Respond to one of the following:*
1) How would you characterize Alex's mother, Christiane, as a mother and a citizen of the GDR? In what ways are these two roles intertwined for her and her children? Does her affection for and devotion to the GDR make her seem sympathetic or odd (or both)?*
2) Discuss the director's use of literary devices such as sarcasm and irony to address the social, political and economic realities facing East Germans in 1989/90. Is he effective? Use specific examples from the movie to illustrate your points.
3) It's 2008. How does Alex Kerner view the last decade and a half of his life? What struggles has he faced as Germany has unified and entered into the EU? Is "the West" the paradise he expected?
Alternative Assignment for those missing Goodbye Lenin.
Respond to the following: What changes allowed the revolutions in 1989 to succeed where others had failed? Did the reality of change meet people's expectations?
53 comments:
Question 1: Caitlin Victory
Alex’s mother is a very interesting character, being both motherly and devout to her political beliefs. I believe that she was a mother first and foremost, and then a member of the GDR. It was obvious that all of her actions had been to protect and better the lives of her children, and although at times her choices did seem a bit odd, the sympathy that I had for her would never falter.
Motherly instincts are very clearly presented in this film, as Christiane’s actions are all an attempt to help her children. When her husband left East Germany for the west, Christiane was supposed to follow, but she didn’t. Although she led her children to believe that it was because their father had left the family, it was in fact because she wanted to protect them. Losing one’s father is an unbearably fearful and horrific event, but rather than risk losing her children and having them suffer the possible loss of both parents, Christiane made the decision to stay in East Germany, without her husband. Christiane knew that after her husband defected questions would be asked about her involvement and if she were to then apply for an exit visa it was surely to be denied and the possibility that her children would be taken from her would be eminent. When the police came to her home she maintained her composure and insisted that she knew nothing about her husbands abrupt departure, therefore saving herself and her children from further problems. The sacrifice that she made as a wife to preserve the happiness of her children was both astounding and awe-inspiring, and even after she had made the decision and put her husband out of her life, the letters that her husband sent home were an almost constant reminder of what she had said and then failed to do. Even in her death bed she still did what she believed was best for her children. Christiane had been told of what was actually happening in the Germany and what had become of the Germany she once knew, but she played along with the scenario that her beloved son had concocted in order to convince him that his efforts were not without reward and that she did in fact appreciate them. She never told, and he never found out, that she really knew what was going on, she only looked at her son while the last tape was being shown to her. Her love for her son kept her from hurting him by revealing that she was cognizant to the changes in the world, although she was sure to have a hundred questions.
I believe that throughout the entire movie Christiane was putting up a front or playing a part that wasn’t true to herself, simply so she could fit in to her surroundings. Her husband had been ridiculed for not being a party member, and she knew that if she wanted to survive with two children and no husband that she had to play along. Her devout nature to the party was no more than a guise that served to protect her family. By being such an extreme socialist all suspicion that she had wanted to leave was diminished and her friends and family never questioned her loyalty to the party. She hid the letters that her husband sent to convince her children that he was out of their lives and that her socialist beliefs should be shared by them and followed.
Christiane was truly an extraordinary mother, who was both book and street smart. Knowing her place Christiane conformed on the outside to what the government and the majority of the public wanted her to be, and then had her children conform to it too in order to save them from the pain that their father suffered. The intertwining roles of mother and party member are complicated, as both have certain rules that most be followed. It is only through sheer determination and love for her family that Christiane is able to conquer her fears of ridicule and live on in a masquerade.
I would characterize Alex’s mother as an extremist in every thing that she does. She found this amazing balance between her children and the GDR in which it seemed that neither was truly put above the other and yet were both the top priorities in her life. She was extreme in dedication she put into the GDR as was her commitment to her children.
This was clearly shown in the film when the father left for the west. Since there was no safe way for the rest of the family to follow, the mother decided to tell her children that their father had abandoned them for another woman. This decision was actually to protect them from feeling a loss for their father. If they disliked him, they wouldn’t long to have him back everyday. While one could argue that any mother would go to this length for her children, the extent of the lie she gave to them and had to live with herself for over ten years is more extreme than most would be able to handle.
On the other side of her life, she was equally as devoted to the GDR. This was very clearly portrayed when she came out of her coma. The doctors said that she couldn’t handle any more excitement or she would most likely have another heart attack. To prevent this from happening Alex knew that he had to hide any hint of change in the government. It truly shows an extremist take on her involvement. If her heart and mind were so set on the way the government previously were that she would have a heart attack were she to know that it changed, then truly her involvement was far beyond the norm.
These two separate but equal roles she took on came together after her heart attack. When Alex redecorated everything, filmed his own news broadcasts, and even repackaged food so that she would not catch onto the changes, she was being treated as both Alex’s mother and an active member of the GDR.
These roles were slightly intertwined preceding her heart attack as well. She treated the GDR as her love when her husband went away and got her children just as involved. It was her way of keeping a happy family with the father being gone. In his absence the GDR took place.
In my opinion her affection and devotion to the GDR is sympathetic. While it does seem slightly odd at a first glance, this woman was a complete wreck without her husband. Anyone would have been. The pain she felt was normal. So rather than sitting around and making herself depressed by thinking about it all the time, she took her mind off of him by becoming involved in something else. By putting her energy into the GDR, there was less time to put it into being upset about her husband. In my opinion, it was a very sad situation she was put into, and the behaviors she exhibited should be looked at with sympathy and not as odd.
Question 1:
Alex Kerner’s mother Christiane as both a mother and citizen of the GDR, can be characterized as an extremist. Her role as a mother is non-existent because she is so focused on her own needs. The neglect towards her children is extreme due to her need to fill the void she feels inside herself. She feels the void can be filled by the work done for the GDR and therefore takes this role in her life to an extreme as well. Christiane’s role as a mother portrays her as trying her hardest to find what is best for her family but she tends to be weak in the end of each action as a mother. Beginning with the departure of Alex’s father and how she breaks down eventually leading to her stint away leads to a long line throughout the movie that show her not feeling complete enough to mother her children. In the little time we saw before Christiane had the heart attack, Alex and his sister are looking out for Christiane more than she is caring for them.
As a party member of the GDR, Christiane seems to always want more from the party. She is searching for acceptance, recognition, and something strong to hold onto when she feels nothing else in her life can support her. By finding and receiving this acceptance or recognition, Christiane feels like the void in her life can be filled. Her extremist tendencies in reference to both these roles in her life all stem from an insecurity she must have always harbored inside herself.
The lives of Christiane and her children seem to be tangled too tightly and stem from something to deep to break from being consumed by these two roles. Her lack of mothering skills due to insecurity leads her to search for something in the GDR. Christiane’s insecurity is far too extreme to be rid of it forever. The extremes brought about by her role as mother and role in the GDR create a never ending circle in their lives.
Under the belief that her devotion and affection for the GDR stems from insecurity, Christiane compels the viewer to feel sympathetic towards her. Any character struggling in their life from insecurity is usually meant to be shown sympathy.
