Schlinks’s “Der Vorleser” and the concept of truth

Abstract

Schlink’s “Der Vorleser” constitutes the starting point from which the author wishes to examine the recent debate on historical research and writing generated by the law approved by the French parliament that punished denial that the 1915-16 killing of Armenians was genocide. This law was struck down, later on, by the Constitutional Council, which said it infringed freedom of speech. The paper reviews all the arguments used by the French government, by historians and the French Constitutional Council. The fact is that nations worldwide, including those having democratic and authoritative governments, appear to be interested in exerting some kind of control on the historical narrative of past events. Therefore, this paper aims to engage in a comparative study of the meaning of the concept of truth used both in the legal and the historical fields. As the main character of Schlink’s book struggles with the need to cope with his nation’s past and his own feelings towards the former Nazi guard Hanna, he hesitates endlessly about his career. In doing so, the character seems to be particularly aware of the challenge that constitutes establishing truth in the legal world. The paper focus on the character’s dilemma as it enlightens the debate on the connection between legal and historical truth.