The Element of Silence in The Secret Life of Words

The unspoken is a very important element in The Secret Life of Words. Hanna has suffered too much in her life to ever convey properly through words. Her silence, and the voice that only exists within her head are more powerful in that they do not diminish the horrors of her past by trying to portray them with words. Even Hannah’s confession of her past to Josef is considerably short in length, however the human response which it evokes lasts longer and makes the speech so much more significant in that it is so emotionally charged. Additionally, the silence Hanna maintains concerning her past despite being barraged with questions by Josef makes they few times she does speak extremely significant because the audience senses that she has so much to say but doesn’t know how. This is evidenced particularly when she calls her therapist early on in the movie and cannot find any words to say, yet the woman on the other line instinctively knows her identity because of the burden she carries which She has likely often found too heavy for words. Hanna’s frequent refusal to utilize her hearing aid represents the lack of value she places in words. Actions however, as cliche as it sounds, Josef’s sobs following her monologue and even evidence of past actions such as the scars are held with a much grater value than words in this film. The first time this becomes apparent is when Hanna brutishly begins to devour the remnants of Josef’s dinner. This can be marked as the beginning of her awakening or her coming back to the world. Thus, in Secret Life of Words, I believe that silence is more telling and evocative than words because it intimates the horrors of the truth better than words ever could. The prime instance of this is Josef’s decision not to watch Hanna’s tape of her therapy sessions.