The Reader Research Paper

Soon, people around the world saw Hitler as a substantial menace as well as a vicious monster, however, people of Germany looked up to him and didn’t want to disappoint him, which made them work even harder and smarter. The terror of disappointment, loneliness, tragedy, and loss clouded their judgement. However, the most important part of this reading was the horror of what would happen if you’d get caught listening to the radio or sending something that shouldn’t be sent. All of the characters in this novel have changed for the better or worse. Fear changes people, and it significantly changed the characters in this

The contemporary texts, See you at Harry’s by Jo Knowles (2012) and Wonder by R.J. Palacio (2012) explore the common concerns that young people may face whilst growing up. The universal theme of the Human Condition involves the stages of life and the issues everyone must go through to develop a sense of self and purpose that define us from being social beings. These novels explore the Human Condition through discovering self-identity, relationships and loss. These novels are examples of bildungsroman as they are relevant to today's society and the children living in it. Young readers can relate to the struggles and feelings expressed by the characters, based off the composer's perspective of youth.

Michael was brought up in poor project housing that was consumed by drugs, alcohol, and gangs. He was pushed in and out of foster homes forcefully being separated from his mother and siblings. As the movie showed in harsh flashbacks, Michael is deeply affected by the forceful separation from his mother. This constant absence from the mother or other supportive figures leaves Michael unable to make a secure attachment to any strong base. Erikson’s stage of trust versus mistrust is displayed due to Michael’s inability to count on the kindness and compassion of others which leads him to withdraw from his surroundings (p 248). This abrupt memory in life affects Michael in his idea of family and commitment. The harsh environment also kept Michael from attending school, and the times he did there was no support for him to even try in school.

At this point in the book, Malle has succesfully introduced to the reader a controversial theme which demands a lot of thought and consideration, as we are made aware that not all German soldiers had the same principles.

Book Thief Author’s Craft Essay by Sydney Paunan World War II was one of the darkest periods of time in human history. This is a fact widely known and accepted by most people, and this era of history is studied very often in schools so the horrors of the past may be taught and not repeated. But how did this two-front war affect young German children? They were growing up in a wildly violent time whilst being told that the horrible crimes committed by their country were justified, though this view of the war is often overlooked. Though The Book Thief does not tell a true story, it is very possible that the events in the story were the reality for many young children growing up in Nazi Germany.

The three organizations that I have researched and believe will make a great community partnerships for Reading Partners DC are United Planning Organizations, AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic Region and Jack and Jill of America Incorporated. These organizations all have the spirit of service in the forefront of their organizations mission and have a strong desire to Improve the services provided to DC residents.

The developmental stage of a young child’s life is very crucial and can be impacted by the media. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel Meminger is a young girl living in a very important part of Germany’s history, the Second World War. Liesel’s childhood unfolds and develops against the backdrop of a time when words, books specifically were used for power and control. Liesel is someone who has a love for reading and, as such, books become very important to her, not only for her education but for her rebellion and discovering her true identity. Throughout the novel, books become a crucial symbol used to convey the desires and discovery of identity for the main character as her childish ignorance changes to her mature adulthood.

Words can influence the mind in many ways that thought may not be able to. They are carefully placed and shared in different ways by each and every individual. Words have powerful impacts and can majorly impact how one may think, feel, or even lead others to feel. Written by Markus Zusak, “The Book Thief” describes a story of an innocent foster girl, Liesel Meminger, who resides in Munich, Germany at one of the most troubling time periods in history, Nazi Germany. A tale narrated by the one and only Death himself, shows the perspective from his point of view, as well as others, describing how Liesel had been seized away from her birth mother at a young age, and put into a foster family. Her new family, the Hubermanns. As she matures and grows into a more critical thinker, understanding and analyzing everything that carefully happens around her. Her foster-father, Hans guides her and teaches her how to read, which little does she know sparks her journey, the art of stealing books. Liesel soon discovers that words aren 't simply lines on a page, they are strong emotions packed into a form that merely is held in her delicate hands. Not only did she hold the pages of emotion, she held a power, a dangerous weapon of words, a weapon of control, and every book that she had stolen was giving her unimaginable power that made her think in ways that she would’ve never thought she could have. As with Nazi propaganda, and a gift that enabled her to broaden her worldview. Liesel evolves

The novel German Boy by Wolfgang Samuel is about his life as a boy from Germany. The book takes place during World War II. Wolfgang goes through this tragic time era with his mother and his sister Ingrid. He is not able to live a normal life of a child such as other children in the world. The characters, settings, and themes make this novel the success it is today because it helps the reader to know what it was like to live during WWII. Wolfgang’s development and experiences further the reader's interest. Going to Berlin and Strasburg from Wolfgang’s hometown Sagan added to the struggles that he faced with moving from place to place to seek safety. Family will always be there to help and no one is safe from war is what Wolfgang learns with his experiences living in this time period.