Alex’s mother, Christiane, was a very complex character in the movie “Goodbye Lenin!” I think that being a good mother to her kids was Christiane’s number one priority, but the GDR came right after that. Everything that Christiane did was to help protect her kids or better their lives in some way. Christiane was a dedicated member to the GDR and she put as much as she could into the party.
The importance of her children can unmistakably be seen through Christiane’s decision to remain in the East with her children after her husband, Robert, defected to the West. It wasn’t plausible for Christiane to file for a visa after her husband defected because there was a large possibility that her children would have been taken from her. Instead of taking the risk of her children losing both of their parents, she decided to stay in the East and lose her husband forever. Christiane then lied to her children in order to protect them further from the pain of losing their father. Christiane always put her kids before herself and was always involved with their lives. Even when Christiane was on her deathbed she tried to protect her kids and wanted them to be safe. Christiane’s children definitely came before anything else.
The GDR was certainly number two on Christiane’s priority list. After her husband left for the west Christiane devoted herself to the GDR. By doing so she was trying to fill a huge void in her life. It became evident that Christiane was a really passionate party member when we learned that she got fired form her teaching job because she was “too good of a socialist.” This idea was also reinforced when Alex had to change everything back to the way it was when Christiane came out of the coma. She was so supportive of the party that if she learned about what had taken place during the time she was in a coma she would have been devastated and probably would have had another heart attack. Christiane’s life was basically governed by the party, and she got her kids very involved with the GDR too. By being such a devoted member nobody ever questioned her loyalty to the party after her husband had left. Her involvement with the GDR started as something to keep her busy and ended as being her lifestyle.
The two roles of mother and of GDR member are unquestionably intertwined. The GDR became a huge part of her life when her husband left, and she brought her kids into it with her. She was a mother first, but she brought her children up under the ideals of her party. There was no real distinction between the GDR and family for Christiane, the two became inevitably intertwined with one another. Although her devotion to the GDR may have made her look odd I understand her reasons for doing so. She was a woman who had lost her husband and didn’t know what to do with herself. There was a huge emptiness in her life that she had to fill because she would have gone crazy sitting at home doing nothing. Christiane needed something to live for and the GDR was the first, and probably the only thing available to her. I think that we should sympathize with Christiane instead of looking at her as odd because becoming a committed member was probably the best option for her at the time.
In the film “Good Bye Lenin!” Christiane Kerner is a very complex character. Even though on the outside she appears to be an ardent supporter of socialism and the East German state, she is really a loving and protecting mother for whom her children would always come first. At the beginning of the movie, she is planning to flee East Germany and with her family. However, she becomes afraid that the authorities would suspect her and as a result, take her children away. Thus, she makes the decision to stay in East Germany, despite the fact that she might never see her husband again – which she reveals later on in the movie was extremely difficult for her – in order to stay with her children. She does not tell her children the truth, but she tells them that their father had left with another woman because she thought she was protecting them.
Moreover, even though she does not support the Communist regime (demonstrated by the fact that she tried to flee and she was very angry and defensive when the Stasi came to her house to question her) she becomes the epitome of the socialist citizen: she takes on traditional female roles as a teacher and she teaches her students about socialist values. In this way, her roles as a mother and as a citizen are intertwined and are essentially the same: she is a nurturer of children. However, in a way, it is paradoxical because one is from her natural protective motherly instincts and the other she is forced to do to support the state. She becomes the perfect nurturer and does what the state expects of her, just so they don’t suspect her and take her children away. This shows the length to which she would go to protect her children. Christiane is thus a very sympathetic character because she is forced to devote herself to something she doesn’t really support so she is able to stay with her children. This also shows how unjust the state was and how oppressive it was over the lives of its citizens.
Later on in the film, Christiane also shows her dedication to her role as a mother during Alex’s elaborate ruse. Lara reveals to her what she, Alex, and Ariane had been hiding from her. However, she doesn’t tell Alex that she knows the truth and leads him to believe that she believed everything they had told her and all their fake news videos so that Alex would think that he had succeeded. She did not want him to become angry at Lara for spilling the beans or to think it was because of this that she died. Thus, even though Alex believes that he is protecting Christiane, it is really Christiane who is protecting Alex.
Throughout the movie, Christiane proves to be an extremely devoted mother. In everything she did, she had her children in mind, and she never failed to protect or help them, no matter how difficult it might be.
Question 1
I would characterize Christiane more as a mother than as a citizen of the GDR. It seems that when her husband defected to West Germany she was forced to become a devout member of the GDR to protect her children. When she met her husband one last time, we found out that her husband wanted her to join him but she refused because she didn’t want the chance of her children being taken away. This shows that she holds her responsibilities to a mother more precious than a member of the communist citizen.
All through her life she had tried to protect her children from the fate of being on the wrong side of the government but suffers an almost heart attack when she sees her son Alex get arrested for being in an anti-governmental protest. This happens right before the Berlin Wall is taken down but Christiane somehow misses it all and her children make sure that she doesn’t know what happens. All of this work that her family puts into making sure that she doesn’t find out because they thought that she was such a fan of the government, however, what this shows how much her children love her.
Her responsibilities of being a mother and a responsible citizen are absolutely intertwined. She had to be a devoted member of the GDR in order to be a responsible mother. She had to go along with everything that the government forced its citizens to do because she had to protect her family. If she somehow made the wrong move, the government might take her children away.
Her affection and devotion for the GDR makes her seem odd throughout the whole movie but then after we find out that her husband didn’t in fact leave her for another woman but in order to flee it makes her seem very sympathetic. Overall Chirstiane might seem like a devoted citizen under East Germany but the movie reveals that she was just trying to protect her children.
In “Good Bye Lenin” Alex’s mom Christiane was very complex. She was very devoted to the German ‘Democratic Republic and was a very devoted mother. When Alex and his sister were young, their father left the family for West Germany hoping that they would join him. Christiane made a decision not to go, telling her kids that he ran away with another woman. A couple years later Christiane has a heart attack, and when she wakes up from the coma she was in, Alex and his sister do everything to stop her from finding out that the GDR has collapsed.
As a mother Christiane was both a good one and a bad mother. She was a bad mother in the sense that she did not take her kids to the West. She stayed in the East where it was more dangerous, and left them without a father. She also ignored them and focused a lot on her choir students, and the students she taught. Christiane was a good mother with how she protected her kids from not going to West Berlin. If she would have tried to gone over to the West, she could have lost her kids, or they could have all been taken into custody. During the movie Alex and his sister take very good care of their mother, better care than she may have taken of them.
It is hard to tell whether Christiane loved her children or the GDR more. She was very involved in the party and believed in it a lot. Christiane was a teacher for many years and got fired because she was too dedicated to the party. Also, when she woke up from her coma Alex and his sister did not want her to have another heart attack so they changed everything back to things from the GDR. They knew that if she found out that the GDR has collapsed and that the West was going to unite with the East that she would not be happy. That proves how devoted she was to the GDR and how much she loved it.
