Lessons from World War II
"The Reader" author speaks at W&L
Caroline Martinet
Issue date: 2/11/09 Section: News
After World War II, Germans were implicated in guilt by not renouncing themselves from the perpetrators, said Bernhard Schlink, author of the novel The Reader. Schlink gave a speech Feb. 4 at Lee Chapel about the sentiment of collective guilt amongst Germans.
Schlink defines collective guilt as a psychological phenomenon that spreads from the perpetrators to the group.
"Beyond perpetrators," he says, "everyone else becomes entangled."
Anyone who was fully capable of resistance and opposition but did nothing fell into this category of collective guilt after World War II, Schlink said.
And children aren't immune from this web of guilt. Schlink said that the children of perpetrators who fail to resist often experience feelings of guilt. This phenomenon can be seen in the challenge of confronting one's parents about the Holocaust.
This idea of the next generations' difficulties with comprehending the Holocaust is one of the central themes of "The Reader." The novel follows the story of Michael Berg, who falls in love with a woman twice his age. Eight years later Berg discovers that this woman, Hanna Schmitz, is on trial for war crimes.
But Schlink's talk did not focus on the plot of his book; instead, he focused on how people, Germans in particular, have dealt with feelings of collective guilt. Collectively-experienced historical events, Schlink said, spur the creation of one's identity, which is something that "every generation has to master."
A film version of the novel, starring Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet, was released in Dec. 2008. The movie has already won a Golden Globe and is up for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Schlink defines collective guilt as a psychological phenomenon that spreads from the perpetrators to the group.
"Beyond perpetrators," he says, "everyone else becomes entangled."
Anyone who was fully capable of resistance and opposition but did nothing fell into this category of collective guilt after World War II, Schlink said.
And children aren't immune from this web of guilt. Schlink said that the children of perpetrators who fail to resist often experience feelings of guilt. This phenomenon can be seen in the challenge of confronting one's parents about the Holocaust.
This idea of the next generations' difficulties with comprehending the Holocaust is one of the central themes of "The Reader." The novel follows the story of Michael Berg, who falls in love with a woman twice his age. Eight years later Berg discovers that this woman, Hanna Schmitz, is on trial for war crimes.
But Schlink's talk did not focus on the plot of his book; instead, he focused on how people, Germans in particular, have dealt with feelings of collective guilt. Collectively-experienced historical events, Schlink said, spur the creation of one's identity, which is something that "every generation has to master."
A film version of the novel, starring Ralph Fiennes and Kate Winslet, was released in Dec. 2008. The movie has already won a Golden Globe and is up for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
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Paul Schultz
posted 2/16/09 @ 11:10 AM EST
I am looking forward to seeing the movie (this afternoon, as it turns out!) and reading the novel. Those interested in the period might want to check out my new novel, The Fuhrer Virus. (Continued…)
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