with his mother
- He records himself reading the Odyssey and send the tape to Hannah, and continues to send her
tapes of him reading to the point where she begins to learn how to write
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Michael has scarlet fever and a woman (kate winslet) helps him get home from school. He returns to find out her name is hannah. Has an affair with her for several months. She asks that he read to her: she is illiterate. His professor takes the students to watch the nazi trials. He notices one of the women on trial as hannah. She gives her testimony about being an ss officer and the tragic events of a church filled with. Jewish prisoners burnt to the ground leaving only one survivor. One of the 6 guards who choose 10 people a piece who were sent back to auschwitz where they died sent 60 women do their death. Had sick girls and request that they read to her. She is found guilty of murder and sentenced to prison for life. He has a daughter and is getting a divorce, has lost contact with his mother.