The two roles of being a mother and an active party member intertwined a lot. She brought her children up under the influences of the GDR. Christiane did not really distinct the two so they were very intertwined.
I believe that Christiane’s devotion to the GDR is something that she uses to fill a void in her life. After her husband left her she did not know what to do with herself so she put all her time and effort into the GDR. She needed something to keep her going after her husband left her to go to the West, and the GDR was all that was available to her, which is why we should sympathizes with Christiane rather than think that she is odd.
I believe Christiane was both an excellent parent and member of the GDR. Although there was a period of time in which she became mentally unstable, the post-recovery period of her life was filled with success. After her husband leaves, she is left to take care of the children by herself while also becoming the best citizen she can be. Looking back, both Alex and Ariane turn out pretty well. Alex has a job and Ariane has a job, boy friend, child, and another one on the way. She is also ready to move out. Christiane combines her motherly persona and her socialist ideals by teaching kids in the classroom and teaching them songs about communism while also doing community service activities to improve the standard of living for both her and her children. She wins an award for being a model socialist and is seen watching the ceremony from home with her children who are very proud of her. It was almost as if she had become the mother of the GDR.
Her passion for the GDR does not make her odd or unsympathetic, but simply a kind person. It was obvious that she knew the system was flawed, which was why she worked so hard to repair it. It could also be argued that she needed something to focus on after her husband left and her mental breakdown. There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve the conditions of society and that was Christiane's passion.
Question 2:
The director uses many literary devices to address the social, political and economic realities in East Germany during 1989-1990. Sarcasm and irony are prevalent in this film. The main social issue in this film is about the old socialist party versus the capitalist country once the wall fell. The director represents the father who ran off to the west as a gigantically fat man stuffing his face at Burger King, but in broader term this is the socialist’s view of capitalism during this time period. The fat man represents a negative view of capitalism, and how capitalism plays a threat to the east through consumerism. However, to Alex and a less socialist view point, socialists are viewed as “old farts”. This is ironic and partly true because the people who truly still believed in the old socialist ways were the three old people who knew of nothing else throughout their lives. The end of the film is incredibly ironic when we learn of Alex’s dad. For the father, the West had a much better vision of hope than the East. For his whole life Alex believed his Dad ran off with another woman when, ironically, he left because of socialism. This is incredibly ironic since it made the mom fight harder and be more involved in socialism. The director is proving a point that the Cold War tore families apart and had very serious social repercussions to families.
The director also addresses economic realities. The most ironic piece of this issue is Alex’s search for his mother’s money, and finding it right after the deadline to change the money over to new currency. This is very ironic because Alex was the one who was a strong anti-socialist, participating in rallies, and yet he gets cheated by the new capitalist system. The director also addresses capitalism. He ironically shows a huge banner of Coca Cola on a building to represent the grip of capitalism and the lure of consumerism in the population.
In regards to political realities of this era, the director uses symbolism to a great advantage. The political realities are that the wall fell and capitalism has taken over communism. There is also a theme and vision of hope for the future that is portrayed in this movie. For example, the director chooses to focus on the sky and outer space to represent hope. The moon, in the end of the film, symbolized beauty that was far from Earth. The director is saying that compared to the vastness of the universe, Earth’s problems seem insignificant to the vastness. The Cold War and the Berlin Wall are trivial problems that should have been avoided when compared with the whole universe. The symbolic gesture of sending the ashes of Alex’s mom in space represents this, because it’s as though Alex was freeing his mom of the problems of communism/socialism vs. the west.
The director also uses sarcasm to represent the political realities. The great Sigmund Jahn the astronaut is found out to be nothing more than a taxi driver after the west fell. This is ironic because in the socialist government he was a great astronaut. This represents the fact that the tearing down of the Berlin wall had some negative consequences to it, where great heroes end up as being nothing more than disappointments. The director of Goodbye Lenin makes great use of literary devices, and is incredibly effective in emphasizing his points on the political, social and economic consequences of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.
Question 3:
It is difficult to perceive anything through another's eyes. Our views of world are all so different that to claim to truly understand is almost a fallacy. None of us, can, in the end truly understand. We can only imagine what we ourselves might do in the same circumstances as another individual and proceed from there, blindly.
However, if I, in all that blindness, were to guess how Alex Kerner has viewed the last decade and half of his life, I would have to say that he has viewed it as any average human would. His world has changed drastically. His mother is dead, his country reunified, and what once was held to be absolute has become mere smoke and lies. His world, the once German Democratic Republic, has sped up, trying to catch up the rest of the world in its endless race, economically, socially and politically. He is bewildered, most likely, not by how much the world has changed--for the world has changed for everyone--but perhaps by how fast. Most of us don't even notice change. We wake up one day and realize that everything is different. But for East Germany and Alex, change happened all at once, in great leaps and bounds which are still continuing today. And these are changes that I think Alex, who still believed in the idealism of communism, who scorned materialism and the rapid westernization of his world, must be disappointed by. But he was probably also happy, with Lara and his family. For in the strange way of all humans, it is almost impossible for us to be miserable so long as we have something, anything in our lives to love.
Of course, that is not to say that the struggles Alex faced were not great, as Germany unified and entered into the EU. After all, he spent about the first year or so of that reunification creating a completely different world, a utopia. At times, it seemed as though the lie were not so much for his mother, as for himself. He has probably had to readjust his own personal reality with the one the rest of the world believes. He has had to ignore lessons he has learned since childhood, ideology he still believes in. Most of all, he has had to discover that the West was not that eternal promise of perfection, which he and other citizens had so hoped it to be, but rather, another bit of Germany, much like his own, but with fully stocked grocery shelves. And Alex is much more of a communist at heart than either his mother or his sister was. There is something almost wrong to him, about rampant consumerism of the West, about the way it lives on advertisements and thousands of brands. To come to terms with this was probably heartbreaking.
But this is all conjecture. How are we to know what Alex Kerner felt? How are we to know what he made of his world? Perhaps, he saw instead a different reality, one that the rest of us could never understand.
Christian is an exceptionally complex and unique character within the movie “Good Bye Lennon”. Christian is both an extremely compassionate mother to both Alex and Arian and at the same time an individual who is certainly devoted to her country and its progress within the future.
Christian is devastated as a result of her husband’s abandonment of the family initially and even thinks of committing suicide; however overcomes her loss and decides to care for her two children within a Communist nation. Christian was both a bad and good mother for various reasons. Christian could have perhaps taken both Alex and Arian to the West by escaping however, decided to stay under the banner of communism and left her children with a fatherless upbringing. On the other hand Christian certainly protected her children from being taken away from her custody as a result of not risking being caught fleeing to West Berlin. During the movie Alex really cares for his mother after she wakes from the coma, proving how much love he has for us. One can come to the conclusion that there was a presence of love amongst the family members throughout the movie
One can also see the amount of attachment Christian has towards the GDP. Christian was involved and committed to the communist party within the GDP and made various contributions to the state in many ways. Alex, her son, was fearful that her mother would certainly have another heart attack if she were to learn of the collapse of the GDP. Thus one can certainly see the attachment Christian had to her party and nation. Christian’s role both as a party member and mother certainly intertwined in various ways. Christian raised her children under the authority of Communism within her nation. She displayed love towards both her children and GDP throughout the picture.
