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―Don‘t touch me.‖ She was holding the narrow leather belt that she wore around her dress; she took a step backwards and hit me across the face
with it. My lip split and I tasted blood. It didn‘t hurt. I was horrorstruck. She swung again.‖ p. 55
The hostile aggressiveness is reflected in her rudeness toward Michael.
Hanna is filled with rage when she cannot know where Michael leaves that she cannot read his note. Her furious way and her abusive behavior toward Michael is
not a socially useful way for Hanna to disentangle herself from problems. Adler testifies that inferiority symptom complex is a dead-end for any
development p. 258. Here Hanna Schmitz endures the inferiority symptom complex that can be seen by her ways of presenting that she is not strong enough
to solve a given problem in a socially useful way; her withdrawal from society and her abusive behavior are the representations to show the inferiority
symptom complex of Hanna Schmitz.
2. Mechanism
Here the term mechanism can be said as the outcome of the inferiority complex possessed by Hanna; how she demonstrates her inferiority complex. As
has been discussed in chapter two, there are two mechanism of the inferiority complex; indirect and direct demonstration. The discussion is then to be divided
into two based on the directions above.
a. Indirect Demonstration
Indirect demonstration as Adler explains, one will act as if he or she is superior. He adds that they have arrogance and a tyrannical nature. People with
the indirect demonstration tend to lie about the failure p. 261.
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You dont have the power to upset me. And will you please go, finally? Ive been working, I want to take a bath, and I want a little peace.‖ p. 48, par
30 The quotation above shows that Hanna behaves as if she cannot be upset
and cannot be brought down by Michael. Those indirect demonstrations can be shown by Hanna‘s domineering and lack of remorse characters as discussed
above. This behavior could actually show two things that Hanna really is dominant, strong, and firm, or else she conceals her weakness and withdraws
herself from a problematic situation. Accordingly, the person possessing a superiority complex as the indirect
demonstration tends to be ―arrogant, vain, egocentric, and sarcastic‖ p. 79. One gets impression that this individual has so little self-acceptance i.e. such a low
opinion of himself or herself that only by ―putting down‖ others can he or she feel important p. 79. In her domineering and remorseless character traits, Hanna
shows that she is overpowering Michael. When she gets Michaels apology, protestation, and entreaty, she would feel she is needed, that Michael has no
power to leave her, that she is important for Michael as stated by Michael p. 49- 50.
b. Direct Demonstration
The direct demonstration is about compensating directly the inferiority complex. It can be done as proposed by Husband shown by hiding the
background, refusing to try to do any action, and blaming herself p. 266. Morris
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1990 also states that they tend to avoid conflicts, when they are confronted with undesired or threatening events, they will try to escape p. 497.
The direct demonstration shown by Hanna is by being introvert, keeping her background as secret and not telling much about her life to Michael. Here
Mic hael tells that Hanna tries to conceal something about her life, ―She told me
all this as if it were not her life but somebody else‘s, someone she didn‘t know well and who wasn‘t important to her.‖ p. 39.
The introvert, insecure and secretive character traits of Hanna are also become the outcome of her inferiority complex. Dealing to the confrontation with
undesired or threatening events, it can be seen that Hanna avoids the talk when Michael starts to discuss about the fights they have as Michael says,
―Talking about our fights only led to more fighting. ...when I asked her about them, she
said, Are you starting that again?‖ p. 50. Another outcome of the direct mechanism as Morris said that they tend to
avoid conflicts when they are confronted with undesired or threatening events can be seen in her choice to be imprisoned and keep the illiteracy as secret. It is
known that Hanna tends to hide her inability to read and write to anyone. From the beginning of the trial Hanna does not seem to make every effort
to defend herself as it can be seen when the daughter gives her testimony about Hanna‘s favorites to choose the weak one to read for her. The testimony becomes
one thing which strengthens the accusation that Hanna is guilty, that Hanna already determines her victim to be sent to their death. Moreover, Hanna says
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nothing in the court as it is stated by Michael, ―But the lawyer did not ask Hanna, and she did not speak of her own accord.‖ p. 117.
In the trial, a report found in SS archives testifies that the defendants let the fire to rage in the church and keep the church doors locked to prevent attempts at
escape p. 125. For the other defendants the report is false and there will not be a report like that. If they admit that the report really happens, they can get
difficulties defending themselves; they accuse Hanna for writing the report. The judge then proposes questions toward Hanna as written in below quotations
―Did you write the report?‖ ―We all discussed what we should write. We didnt want to hang any of the
blame on the ones who had left. But we didnt want to attract charges that we had done anything wrong either.‖
―So youre saying you talked it through together. Who wrote it?‖ ―You‖ The other defendant pointed at Hanna.
―No, I didnt write it. Does it matter who did?‖ A prosecutor suggested that an expert be called to compare the handwriting
in the report and the handwriting of the defendant Schmitz. ―My handwriting? You want my handwriting? …‖
The judge, the prosecutor, and Hannas lawyer discussed whether a persons handwriting retains its character over more than fifteen years and
can be identified. Hanna listened and tried several times to ask or ask something, and was becom
ing increasingly alarmed. Then she said, ―You dont have to call an expert. I admit I wrote the report.‖ p.129
From her admission above that she does write the report; she avoids
conflicts and escapes for being known as an illiterate and chooses to be seen as the guilty one instead. Hanna is then sentenced to life in prison as it is written in
the novel, ―The verdict was handed down at the end of June. Hanna was sentenced to life. The others received terms in jail.‖ p. 161.
