The Reader: Chapter 10 & 11

1. The Reader: Chapter 10 & 11 Karina Cheung

2. Chapter 10: Character • Power between H and M • H has power, M is submissive, obedient and his character is taken advantage of • Realises his lack of power in relationship ‘I had not only lost this fight’, ‘I instantly and unconditionally surrendered’, ‘I admitted mistakes I hadn’t made’, ‘I had no choice (pg. 47-8) M lets his emotion override his sensibility • M is analytical of his past actions, sense of insecurity • ‘I debated whether…’ (pg. 42), ‘she must have seen that…’ (pg. 43) • ‘Bland’, colourless sky reflects the lack of energy between H and M (pg. 43). Sky is then referred to as ‘pink’, a spark (pg.44) Represents the change in tension • Speed at which the tram is operating at is a temporal link to M’s life, refers to it as a ‘journey’ that kept going (pg. 43)

3. Emptiness of tram, heading nowhere= foreshadows M after H’s death (pg.43) • ‘But waking from a bad dream does not necessarily console you. It can also make you fully aware of the horror you just dreamed, and even of the truth residing in that horror.’ • The ‘bad dream’= H’s truth(pg.44) • Tension between H and M in argument after H accused M of ignoring her on the tram • M is the first to apologise revealing his submissive, weaker character ‘I’m sorry, Hanna…I didn’t mean to upset you’ • Lack of control as ‘half an hour later, I was back at her door’ (pg.46)

4. Chapter 11: Character • H’s character is developed in this chapter • H’s dressed in a blue dress; symbolic of purity • Described as ‘fluttered’; common associations with a butterfly, light, innocence (pg.51) • H’s emotional barrier is broken for the first time in the novel • After hitting M with the belt, ‘she let her arm fall, dropped the belt, and burst into tears. I had never seen her cry.’ (pg.53) • H’s act of violence juxtaposes her emotional distance • First time the audience sees H break out of her strong character and into emotional instability

5. Repetition of M saying ‘I had never seen her cry’ reiterates the shock of M’s character when he realises that H isn’t as strong as she seemed to be (pg. 53, 55) • Shift in power between H and M • M began to acknowledge his position in the relationship "I felt cheated, but I didn’t care” (pg. 50) • M’s self realisation reinforced ‘for a long time I had abandoned myself to her and her power of possession. Then I had also learned to take possession of her’ (pg. 55) • ‘She took two steps towards me, beat her fists gainst me, then clung to me.’ H returns to M, showing that the power is slowly passed onto M’s character in the relationship (pg.53)

6. H did not see the note left by M saying that he was getting them breakfast, causes a fight • Irony as she wouldn’t be able to read it • ‘Read me something, kid!’ Here, H’s power in relationship is diminishing; illiteracy. Foreshadows the plot later on in the book (pg. 54) • Lack of sexual control in both characters • M’s innocence is lost, H’s actions are questioned by the reader • Poem referred to by M • Relates to the context of H and M’s relationship (pg. 55)

7. Foreshadowing through ‘Easter holiday, April’ • Autumn, maturity and freedom; age before sickness and death (pg.49) • H continues to call M as ‘kid’ which reinforces the generation gap in their relationship(pg.51, 52, 53) • Memoirs of a Good-For-Nothing is read by M to H. Emilia Galotti, Intrigues of Love are mentioned by M and are novels about affection; symbolic of their relationship (pg. 54)