I personally believe we should certainly have sympathy towards Christian due to the burdens of life she faced after her husband abandoned the family. Christian’s commitment towards the GDP was perhaps a result of her husband’s departure from her life.
Alex's mother Christiane is exactly what i would expect to find in a women of the GDR.
As a mother she is caring and loving of her children, but at the same time she wants them to be involved with their country and good citizens. She has her ways of raising the children but her ideas don't get in the way of what the government wants them to think. She is able to raise good with good morals and at the same time make them feel the same way about the government as she does.
As a citizen Christiane is the same. She is the model citizen who loves her country and would do anything to help it suceed. She does charities, works with children, teaches, she is everything that the GDR would want from a person. But even though she is a model citzen at some points it does seem to conflict with her duties as a mother. Due to the fact that she loves her country so much she can't see the flaws in it and is holding her children back with her. When she gets out of the coma she doesn't know that the wall fell and the children don't have the strength to tell her because she was such a patriot. So her children have to pretend to live in the old times.
Her devotion to the GDR is unmatched and i think that this is just the result of growing up under the regime. She was brought up with certain ideas and certain values that were reflected upon the government under which she was living. She acts only because she doesn't know any other way to act, and that isn't all her fault its a combination of both her growing up in a certain society and her not being able to see the flaws that stare her in the face.
Goodbye Lenin!
By William Si
As we watch the Movie, Goodbye Lenin, we see the transition as Germany become unified. However, even though the movie had history in mind, it focused on one family and how a sick mother is affected by the changing times. Over all, I could characterize Alex’s mother who had two heart attacks over the course of the movie as a unique women who is very complex to understand when one side, she wants to better her children and have them grow up well while the other side becoming extreme to protect them from what could happen. She cared for her kids and did things that could better their lives but the GDR also came right after her motherly responsibility as one could say she was married to the GDR.
These intertwined roles can be seen both in her and her children too. After her husband escaped to the west, she was supposed to also apply for an exit visa. However, we can see her decision to stay as an act to protect her children. Since her husband defected, there were numerous risks involved which in some could take away her children. Both lying to her children for further protection of what the truth may do, she then moved on as a party member to help improve the surroundings that they were living in.
However, as she devoted herself to the GDR, it became apparent that she did the most she can with promotion in singing, petitions, and letters to say the least. It is intertwined in her children too as we can see how hard Alex, her son tried to bring back the life that her mother knew before she went into a coma. His great fear came out of the chance of another heart attack due to the shock of the changing times. For this extremism price that she paid, it left no doubt in others mind that she was devoted and would never leave after her husband.
Thus we see the intertwining of the two roles. Although it seems odd that she would keep the truth hidden away behind a cabinet, it seems sympathetic in a way that she wants a better life for her children. Taking the role of a mother, she also pushed herself with the GDR and the ideals of the party. The oddness comes from everything that is going on and her devotion after her husband left but the motivation inside seemed to be on the sympathetic side to improve the GDR from the inside. To us, we can see her as both as being committed seemed to be the best option for a character struggling with loss and the fear of more.
Question 1
I see Christiane as the stereotypical East German mother. This makes perfect sense later in the movie, when you find out that her husband defected to the West and that she was planning on applying for an exit visa so that she could leave the country too. She clearly needed to be the best possible communist so that there would be as little suspicion of her as possible. That, in turn, effects how she can raise her children. At all times, they have to be sympathetic to the DDR. She could not instill the beliefs that she obviously had in her children. Because of her decision to leave the East, she clearly held democracy and freedom in very high regard, and she could not teach her children the same thing without being suspected.
To me, her devotion to the DDR seems very odd. Clearly, she had not had such a devotion all her life, as at one point she wanted to leave the country. That makes it seem very odd to me that she would become so enthralled in its ideals. Why, for example, would she have a heart attack when she sees Alex marching in a freedom of speech rally? Did she not have those same ideas at one point in her life? It would have made sense if she were to pull him aside at that time and tell him about her husband and about their past. She seems to have tried so hard to fool her comrades that she ended up fooling herself
In “Good Bye Lenin?” Christiane Kerner is a passionate supporter of East Germany, but most importantly, a strong protector of her children. When her husband defected to West Germany, Christiane had to decide whether or not she would leave. The risk of loosing her children was unbearable for her, so she decided to stay. Although she knew she may never see her husband again, she also knew that her children were the most important people in her life. In order to protect her children from the harsh truth, she told them that he left with another woman. Christiane became a strong supporter of the GDR in order to fill the emptiness in her life. After her husband left, she had little to care about other than her children. She knew that supporting the GDR would be beneficial because it would eliminate the risk of being separated from her only love, her children. Christiane is a very unique character because all of her values revolve around her passionate love for her children.
Christiane’s roles of being a mother and a citizen are entirely intertwined. Christiane acts as a strong supporter of the GDR because she wants to stay with her children forever. She doesn’t want to be accused of anything, so she demonstrates socialist values in as many ways as possible. She intends to pass these values on to her children so they too will become supporters of the GDR. When Christiane saw her son protesting against the government, she immediately had a heart attack. She knew that many people get taken away and arrested during riots, and she didn’t want this to happen to her son. Luckily, she didn’t remember him protesting when she woke up from her coma.
Christiane writes many letters and petitions to the government offering not complaints, but advice. Sometimes she writes sarcastic remarks to the government. For example, when she was unsatisfied with the sizes of the clothes being produced, she wrote that she was very sorry she wasn’t short and square to help reach the production quota. This shows Christiane’s unhappiness, but hope for the success of the GDR. Christiane was also a teacher who taught all of the good socialist values. She did this because she didn’t want to look at all suspicious to the government. She was very afraid that she would be separated from her children. She loved her children so much that she revolved her life around protecting her children. Even when she was dying in bed she was attempting to protect her son, Alex. Without Alex knowing, Lara told Christiane everything that Alex and Ariane had been doing for her. She told her about the fake videos and everything. However, Christiane never told Alex that she knew about their fake news stories. She wanted to make Alex happy, so she kept quiet. This is ironic because while Alex believed he was protecting Christiane, she was really protecting him.
Christiane was very devout in protecting her children. She was smart enough to act as a perfect socialist citizen in order to protect her and her children from suspicion from the government. The intertwining roles of being a mother and a party member are complex, but her love for her children can be seen clearly.
