INTERPRETING THE HOLOCAUST IN BERNHARD SCHLINK\'S THE READER

Abstract

Wulandari, W. Ayu. 110511100058. Interpreting The Holocaust in Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader. Thesis. English Study Program of the Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences, Trunojoyo University Madura. Advisor: Rif’ah Inayati, S.S., MA.
This study discusses the novel of Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader. The Reader tells about an illiterate woman who becomes the guard of the Nazi’s concentration camp and she is accused as the defendant for the holocaust incident. This study concerns to analyze the historicity between the holocaust in the novel and the historical record and the motives of the author in writing the novel.
This study uses New Historicism theory. Since this study needs the historical record as the supporting data to the analysis of the study, thus the theory that is used in this study is New Historicism theory. This theory is used because this theory allows the historical record to be parallel with the literary work. Moreover, this study uses qualitative research design because this study fulfills the characteristic of qualitative research.
After analyzing the research problems of this study, this study finds that the historicity of The Reader can be seen through the Death March setting of time, Death March setting of place and Death March victim between The Reader and the historical record. The analysis of the historicity shows that Bernhard Schlink writes the story of the holocaust in his own way as the interpretation from the history. This study also finds the motive of Schlink in writing The Reader. It can be seen through the depiction of the characters portrayal and the portrayal of the government role in handling the holocaust case. The portrayal of the characters show that the motive of Schlink in writes The Reader is to show his guilt feeling as the second generation of Nazi, to show his responsibility as a German, to show that being a German is huge burden and to ask the sympathy from the readers for the perpetrator of the holocaust. After that, the portrayal of the government role in handling holocaust case is to criticize the failure of the government in handling holocaust case.

Key Words: New Historicism, holocaust, interpretation, motive.