After finishing Part 1, I unfortunately can state that The Reader is most definitely not my cup of tea. Although it is interesting as a result of the dynamics between fifteen year old Michael and ‘thirty something’ year old Hanna, I cannot in the least bit relate to any character as of yet. Part 1 is consumed with the sexual relationship between Michael and Hanna. The first seventeen chapters illustrate the Fifty Shades of Grey’esc’ dynamics between the young boy and older woman. Yes, dominance and submission are intriguing topics; however, I would much rather read a book like The Metamorphosis which in my opinion has much more depth and character develop.
Anyways, I will now stop complaining and get to the meat of the novel. Hanna, completely dominating Michael, emotionally and mentally, is for a lack of better words a serpent. She takes advantage and abuses Michael continuously, and, as a result, I find a odd sense of sympathy for Michael. Although he too is partaking in the sexual relationship I still believe him to be a innocent young boy who is in desperate need of connecting with the world. This was most apparent within the dynamics of his family as his mother and father were both consumed within their own worlds and seemingly uninterested in the events taking place in Michael’s life. I believe this to be the origin of the reasoning behind Michael’s actions that were illustrated in Part 1.
Furthermore, my favorite dynamic in the text was between Michael and Sophie. Her statement that Hanna was an illness completely coincided with my annotations that Hanna possessed the attributes of a parasite. It was almost as if she was worse than the sickness that Michael has mentioned early on in the novel. It was a complete relief that in the end, Hanna decided to leave Michael; however, his weaknesses were apparent at the end of chapter 17. It was as if Hanna tied a leash around Michael, and now, without this leash he is helpless and once again unsure of himself when he just achieved the ability to assert himself with certain people and relationships.
Anyways, I will now stop complaining and get to the meat of the novel. Hanna, completely dominating Michael, emotionally and mentally, is for a lack of better words a serpent. She takes advantage and abuses Michael continuously, and, as a result, I find a odd sense of sympathy for Michael. Although he too is partaking in the sexual relationship I still believe him to be a innocent young boy who is in desperate need of connecting with the world. This was most apparent within the dynamics of his family as his mother and father were both consumed within their own worlds and seemingly uninterested in the events taking place in Michael’s life. I believe this to be the origin of the reasoning behind Michael’s actions that were illustrated in Part 1.
Furthermore, my favorite dynamic in the text was between Michael and Sophie. Her statement that Hanna was an illness completely coincided with my annotations that Hanna possessed the attributes of a parasite. It was almost as if she was worse than the sickness that Michael has mentioned early on in the novel. It was a complete relief that in the end, Hanna decided to leave Michael; however, his weaknesses were apparent at the end of chapter 17. It was as if Hanna tied a leash around Michael, and now, without this leash he is helpless and once again unsure of himself when he just achieved the ability to assert himself with certain people and relationships.
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