Response 2
In the movie “Goodbye, Lenin” the director uses irony in many situations to show us what issues were truly around in the time period the movie covers. One of the best uses of irony in the film is when the Coca-Cola sign shows up out of nowhere in the window of Christiane. This change in the policies of the GDR is plain to see with the truly surprised reaction that Christiane has. She is totally shocked at the westernization of the GDR. After each successive step that Christiane takes outside of her sheltered world she becomes more and more desensitized to the Westernification of Germany. Alex needs to lie more and more just to keep up with it. After Christiane takes her first steps outside after her heart attack she is battered by western images including IKEA, used cars, and Coke. This is true irony that the director uses to perfection. The following aftermath, including the Lenin statue floating away amidst all the western things, is quite surprising for Christiane. Alex and his friend continue to lie and create what Alex calls is the GDR he always dreamed of but never came to fruition. Another major moment of irony occurs with the famous astronaut. The first German in space, once a glorified superstar, is now a nothing taxicab driver. His fall from stardom is a symbol of how East Germany fell as well. Once a great idea, East Germany greatness was once something possible that people could stride for. At the time of the film, it was becoming apparent that a great East Germany would never happen. Just like the astronaut East Germany truly had fallen.
I would characterize Christiane more as a mother than as a citizen of the GDR. This is because everything she did for the GDR wasn’t for the GDR but for her kids. When you learned her husband defected to the west she was forced to become dedicated to protect her kids. She had a chance to join him, as we learned when the kids met him, but she didn’t want to risk losing her kids. This shows that she holds her responsibilities to her kids above being a member of the communist citizen.
All of her life she had tried to protect her children from the darker side of the government. This is why she had a heart attack when she saw her son being arrested; she thought everything she had done had been wasted. Right after this the wall fell, and she woke with out knowing this. Her family puts in massive amounts of effort to make sure that she doesn’t find out because they thought that she was such a fan of the government. This however simply serves to show how much her kids loved her. Her duties as a mother eventually mixed with being a good party member. She had to be a prominent member of the GDR in order to be a responsible mother to her kids. She followed the governments orders to the dot or else it would reflect poorly upon her kids. If she made her kids look bad the government may have taken them away. She did manage to get back at the government by criticizing it through the letters she sent to companies. It was the only way she could insult them but stay loyal to them.
Her affection and devotion for the GDR appears to be her main attribute through out the movie, but when analyzed she was really more of a mother. She clearly cared more about raising and protecting her kids, then she was a member of the GDR.
I would characterize Christiane more as a mother than as a citizen of the GDR. This is because everything she did for the GDR wasn’t for the GDR but for her kids. When you learned her husband defected to the west she was forced to become dedicated to protect her kids. She had a chance to join him, as we learned when the kids met him, but she didn’t want to risk losing her kids. This shows that she holds her responsibilities to her kids above being a member of the communist citizen.
All of her life she had tried to protect her children from the darker side of the government. This is why she had a heart attack when she saw her son being arrested; she thought everything she had done had been wasted. Right after this the wall fell, and she woke with out knowing this. Her family puts in massive amounts of effort to make sure that she doesn’t find out because they thought that she was such a fan of the government. This however simply serves to show how much her kids loved her. Her duties as a mother eventually mixed with being a good party member. She had to be a prominent member of the GDR in order to be a responsible mother to her kids. She followed the governments orders to the dot or else it would reflect poorly upon her kids. If she made her kids look bad the government may have taken them away. She did manage to get back at the government by criticizing it through the letters she sent to companies. It was the only way she could insult them but stay loyal to them.
Her affection and devotion for the GDR appears to be her main attribute through out the movie, but when analyzed she was really more of a mother. She clearly cared more about raising and protecting her kids, then she was a member of the GDR.
Question #2
The director of the film “Good Bye Lenin” uses literary devices, including sarcasm and irony, to effectively show social, political, and economic realities facing East German’s in 1989/1990. The way of life of these people had been radically altered by the fall of the Berlin Wall, and these drastic changes were well portrayed in the film.
One scene that best shows these new challenges was the one in which the large Coca-Cola banner is being hung on the building just outside of Christiane’s window. This scene utilizes irony, as well as hyperbole. The hanging of the banner is ironic because it is placed in the most unfortunate of spots, directly in Christiane’s line of sight. The sheer size of the banner is a good use of hyperbole, because the effect that the banner, and the lure of capitalism, had on East German’s was as large as the banner was made to be. Socially, this draw of capitalism changed an enormous amount in the life of an East German. The socialist views that had dominated their lives for years had evaporated with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Economically, the banner shows the new products and the magnitude of the grip that capitalism had on East Germans.
Also, the scene in which Alex searches for, and eventually finds, his mother’s money uses irony to depict economic and political realities. The scene is full of irony in that Alex finds the money right after the deadline to change to the new currency passes. This transformation of East Germany’s currency is a perfect example of how radical the alteration that occurred was. A change in currency is a monumental change for a country to make. Politically, the situation shows how East Germany was moving away from socialism and towards capitalism, an epic political change.
A final scene uses sarcasm to show social realities of East Germany. The famed astronaut from earlier years is discovered to be a lowly taxi driver after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. This sarcastic episode shows how much of a social impact the wall’s collapse had on East Germans. Heroes of the socialist era had been reduced to commoners. The social spectrum of East Germany had rapidly changed, a reality depicted by the astronaut’s downfall.
Overall, the director of “Good Bye Lenin” uses irony, sarcasm, and other literary devices to effectively portray economic, social, and political realities facing East Germans after the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
Christiane is a very interesting character. It seems to me that she is first and foremost a mother. The reason she stayed in the East was because she was afraid that applying for an exit visa could lead to the loss of her children. The love and care that Alex displays towards his mother suggests that he is reciprocating an equal amount of devotion. The only injustice Christiane seems to have ever done to her children is that she lied to them about their father. The fact that she was planning to leave shows that she did not place being a citizen of the GDR as the top priority in her life. However, being a good communist and citizen did become very important to her. In a way, the GDR replaced her husband. She turned all the devotion that she would have given to him to the GDR. Yet this devotion takes a very motherly form. She writes frequent "petitions" to try to improve the lot of the average citizen. She takes a great deal of pride in having taught (or having thought that she taught) a GDR- glorifying song to the schoolchildren. When Alex tells her his fabricated version of reality where West Germans are flooding in large numbers to the East, one of her first thoughts is that they should take in one of the refugees. I think this makes her seem both sympathetic and odd. She genuinely feels that the GDR can provide the best possible life for its citizens, but one must ask if she should really feel such a high level of devotion to a government.
