Volume 27, Issue 2
DOI: 10.53555/03276716.2018.1072
The Redemptive Potential of Reading and Storytelling in Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader
Abstract
This essay explores the redemptive potential of reading and storytelling in Bernhard Schlink's The Reader. Through the relationship between Michael Berg and Hanna Schmitz, the narrative illustrates how literature serves as a vehicle for healing, moral reflection, and confronting the complexities of the Holocaust. Reading facilitates Michael's emotional growth and understanding of guilt and forgiveness, while storytelling acts as a means of intergenerational dialogue, allowing characters to grapple with shared histories. The novel emphasizes the importance of bearing witness and preserving memory through literature, highlighting its capacity to foster empathy and connection. Ultimately, Schlink's work underscores literature's transformative power in navigating moral ambiguities and seeking redemption in the face of historical trauma.
Keywords
Bernhard Schlink, The Reader, redemption, reading, storytelling, Holocaust