Post 2

This is obvious, but I wad very surprised when I learned of Hanna’s past. It is not that I ever had a lot of respect for her in the first place, but (before reading this section) I would never have placed her as a guard in concentration camps Auschwitz. But then again it does make sense. In her relationship with Michael, especially in the beginning, was a strong authority. Periodically throughout part one, Michael describes how during arguments he would immediately back down once she would threaten to leave he would crawl and beg her to come back. For anyone this would be a serious confidence and ego boost. Hanna also reminds me of Hitler. She completely enraptured Michael, and one can say that he did the dame to the German public during his rise. But his fall was also the same. All the sudden everyone realized what he had done, and completely hated him.  Michael says that before meeting Hanna that he was self-cautious of the way he looked and of his performance in class and that “there was so much energy in me, such belief that one day I’d be handsome and clever and superior and admired”  (38). In the beginning Michael is sad and lonely, but under the influence of Hanna his “success at school got my (his) teachers’ attention and assured me (him) of their respect. The girls I (he) met noticed and liked it that I (he) wasn’t afraid of them. I (he) felt at ease in my (his) own body” (41). Hanna fills the empty void left by his parents. His father is a fool and simply doesn’t care about the family, and then there is the mother who stopped concerning herself over the welling being of Michael once he is no longer sick. Hanna benefits from the relationship because it gives her a feeling of power and control. Early in the relationship Michael needs and worships her, which makes her feel good about herself. After realizing this I have concluded that, considering the substantial age difference of over 15 years, both are equally as immature and dependent on each other.