Question 1
In the movie “Good Bye Lenin”, Alex’s mother, Christiane, can be characterized as a very diverse character, both as a mother and as a citizen of the GDR. While her political life has become intertwined with her family life, it is evident that she has intentions of doing what’s best for the family and especially her children. For one thing, she decided to stay in Eastern Germany when she had the option of going to the west with her husband because she did not want to run the chance of losing her kids. She also lied about her husband’s whereabouts to protect her children from the pain of losing their father. This was a very honorable thing to do, and it shows how she was willing to put her kids before herself in order to keep them safe. While she was able to protect her kids, in way everything she did for them took a toll on her own well-being. We find out at the end of the movie that Christiane ultimately felt lost without her husband and this could have been a reason for the disintegration of her health later on in life. Secondly, we know that Christiane was a devout member of the GDR and that she took pride in her job of creating a socialist society. She was extremely passionate about the party’s goals and Alex and his sister had to prevent her from knowing that wall had fallen after she awoke from her coma. Her life after her husband left consisted of her involvement in the GDR and consequently her children became very aware of the party’s policies and influence in every day German life. It is without doubt that these two aspects of Christiane’s life were intertwined for both her and her children. With each day Alex and his sister learned to live with their mother’s socialist policies that occurred as a result of them staying in East Germany. With her husband gone, Christiane needed something to live for and keep her preoccupied and involved in society. I think that we should be empathetic of the decisions she made considering the circumstances she was put in. At the time it was the best thing for her to do to rebound from the loss of her husband and to make a positive impact on East German society.
I think that Christiane was an amazing mother to Alex and Adriane, but I think that her devout relationship with the GDR was odd. Obviously, throughout her life, Christiane tried to protect her children from a concept too complicated and painful for young children to handle. By fully engaging herself in the ways of the government that she originally despised, it seemed almost as if she was doing something completely against her will. But she appeared to do everything quite willingly.
I think that it was noble of Christiane to sacrifice the happiness that she had with her husband to stay and care for her children. It was clear that the well-being of her children was always the first priority for her. Because she knew that there was a possibility that she would lose her children when trying to escape to the west, she opted to stay with them and leave her husband to carry on his own life alone. I think that it was a really admirable decision, since she knew that her husband would be able to live without her and their kids, but she knew that it would be impossible for their kids to survive without one of their parents. Almost everything she did in her life, was either for Alex and Adriane, or the government.
I found it strange that she would willingly throw herself into a government that basically ruined her life. When the German police came to ask her about her husband, she freaked out at them. It was quite clear to me that she hated the government when her husband fled from their home, but then she turned around and was all for it the next day. (?) It didn’t really make sense. And she herself, was originally trying to leave East Germany… it was like she was trying to reinvent herself, or something. I guess she when to such extremes because she genuinely cared about her children, and never wanted to be separated from them.
I think that Christiane, in general, handled her troublesome life with self-control and morals that she believed in, which helped her become a devout member of the the GDR and a strong single mother.
Christiane plays a very unique role in this movie. This movie revolves around how her son, Alex, tries to manipulate her into believing that everything is normal in Germany, when it really is not. Christiane is a supporter of the Socialist Party of Germany. Due to her collapse after seeing her son being arrested in a rally, she slept through the major changes occurring in Germany. Thus her son Alex tries to make believe as if nothing went on, because the shock of the Berlin Wall being torn down would be too much for her to handle. Christiane can be characterized as a caring and protective mother because, in many instances, she has always put her children before anything. For example, when she had the chance to flee East Germany, she did not because of the fear that her children were going to be taken away. As a member of the German Democratic Republic, she embodies the role of steadfast supporter. All she has known in her life is communism and therefore has grown accustomed to it. While her son and other members of the movie are in constant contact with western Germany and Germans, Christiane still beleives that her East Germany is the best kind there is.
These two roles are intertwined many times throughout the movie. For example, when she had to make the decision to leave East Germany or not, her decision was based upon her character. She is a very protective mother, so her decision would be one that does little or no harm at all to her children. Secondly, she is a supporter of communism, so her decision would also have to reflect that aspect. With those two things in mind, she chose to remain. Another time when Christiane the mother and Christiane the citizen are intertwined is when she made the decision to hide the letters that her husband sent her children. Since she is a faithful member of the Socialist Party, she does not want her husband to influence her kids.
Her affection for the GDR makes her seem very peculiar. I understand the reason she would feel that way because there are some people that just cannot accept change very well. However, her true devotion for the GDR strikes her as a little weird because the only thing that the GDR seems to have done for her is not taken her kids. She was not a wealthy woman when the GDR was in power, nor did she have a lot of power.
Alex’s mother, Christiane lived an eventful and very traumatic life. Despite having her life cut short due to health problems, she was able to Throughout her life, which was unfortunately cut short, she was able to accomplish many things within her famliy life and work life.
Christiane seems to be a devoted mother who would do anything for her children. When she had to be hospitalized and was suicidal, the only thing that kept her alive were her children. Her children were a constant reminder to her that there is something worth living for. Despite this unconditional love that she had for her children, it does appear that she was too devoted to her work as a devout citizen of the GDR. This devotion and extreme work ethic led to neglecting her children. She was hospitilized for mental reasons most of her daughter’s growing up, and morals were not instilled with the daughter for she had a baby by a boy whom she does not even end up marrying. She did not even know her son was going to partcipate in a protest, until she saw him get arrested by the police. Christiane was also in a comma during the Westernization, which led to her not being there as a role model for her children. With the introduction of the Western culture, she was not able to limit her children or protect them from the overuse of alchohol, drugs, and clubbing, which they both pursued. Even though she will always have that maternal bond with her children, I believe that the GDR would come before her children. This is seen as she cannot find a way to leave East Germany and go to the West with her husband with her family. She was willing to split up her family in order to remain in the East. This shows that her devotion to her country was always implanted in her, and that it truly came to form after her seperation from her husband.
Due to being seperated from her husband, her kids and her country became the loves of her life, but at times I felt like she loved her country more than her kids. When she saw Alex protesting, it seemed as if the cause of the heart attack was not because authorities were taking away her son, but that her son was a part of a protest against the government. She was a part of numerous organizations and highly respected for her works and dedication to her country. She was so devoted to her job that she wanted to immediately continue where she left off with her letters, despite the fact that she just recently woke up out of an a comma. She was obviously more devoted and involved within her coutnry than other citizens, and would continue to work, even if her complaints were not recognized.
Christiane’s roles as both a mother and an extreme GDR citizen led to both of them overlapping. She had her children involved in the children’s organizations she was a head of. By working at home, she was a constant presence to her kids, and she probably hoped her devotion to her country would be passed down to her kids. As seen later on, it seemed as though the kids were more turned off by their government which led to them never getting as actively involved as she ever was.
Her affection and devotion to the GDR made her life seem both sympathetic and odd. I ended up feeling sorry for her by the end of the movie. She was so devoted and involved with a country that was obviously failing. Her complaints were hardly ever heard or fixed, yet she continued to pour out all this effort into a dying cause. I also felt bad, for she had put all this effort into helping out her country, and then a whole new government was established while she was in a comma, and she could not even fully enjoy the benefits of this new government. Her devotion also seemed odd, for it seemed as if she was a rare citizen to be so involved within the country. I also wondered why she became so involved, if the way of life within the country was not as free or good as it once was, and was blocked off from the West.
