Values and Judgments (Zane Mandell)

I can honestly say that I was not expecting this to be a novel that pertained to the Holocaust. The only hint that the novel was going to turn in this direction was the eerie summary that is given on the back of the softcover. But I have to say that it makes sense for the time period that the work is set in and makes for a very interesting dilemma. While it is Hanna who is in peril she has already made her decision and stays true to herself, it is Michael who the reader is able to see goes through deep thought and is confounded by Hanna’s situation.

While seeing it from Michael’s perspective I cannot help but also feel some sympathies from Hanna. I believe that this is a result of the reading of Part 1 before part 2 and solely that. If this novel had been introduced as the indictment discussed throughout its second act from the very beginning I feel I would look at both Michael and Hanna very differently. While I understand the shame that Hanna possesses now of her situation and life, I feel that what she is trying to hide is minute in comparison to what she is claiming to have done. My reason for this is not for her sake but because of the other defendants’ sakes that are all blaming her. I feel that they are getting away with the atrocious things they have done even after being adjudicated. Hanna is not only protecting her pride but also the guilt of those other horrible women.

I again found the writing to be very easy to follow and in this case even more intriguing as I always have been keen on novels that deal with WWII and the Holocaust. But I will finish with a question that I think will set me up for my final post once I have finished the novel: Did Michael tell the presiding judge the truth about Hanna? I am still not sure of this because even though Michael says he felt relieved after the meeting; Hanna still gets a significantly worse sentence then the rest of the defendants. I am still not sure; hopefully the final act will provide light on this subject.