Hanna Schmitz is a fictional character from the novel "The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink. She is a complex figure who becomes involved in a romantic relationship with a young boy named Michael Berg in post-World War II Germany. Hanna is portrayed as both enigmatic and troubled, with a secret past that influences her actions and relationships. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Hanna was a guard at a concentration camp during the Holocaust, which raises moral questions about guilt and responsibility. Her character serves as a lens through which the themes of memory, shame, and the impact of history are explored in the narrative.