Throughout Anna Funder's historical non-fiction text Stasiland, Funder remains audacious in her journey as she strives to find "the stories of human courage" she is searching for. It is through this process that Funder is able to meet and connect with a range of individuals who were valiant in their struggle for human decency, yet have been left with an aftermath of physical and psychological damage. Although Frau Paul is depicted by Funder as a damaged individual, one cannot refuse to acknowledge that different individuals throughout the text were perceived as feeling pain and dealing (or not dealing) with it in different ways. Essentially, Funder presents damage as wounds inflicted on a person that people can either move on from, or still have linger within.
Frau Paul is perhaps one of Funder's most tragic characters, one who Funder conclusively…show more content… Another classic example of how under the regime, East Germany managed to "make enemies of its own children". In order to be reunited with her sick child on the other side of the Wall in the west, and was ultimately handed an ultimatum from the Stasi; betray those who trusted her and have her son returned to her care or leave empty handed. In a bid not to be "bought" by the Stasi, Frau Paul chose the latter. Now, described by Funder as a "lonely, ready guilt wracked mess", it is evident that Frau Paul has not moved on, exemplified in Funder's observation that "she seems to have, in fact, very little distance from what happened to her", continuing on to say "things remain close, and hard". Funder's deliberate inclusion of the seemingly insignificant fact that Frau Paul still continues to reside in the home where everything turned upside down is indicative of the