Sometimes the most effective way to address pressing issues that are prevalent in today’s society is through subtle humor such as irony and or sarcasm. This was definitely evident in the movie “Goodbye Lenin,” which we watched in A.P Modern European History. The movie circled around the actions of a young man trying to create the illusion of a still undivided Germany for his mother after she comes out of a coma. The reason being that due to her prior devotion to communism he fears that her learning of its collapse will leave to a fatal reaction. This is the main area where sarcasm and criticism is shown, a good example being in the scene where he is looking for a specific type of “gurken,” or pickle for all of those who are not familiar with the German language. In this scene, Alex’s mother had just woken up for her coma and she was craving for her favorite type of pickle. Alex soon finds himself on a lengthy quest to try to obtain the specific brand, the reason it take so long is that due to the fall of socialism the old brand was not available. Western products that were now allowed into the country had replaced it. When viewing the situation on screen it was rather comical but in truth, it addressed the way in which the old life that Eastern Germans had become so familiar with was replaced practically overnight. This point was further driven home when Alex talked to all his older neighbors to find the pickles and they said they could no longer find it either. Another example of this happening was when Alex’s mother continued her “complaints,” even after her coma. Originally, they were actually the definition of what we are writing this response on, a witticism that comments on the status quo. After she wakes up the joke is on her as we realize that her complaints are now sad because she is making them to a government that no longer exists. Her complaints, which symbolize her old way of doing things, really serve to show us just how much the world she lived in has changed. A final example of this is when Alex fails to get his money converted on time and it all ends up being worthless. In response to this, he goes to the top of a building and throws it all off. It is a humorous moment but it is somewhat bittersweet as we see the last part of the old world is erased. In summation, I definitely feel the director was successful in using humor to convey important points. It makes you have to think which in turn helps you to truly understand all of the messages.
Sometimes the most effective way to address pressing issues that are prevalent in today’s society is through subtle humor such as irony and or sarcasm. This was definitely evident in the movie “Goodbye Lenin,” which we watched in A.P Modern European History. The movie circled around the actions of a young man trying to create the illusion of a still undivided Germany for his mother after she comes out of a coma. The reason being that due to her prior devotion to communism he fears that her learning of its collapse will leave to a fatal reaction. This is the main area where sarcasm and criticism is shown, a good example being in the scene where he is looking for a specific type of “gurken,” or pickle for all of those who are not familiar with the German language. In this scene, Alex’s mother had just woken up for her coma and she was craving for her favorite type of pickle. Alex soon finds himself on a lengthy quest to try to obtain the specific brand, the reason it take so long is that due to the fall of socialism the old brand was not available. Western products that were now allowed into the country had replaced it. When viewing the situation on screen it was rather comical but in truth, it addressed the way in which the old life that Eastern Germans had become so familiar with was replaced practically overnight. This point was further driven home when Alex talked to all his older neighbors to find the pickles and they said they could no longer find it either. Another example of this happening was when Alex’s mother continued her “complaints,” even after her coma. Originally, they were actually the definition of what we are writing this response on, a witticism that comments on the status quo. After she wakes up the joke is on her as we realize that her complaints are now sad because she is making them to a government that no longer exists. Her complaints, which symbolize her old way of doing things, really serve to show us just how much the world she lived in has changed. A final example of this is when Alex fails to get his money converted on time and it all ends up being worthless. In response to this, he goes to the top of a building and throws it all off. It is a humorous moment but it is somewhat bittersweet as we see the last part of the old world is erased. In summation, I definitely feel the director was successful in using humor to convey important points. It makes you have to think which in turn helps you to truly understand all of the messages.
Christiane is shown from the beginning of the movie to be a devoted follower to the GDR, and is celebrated on national television as well as garnering many awards for her actions. This leads Alex to have a great pride of her, although he despises the society she works to help. Christiane has a devotion that is unseen from most of the people who live in East Berlin at the time, aside from a few elderly persons living in the building with her. I first saw this as exceptionally odd, mainly because of the decrepit and substandard living that citizens of the GDR had to face. They weren't allowed very basic objects from the West, some buildings and areas were still in complete ruin from the war, and the Russians seemed to have no intention of helping those living in East Berlin.
Christiane worked as a critic that wrote to different stores to critique different goods that are being released to the public. She sites one dress as being too “short and square” for the women to wear. She clearly uses this in a satirical way when she denounces a company, by saying that it is the women's fault for not being shorter and squarer to fit the clothes. This made me change my original ideas as to why she was devoted to the GDR. At first, I thought it was because she liked the country and wanted to show it. By this point, I realized she was more critical of the GDR than sympathetic or odd. She was attempting to make a change for the better, while still confined by the rules of the system. She wasn't working because she liked it as it was, but more because she thought it could be reformed to some extent. However, I think she was overall happier with it than the idea of Capitalism.
The duality of Christiane being both a mother and citizen have its first climatic connection when she sees Alex at the free press rally. She is both attempting to reform parts of the system she can change, but at the same time she supports the GDR and wants to make sure her son doesn't get into too much trouble with the government. Her heart attack is a direct reflection of her conflict between wanting to protect her son and wanting to protect the government she has become accustomed to.
Before I start this essay I would like to say that AP euro is my favorite class and Mr. Kirby is definitely an excellent teacher. He brings the classroom alive with all of his wise and informative lessons. I wouldn’t mind if he gave my class a quiz every day cause I am always constantly paying attention. This is all irrelavent though and now it is tim to address the main item at hand which is of course the blog response. Some things are hard to talk about directly, that is why the human race has come up with indirect ways to talk about taboo subjects. These comments are sometimes called euphimisms but can also take the form of sarcasm or irony. This was definitely evident in the movie “Goodbye Lenin,” which we viewed this week in our excellent euro class. The movie portrayed around the actions of a guy trying to trick his mother into thinking Germany was still divided even though in reality it was not. He did this because due to her prior devotion to communism he fears that her learning of its collapse will leave to a fatal reaction. This is the main area where sarcasm and criticism is shown, a good example being in the scene where he is looking for a pickle. In this scene, Alex’s mother had just woken up for her coma and she was craving for a pickle. Alex soon finds himself looking for it but he finds much trouble because it is no longer carried anywhere. When viewing the situation on screen it was rather comical but in truth, it addressed the way in which the old life that Eastern Germans had become so familiar with was replaced practically overnight. This point was further driven home when Alex talked to all his older neighbors to find the pickles and they said they could no longer find it either
We see more examples of humor being used to address important issues when Alex’s mother returns to writing complaints when she awakens. Originally, they were actually the definition of what we are writing this response on, a witticism that comments on the status quo. After she wakes up the joke is on her as we realize that her complaints are now sad because she is making them to people who are not there. Her complaints, which represent her old habits, really serve to show us just how much the world she lived in has changed.