Jenny Erpenbeck’s Visitation, published in 2008, gives the reader glimpses into German history from the creation of the land itself time hopping to the 1930s all the way up to the fall of the Berlin Wall told through the perspectives of people who lived it. Erpenbeck guides you through German history not by a concrete timeline but through each character’s story, giving voice to a raw and honest portrayal of what life was like during these times. The stories primarily take place in the lake house in Brandenberg, each character sharing their own memories of the house and the land. With each new character Erpenbeck exposes the reader to so many different themes, some of which are: identity, and “the mother” and how those themes are linked to national

The dramatic irony of Michael’s moral culpability is thus the catalyst for his psychological trauma. “It was explained to me that in the end, Michael Holtzapfel was worn down not by his damaged hand or any other injury, but by the guilt of living.” (pt 10: the ninety eighth day) Traumatised by the image of his death brother, Michael commits suicide, perplexed that his desire to live persisted even after witnessing the courageous displays of sacrifice and suffering when in battle. The incessant bleeding from the injury he received during battle can be perceived as his draining will to live. The episodes of bleeding usually occur when he recoils the account of his brother’s death, leading to the possibility that the strains of guilt are eating away at him. “Why do I want to live? I shouldn't but I do.” (p. 487) This indicated that his grapple with guilt was an ongoing

Within Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader, the characters Michael Berg and Hanna Schmidt possess individual and collective pasts which are impossible to escape and ultimately influence the paths of their lives throughout the novel. Schlink conveys this idea through the combined use of structure, setting, characterization, narrative perspective, and references to memory, dreams and symbolism.

Hanna Schmitz, former SS guard at Auschwitz and Michael’s adult lover, represents old Germany and the guilt of Germany as a whole. Hanna is an authoritative, cold, efficient, and ignorant woman that constantly struggles due to her illiteracy. In the beginning of the story, Hanna helps Michael home when he is ill, even though she does not know him. Michael later returns to Hanna’s apartment to thank her for saving him and Hanna seduces him. Hanna and Michael begin to have an affair that persists for several months. Throughout these months, Hanna insists on Michael reading to her before they have sex. Then one day, Hanna disappears without a trace. Later in the story, when Michael is attending a court case, it is revealed that Hanna

Literacy plays a crucial role in the development of a character concerning their success or demise which is prominently seen in Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader. Published in 2008, The Reader takes place in post-war Germany, in which the main character, Michael Berg is re united with his former lover, who had left almost 10 years prior, in a court room setting where she is held accountable for the death of numerous Jews during World War 2. Through the relationship between Michael and his former lover, Hanna, Schlink makes connections and communicates the tensions between the Germans and Jews during the war. This is embodied through Hanna’s illiteracy which places great limitations on her life, though she is still able to live a normal one. The negative effects of being illiterate is seen through her inclination to gain power, which is directly related to the invasion of Nazis in Germany during the war. Moreover, her inability to read or write causes Hanna to be easily manipulated, just as Hitler had influenced the actions of numerous Nazi officials, which is greatly notable during her trial when the people convicted with her placed all the blame on her. Though Hanna’s illiteracy greatly affects our understanding of The Reader, it is important to note the greater effect that Michael’s literacy had on the story, in which he had helped Hanna to gain the ability to read and write. Additionally, Schlink correlates the theme of illiteracy with that of morality, which is utilized to

The period between the wars was a very difficult time in Germany. The currency was enormously depreciated and there were extreme poverty, depression, and political instability. When the Nazis took power in 1933, horror was their method of achieving their goals. Fear and violence became very common among a society that was still in shock after the First World War. In the book The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink, one of the main themes is a conflict with the inner-self. This is seen throughout the book when Michael is young and indecisive between spending time with Hanna or his new friends, when Hanna is on trial and does not know whether to confess her illiteracy or accept being declared guilty, and finally when an older Michael is trying to decide on whether he should save Hanna or respect her dignity.