Deception In Bernhard Schlink's The Reader

Summer Reading In-Class Essay
Lies are sometimes a necessary evil, but in other cases, they can cause great pain. In most situations, deception is used as a self-defence mechanism to protect the user and preserve his or her deepest insecurities. Deception can be an armour that shields the user from persecution in the community and secures their social standing. Other times, it will cushion the user’s dignity and hide away the shame that arises. In Bernhard Schlink’s book The Reader, the author uses Hanna as a deceptive character with both personal and broader reasoning behind her lies. As a result of her actions and indifference to the subsequent impacts, she ends up hurting others for the sake of protecting herself. Her deception in front …show more content…
This is demonstrated in the novel when Hanna intentionally deceives Michael throughout the novel despite the potential consequences to their relationship. The continual drive for Hanna to have a sense of distance in her relationship with Michael is pushed by her need to hide her illiteracy. When Michael leaves a note for her one day, Hanna insists that she could not find it in an attempt to hide her illiteracy. Furthermore, she reacts with violence “hitting [Michael] across the face with [a belt].” (55) In this situation, the author uses Michael as a synecdoche of the larger community. Hanna’s deception is fuelled by her worries of how everyone will feel and treat her if they know about her illiteracy. Therefore, she is motivated to use any means, including violence, to prevent others from uncovering her secret. However, in the bigger picture, this pattern of detachment in their relationship leaves Michael cold and unemotional, being perpetually blamed for crimes he did not commit. While Hanna’s motivation for her deception and violent outbreaks are to guard against the community’s perception of her, they end up hurting those around