Part 1

Part One of “The Reader” was intriguing. The sex appeal that Michael and Hanna have for each other was evident from the very beginning, and although it could be viewed as somewhat dysfunctional that a 36 year-old woman came on to a 15 year-old boy, I find their attraction and their love to be very real and sincere.

            Many clues demonstrated to me that Hanna cannot read. Maybe I knew it subconsciously because I saw the movie a while ago (though I don’t remember anything about it), but from what I read, I am pretty certain that Hanna is in fact illiterate. At the beginning of Michael and Hanna’s relationship, Hanna was the dominant figure due to her age and sexual experiences. Because of this, she had total control over Michael, which is part of what made Michael fall in love with her. But as time passes, Hanna falls in love with Michael as well and soon finds herself powerless to his love. Through the time they spend together, they are both able to surrender to the love they feel for each other and somewhat ease up on the power struggle they had battled at the start of their relationship.

            At first I viewed Hanna as the older, more experienced and somewhat wiser of the two. But towards the end of part one, I realized that the only thing that makes Hanna more mature than Michael is her age. Michael is more intelligent, cultured, composed, and educated than Hanna, which makes him compatible with her. Though he does not have as much life experience as his lover, Michael is more aware of certain things than Hanna due to the way he was raised. I realized this when he took her to the theatre, and read to her. Hanna becomes truly intrigued anytime Michael reads to her and it is because she has never really been exposed to literature like this due to her potential (probable) illiteracy. Hanna’s life experience and Michael’s education balance them out and actually make them very fitting for each other.