THE READER (Formalist lens)

1. THE READER (Formalist lens) Oda and Aston

2. Formalist Lens • Scientific stance of symbolism • In-depth analysis of the setting and physical evidence of the novel. • Analysis imagery and text. • Finding the deeper meaning

3. Title • THE READER • Who is/are the reader(s) – Michael and us • Buildup to the pivotal point in the novel • The question ‘What would you have done?’

4. Characters • Hannah Schmitz • Symbolic of first generation Nazis • Real human attributes • Michael Berg • Symbolic of second generation Nazis • ‘Naive’ (Morals) • Eagerness of youth (Hannah changing)

5. Hannah’s house • Dark • Mystery and something hidden • No decorative plasters, no mirrors, no runner. • Windows are dusty and unclear • How Hannah keeps things to herself and does not open up to others, locking out the outside world. • Faces the courthouse • Foreshadows her trial

6. Courtroom • Symbolic of Germany post-war • The view of the world of Nazi Germany • Symbolic of judgment and justice

7. The Question • WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? • Symbolic of not having a choice • Questions the reader directly, while addressing the major issue within the novel. It makes the reader view it from the point of view of first generation Nazis.

8. Meaning through text • Ambiguity • No direct ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ • When Hannah kills herself, it symbolizes the end of Nazi Germany • Makes the reader question the way society depicts first generation Nazis. • Symbolism within the novel pushes society’s current political stance and challenges the current social ideology of Germany.