Is there a universal definition to guilt? Or do we define guilt in terms of the degree of severity of the situation?

Guilt ultimately stems from the knowledge, whether consciously or not, that we have done the wrong thing. It may be as innocent as stealing the last cookie from the jar, or a monstrous act of being a Nazi in WW2. As humans, we possess the ability to empathise with others, thus the knowledge that we have done something that could potentially hurt others gives rise to a nagging, dreadful feeling at the pit of your stomach – guilt.

But why do some of the children of perpetrators feel guilt for the actions of their parents, misdeeds that happened before their time and that they had no control over or part in, and others claim no responsibility for it?

The book “The Reader” by Bernhard Schlink provokes thinking about these questions, as it is set in three different decades, all in post-war Germany. It traces the life of Michael Berg in an era where growing youths like him were grappling with the dilemma of having parents who were complicit or perpetrators in the Nazi regime. We cannot hold the next generation culpable for the actions of the previous generation, and it would be a crime to force this generation into denouncing their parents. However, acceptance and acknowledgement of their parents actions could be a first step in alleviating the guilt one might feel for having a Nazi as a parent.

Guilt = acceptance

Guilt creates the need for an apology

Guilt based on culture/expression of guilt based on culture and religion

Hanna doesn’t express guilt as people expect of her

What use is guilt