本論文旨在探討本哈德‧徐林克於《我願意為妳朗讀》中所呈現的羞恥與邪惡，藉由剖析兩者關係，試以理解德國歷史於兩次世界大戰期間，如何將一個普通人型塑成納粹系統性屠殺機制的一枚「零件」。在《我願意為妳朗讀》中，女主角漢娜由於自身的不識字感到極其羞愧，並飽受羞恥此種文明情緒對個人思考判斷與行動的深遠影響和束縛。此角色主要爭議之處在於其為隱藏文盲身分，自願加入納粹黨成為一集中營守衛，並於而後的審判上表露出從未意識亦無法理解罪行之經過。然而，此種服從命令、盡忠職守、無法辨別是非、亦不受良心譴責的形象，恰好吻合了為納粹殘暴屠殺效命的多數犯罪者。由此，本文主張女主角漢娜體現了當時德國社會的群眾（the masses）及其面對納粹邪惡政權的集體盲目與追隨。
本文共含三章。第一章探究羞恥情緒作為社會建構的產物，如何影響個體與他者的社會性往來，進而阻礙其對事態的覺察及獨立思考、道德評斷的能力。第二章以漢娜‧鄂蘭（Hanna Arendt）的政治論述出發，闡述其「邪惡的平庸性」觀點與女主角漢娜之連結，討論納粹極權如何操弄群眾以行使集體犯罪。並進一步分析集權主義興起的特定歷史與社會背景，來說明現代主體的孤獨與邪惡之密切關連。第三章以奧德賽返家的意象詮釋兩位主角的生命關係，檢視兩者與其各自象徵的德國戰前戰後兩世代面對創傷歷史的態度，及如何完成各自擔負的歷史責任。本文期許透過以上研究，引起讀者思索自身之於社會的關係、對生活處境的省思，當邪惡靠近時能保有敏銳目光與警醒。

This thesis probes the relation between shame and evil to attempt to understand how Germany history between the two World Wars came to build a cog of the systematic killing machinery out of an ordinary person through Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader. By examining how social forces impact on one’s moral judgement and action, this thesis argues Hanna Schmitz, the female protagonist, embodies the ubiquitous blindness to the extraordinary evil of Nazi Germany because of the constraints of her shame and loneliness.
This research consists of three chapters. In the first chapter, I analyse how illiteracy of Hanna subjects her to shame and such feeling of shame greatly affects her social intercourses with others. To avoid shamefulness, she sticks to rules and strives for social approval, which nonetheless hinders her from perceiving the state of things and fostering independent thinking.
In the second chapter, I employ Hanna Arendt’s concept of the banality of evil to elaborate how the female protagonist represents the obedient yet thoughtless masses who are manipulated by Nazi regime to take part in the perpetration of evil. Through Arendt’s illumination of modern conditions concerning the social and historical contexts of totalitarianism, I clarify the significant link between loneliness and evil.
In the third chapter, I demonstrate how the idea of odyssey is a primary influence that penetrates life experiences of two protagonists. Through the act of reading, they help each other ultimately fulfil homecomings after their long-term wanderings—namely, to make peace with self and come to terms with the past. By looking into issues presented in The Reader, this thesis hopes to bring forth reflection upon our own living conditions and to elicit re-examination of how we construct, perceive, and respond to history and current reality.

Introduction………………………………………………………...…1-11


I. Chapter One………………………………………………….……12-30

II. Chapter Two………………………………………………...…….31-51

III. Chapter Three……………………………………………………52-63


Conclusion…………………………………………………………...64-66

Works Cited……………………………………………………………..67

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