The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum is a 1974 novel by German author Heinrich Böll. The novel tells the tale of Katharina Blum, a humble housekeeper who has her life destroyed by the media after falling in love with a man on the run from the police. Set in the 1970s Federal Republic of Germany, Böll writes about a conservative society that is expertly manipulated by the media into ruining the life of a woman and those associated with her. Böll’s novel is set in a time and place that is very different to our 21st century Western Australia. However, studying texts with a different context to the reader’s own can have many benefits as it allows us to learn about the dangers of the media, the role fear plays in society, the importance of a country’s…show more content… Certain similarities will transcend time, such as the role of fear in society. According to a paper written by Caleb Rosado, “At the heart of prejudice lies two concepts: ignorance and fear.” In 1970’s Germany, there was a very strong hatred of communism. This was a hatred that stemmed from fear. This fear was caused by events such as the end of the Second World War and countries like America publicly going against communism. This combined with a general lack of understanding, led to German citizens fearing Communist groups and supporters. This fear was later translated into hatred. Böll portrays this hatred in the novel by showing how the media uses this prejudice to further sensationalize their story about Katharina. The News describes Katharina’s father as a “Communist in disguise”, Mrs Blorna as “Trude the Red and implies that Katharina has been part of a leftist group. The News takes advantage of people’s irrational hatred towards communism, and uses that to reinforce the idea that Katharina is “Entirely capable of committing a crime”. The News simultaneously disparages communists, implying that communists are all criminals. By tapping into the public’s fear of communism, the News spins their fear into a hatred of both communism and Katharina Blum herself. At the peak of the media attention, Katharina receives postcards describing her as a…show more content… However there are strong benefits to reading a novel with such a different context as the reader can learn and apply ideas to their own context such as the role of the media or the role fear plays in society and the different context highlights the fact that there are certain similarities that transcend time and the importance of a country’s past. Böll, through a masterful use of narration and characterization, showcases these ideas throughout his
