The Closed Society

In 1974 Heinrich Böll wrote the novel The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum. Within this novel Böll takes on the governments techniques of pursuing political dissidents, the roles of women in the West German society, and the tabloid media’s treatment of the truth. Boll’s view toward the governments use of investigative tactics is critical to say the least. The excessive monitoring of the populace is reflective of a more authoritarian regime full of conservative rhetoric and excuses. The author also shows woman as maintaining a measure of independence outside of the roles of home maker and wife. The entire novel supports these views by stylizing the press in the Federal Republic of Germany as rumor mongers who will stop at nothing to present a story in the most shocking and startling manner regards of the facts of the story.
Upon the removal of occupying governments the sovereignty of Germany was split between the Soviet dominated government of the German Democratic Republic and the western influenced government of the Federal Republic of Germany. The fear of communist doctrine spreading into the western republic drove its’ government to behave in an aggressive manner when it came to political dissidents. Always mindful and fearful of the red scare, of anything socialist in nature for that matter, the police were very invasive in their surveillance and persecution of any left thinking organization. (Orlow 290-294 and 299-300) This fear of eastern influence as well as a spike in terrorism drove the western government to resort to measures outside of its’ constitutional authority. (Orlow 291) Boll relates this in his novel in the form of the police commissioner, without warranted authority, placing wire taps on Katherine Blum’s phones shortly after she first met the suspect that was under police surveillance. (Boll 9) The public prosecutor further exceeded the government’s authority by leaking information to the press in order to facilitate further information gathering....