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Here the discussion of her choice of being imprisoned rather than confessing her illiteracy becomes one of the direct demonstrations she makes as
the outcome of the inferiority complex. At the end of the story, Hanna Schmitz commits suicide just a moment
before her release; this is considered as her trial to escape from her fear. Her death is found by the warden; she hanged herself at daybreak p. 203. It can be seen as
the other way of showing that she has the inferiority complex. According to Boss, one of the elements of being-in-the-world is
―nothingness‖; it is the presence of nonexistence, to fall into nothingness is to become nothing p.27. The presence of nothingness as seen in Hanna can be
found by Michael in his first visit to the prison. During Hanna imprisonment, Michael finally sees Hanna at the prison; the conversation happening is as
followed, ―Im glad youre getting out.‖
―You are?‖ ―Yes, and Im glad youll be nearby.‖ I told her about the apartment and the
job I had found for her, about the cultural and social programs available in that part of the city, about the public library.
―Do you read a lot?‖ ―A little. Being read to is nicer.‖ She looked at me.
―Thats over now, isnt it?‖ ―Why should it be over?‖ But I couldnt see myself talking into cassettes
for her or meeting her to read aloud. I was so glad and so proud of you when you learned to read. And what nice
letters you wrote me‖ That was true; I had admired her and been glad, because she was reading and she wrote to me. But I could feel how little
my admiration and happiness were worth compared to what learning to read and write must have cost Hanna, how meager they must have been if
they could not even get me to answer her, visit her, talk to her. I had
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granted Hanna a small niche, certainly an important niche, one from which I gained something and for which I did something but not a place in my
life. p. 197-198, par. 4 From the quotation, Michael already realizes that he takes Hanna for
granted for so long The confusing thing for Hanna is that, Michael never replies her letter, but for her release, he already prepares home and job for her. Though,
how Michael treats Hanna leads to the feeling of nothingness. This is strengthen by the statement of the warden,
―She so hoped you would write. You were the only one she got mail from, and when the mail was distributed and she said No letter for me? she
wasnt talking about the packages the tapes came in. why did you never write?‖ p. 207
Hanna is discovered to feel that she is unwanted by Michael. Her desire to
communicate with Michael slowly vanishes as Michael shows his ignorance. Hanna feels that she is nothing; she does not exist in front of the man she is
longing to see all the time. May proposes that death gives the most positive reality to life itself. It
makes the individual existence real, absolute and concrete. Death is, in other words, the one fact of life which is not relative but absolute as cited in Chiang,
1969, p. 72. Hanna also sees the death the way May utters; in her conversation with Michael, the idea is shown.
―Didnt you ever think about the things that were discussed at the trial, before the trial? I mean, didnt you ever think about them when we were
together, when I was reading to you?‖ ―Does that bother you very much?‖ But she didnt wait for an answer.
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―I always had the feeling that no one understood me anyway, that no one knew who I was and what made me do this or that. And you know, when
no one understands you, then no one can call you to account. Not even the court could call me to account. But the dead can. They understand. They
dont even have to have been there, but if they were, they understand even better. Here in prison they were with me a lot. They came every night,
whether I wanted them or not. Before the trial I could still chase them away when they wanted to come.‖ p. 198-199.
In the prison Hanna feels the death is more vivid and real. The death is the one she can believe in. Here she starts to rely on the ―death‖ as her escape. Here
Hanna finally demonstrates the direct demonstration of inferiority complex by commuting suicide and choosing to lose everything in the world.
Next morning, Hanna was dead. She had hanged herself at daybreak. When I arrived, I was taken to the warden. I saw her for the first time
– a small, thin woman with dark blond hair and glasses. She seemed
insignificant until she began to speak, with force and warmth and a severe gaze and energetic use of both hands and arms. She asked me about my
telephone conversation of the night before and the meeting the previous week. Had I picked up any signals, had it made me fear for her? I said no.
indeed, I had had no suspicions or fears that I had ignored p. 203. Hanna does not plan and does not seem that she is eager to be released as
the quotation below shows that she never packs. … ―Frau Schmitz didnt pack. Youll see her cell the way she lived in it.‖
Bed, closet, table, chair, a shelf on the wall over the table, a sink and toilet in the corner behind the door. Glass bricks instead of window glass. The
table was bare. The shelf held books, an alarm clock, a stuffed bear, two mugs, instant coffee, tea tins, the cassette machine, and on two lower
shelves, the cassettes I had made. ―They arent all here.‖
The warden had followed my glance. ―Frau Schmitz always lent some tapes to the aid society for blind
prisoners.‖ p. 204-205
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The quotations show that Hanna is ready for her death. She secretly prepares herself to leave the world she has left for eighteen years forever, and to
leave the man she is longing to be with. She even leaves a will to the warden ―She left a letter for me, a sort of will. Ill read the part that concerns you‖.
She unfolded the sheet of paper. ―There is still money in the lavender tea tin. Give it to Michael Berg; he should send it, along with the 7,000 marks
in the bank, to the daughter who survived the fire in the church with her mother. She should decide what to do with it. And tell him I say hello to
him.‖ p. 207. Those e
vents above are the direct mechanism of Hanna Schmitz‘s inferiority complex. Those also strengthen the inferiority symptom complex;
that she is not strong enough to face the outside world and to set a new life outside the prison where she is safe from the society for years.
3. The Cause of Hanna Schmitz’s Inferiority Complex
