During this chapter when Hanna and Michael both go on a 4 day trip together, Hanna is presented to us as the weaker and less dominant character in comparison with Michael. He is the one who" picked out the inns" and "chose the direction of roads to take " when bike riding.
In this chapter we even see Hanna over reacting when she thinks that Michael has abandoned her without saying goodbye. She "bursts into tears" and "clung" to Michael showing how feeble and helpless she is because she loses control of her emotions and starts to cry, something that even Michael says "he had never seen" before. This sudden change in personality is quite contrasting to the first impressions we were given about Hanna. She initially appears very strong, independent and unreliant on anyone as she is in control of the relationship; she chooses what times the couple should meet and where, she tells Michael what to do an he follows her orders. In this passage however, it is the opposite as we see Hanna losing this control she has over the relationship and breaking down in tears resulting in "swollen eyelids" and "red blotchy cheeks". This loss of control that Hanna undergoes suggests that she is not as strong as she seems and that perhaps she has a softer side. It also suggests that Hanna only feels truly comfortable in her own house or 'space' e.i the kitchen because this is where she can be in control and have the most power in the relationship which we have seen by the previous events that take place in this domestic space. Due to this, Hanna may have become weaker as she does not feel as secure outside her comfort zone.
The passage also hints to the reader that there are flaws in their relationship, the main one being that they are not honest with each other and share no emotional connection. Michael does not know that Hanna is illiterate yet this is something you would know about your loved one, and the reader can assume or at least guess that at this point there is something 'wrong' with Hanna purely from the flustered way in which she acts when the letter is mentioned (also that fact that she never reads herself).
I think Schlinks main purpose for including the trip scene was to show the change in control in the relationship between Michael and Hanna when they are young.
Annika - you've included some insightful and detailed comments here. I like the fact that you attempt, in your conclusion, to address the 'reason' or Schlink's 'purpose' for including such a scene.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you could be a little more specific in your conclusion here - why show the change in control? What effect does this have?
Also, you could focus on how this scene (especially Hanna's outburst) impacts on the reader - how do we respond to her tirade?