The Reader

The Reader

by

Bernhard Schlink

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The Reader: Part 3, Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
After Michael separates from Gertrud, he becomes restless. Feeling haunted by Hanna, he records himself on tape reading The Odyssey and other works aloud. Eventually, eight years into Hanna’s prison sentence, he sends her the tapes and continues sending them to her for the next ten years, until she is granted clemency. He records his favorites, German writers such as Theodor Fontane and Eduard Mörike, as well as poetry and his own writing, but never leaves any personal messages for Hanna.
Though Michael now reads to Hanna aloud again, just as he did during their affair, this time he does so at a distance. He records his reading on tape and never leaves any personal messages for her, suggesting that though he may still feel a sense of responsibility toward her, they cannot resume the relationship as it once was.
Themes
Guilt, Responsibility, and the Holocaust Theme Icon
Secrets, Indifference, and Emotional Distance Theme Icon
Generational and Parent-Child Conflict Theme Icon
Reading and Illiteracy Theme Icon
Quotes