The Reader, By Bernhard Schlink, And Was Later Developed...

The Reader is a romantic drama text written by Bernhard Schlink, and was later developed into a film directed by Stephen Daltry. At the beginning of the film, the audience is introduced to a young, sick boy who is struggling to get home in the pouring rain. In this scene, Michael is introduced to Hanna Schmitz, a middle-aged woman who helps him back to his home. Michael recalls, â€Å"When rescue came, it was almost an assault. The woman seized my arm and pulled me through the dark entryway into the courtyard† (4). Hanna is quite cold towards Michael, and as he continues to pursue her throughout the story, their interactions form a unique dynamic. In The Reader, both the author and director make the audience sympathize with the main†¦show more content†¦Michael is falling in love with Hanna, but it appears as though she is using him for sexual favors and attention. Michael becomes so infatuated, he says, â€Å"She came home at noon, and I cut my last class every day so as to be waiting for her on the landing outside her apartment† (32). The audience is shown that Michael’s relationship with Hanna is beginning to take a negative toll on him, and he is oblivious to it. Here, it seems like Michael is blind to the rest of the world and can only see Hanna. He is losing his innocence, and instead of being at school learning and socializing with his peers, he is cutting class to have sexual encounters with a middle aged woman. This is frustrating to the audience, as they wish to be able to guide him and correct his poor decision making. Michael develops a routine with Hanna. One early morning when Hanna is working, Michael wakes up and makes his way to the streetcar that she works on. Michael finds the streetcar that Hanna is working on, but she ignores him. This fuels an argument between the two characters. Michael admits that Hanna treated him poorly when he says, â€Å" I sat down on the sofa. She had treated me badly and I had wanted to call her on it. But I hadn’t got through to her. Instead, she was the one who’d attacked me† (48). The relationship that Hanna has encouraged with Michael