The final example from the movie or humor being used to make a message is when Alex does not get his money to the bank to be changed on time. In this scene he throws his money off the top of a building because since he failed to bring it in it is now worthless. For all intents and purposes currency is always the backbone of a country and to see that it was now worthless was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s (east Germany’s) back. With the eradication of their currency all traces of the prior government were erased as well.
To conclude, I definitely do think that the director was effective in using humor to convey all the problems that were evident in the life of Alex and his mother and the ever-changing world that they were a part of. By having to analyze the humor I was able to Better think it over in my mind and grasp each and every unique concept. In fact I liked the movie so much if you wanted to have me write additional research papers on it just for fun I would be very happy.
The character Christiane in the movie “Goodbye Lenin,” is the mother of Alex and is a dedicated citizen of the GDR. She is a good person that cared about the students she taught and her children at home. She was awarded for being a model citizen and appeared to be the epitome of socialism. However, she had intended to escape to the west with her husband when the children were young. She wanted to keep her children safe, though, and there was no guarantee of this if she escaped. She needed to acquire a pass from the government and there was a chance that the children would be taken away. At the last minute, she decided that she could not take the chance of escaping across the boarder. She left her husband and took on the role of caring mother and active citizen. She taught the children of socialist schools the ideals that the government backed and led them in song that advocated communism. This seemed odd because when her husband escaped to the west, the government tracked her down and tried to get information from her. She explained at the end of the movie why she made certain decisions to her children. There were ways in which she attempted to get back at the government, though. She wrote letters to stores complaining about the clothes that they sold. She complained that they sold clothes that were too square and they expected the people to change to fit the clothes. This was a way in which she tried to explain her feelings towards the government. She felt that the government was designed in a way that needed people to act in a specific manner regardless of anything else. She felt that she needed to portray that she approved of the government on the outside, though, in order to protect her children. They were living in a communist state and she expressed to Alex that there was nothing he could do to change the system so if he did not like it he would have to move to the west. She felt that conforming was better than escaping and having the danger of being separated from her family so she put on a façade. Therefore, the way she acted towards the socialist system did not reflect the events that she lived through in her early marriage because she decided to change her ways in order to protect her family. Her first priority was to be a good mother and was the driving force behind her decisions to stay in the east and to support the communist system.
In the movie Goodbye Lenin, the character, Christiane is protrayed as a dedicated citizen as well aas mother who committs her life to both her children and the GDR. But although she is both citizen and mother these roles still differ as to her motivation and reasons for fulfilling them. It is clear that it is inherent within the character of a mother to provide tutelage for her children. Christiane does so as she restrains from following her husband who defects in order to live in the West for the hope of a better life. This shows her concern and devotion as a mother to her children. But although she shows care for her individual children, her act to stay also demonstrates that she failed to conserve the unity within her family, yet such actions shows that she is sacrificial in character. As a citizen Christiane is also portrayed to be prolific as well as loyal in that she does all that she can in order to accomplish the demands of the GDR. But her submission and aid to the GDR is merely a natural result of her concern for the well-being of her children. Therefore although the GDR is portrayed as her second husband in a sense, her dedication to the state was more so coerced than freely given. In this way both roles are intertwined in that her dedication to the state was a result of her role as a mother.
I see Christiane more as a sympathizer than odd because, one must first empathize for her because of the difficulty of circumstance that surrounded her throughout the movie. It clearly must have been hard for her to make the decision to stay in the east, which was in essense a decision that would determine the course of the lives of her kids. She also was for most of the movie oblivious to the true condition of Germany that the wall she saw go up was knocked down while she was in a coma left for some time in a state of quandary.
Question 1
Christiane is a very devoted mother and GDR member. SHe put her all into both the lives of her children and her participation in the GDR. Bcause of the lack of the fatherly figure in the family, Christiane is insecure about almost everything and feels she needs to rely on what she knows: the GDR and her kids.
As she raised her family of Alex and his sister alone she was also very in control of te household. SHe was a mother before a friend but raised her children obviously to be very intellectual and smart children. Through all of the troubles with her husband and functions with the GDR she still raised her two kids to be strong enough to raise her after her heart attack. THat is a successful mother who was dedicated to her kids.
On the same level as her kids though she focused on the GDR. Even though the party did not like her husband she stayed true and went to follow the ideals set up before her. She devoted her life to the party. Even as she was in bed she was writing letters to improve businesses and their products for the East German people.
Alex's mother was definetely a dedicated person in her life as shown by her kids and her involvement in the GDR.
1. Alex’s mother is an interesting character in the movie. Throughout the movie she seems as if she is a serious pro-communist mother; almost super-mom like. She is involved in everything, including trying to reform the government. After her heat-attack we get a better view into her personality. While she is sitting in bed we start to understand that she is a very insightful individual and seems to catch on to at least part of Alex’s ploy rather quickly. We also discover while she is in bed, that she enjoys writing petitions for people in order to correct the few flaws in the system that she has issues with. This slowly reveals her not so optimistic attitude towards the GDR, and starts to make you wonder whether she is really into the whole idea of communism that her country is dealing with. Finally at the end of the movie you discover that she never really did like the communism at all and would have escaped if it wasn’t for the fear of her losing her children.
Christiane sees her duty as a mother as the first thing she needs to worry about, much before her hatred of the GDR. She could try to get across the border and there was the possibility of getting her children taken away in order to have a better life for her and her kids, or she could stay in East Germany and deal with the GDR, but not even have the possibility of her children being taken. This defines her relationship for the GDR, instead of using her hatred to just complain about the government she tries to get involved and influence it. This devotion to the GDR seems kind of odd, but also seems very logical. This is what kept her sane; after she had her breakdown she decided to get involved with the government and try and help to reform things. This seemed to be a much more productive use for her anger. Christiane affection for her children is what drives her “affection” for the GDR, if it can even be called affection.
I would characterize Alex’s mother, Christiane, as a caring, empathetic, and dedicated mother who sought to protect her two children, who she loved and valued more than anything. Christiane decided to remain in the East because she feared that she would lose her children to the GDR if she tried to leave and join her husband. Her children were her first priority. Her love for her children was so profound that she collapsed after she witnessed her son being beaten by the police during a youth movement rally. I found it odd and disturbing though that Christiane decided to lie to her children about their father “running away.” She could have been honest with them about why she was uncomfortable about defecting to the West, explaining that she did not want to risk having her children taken from her. Rather she allowed her children to believe that their father had abandoned them. Christiane perpetuated the lie when she chose to hide the letters her husband had written to her and the children. Ariane became very upset and angry when she discovered the letters from her father and learned that he wasn’t really the cold-hearted man that she had perceived him to be. I found it peculiar that Christiane chose to hide the letters, rather than dispose of them. I believe that Christiane did this because she couldn’t bring herself to physically destroy them, since she knew that her husband had not done anything wrong. Ultimately Christiane knew that her children would discover that she had lied to them. She wanted them to know that their father did love them and that he had tried to remain connected with his family. Christiane deceived her children about why their father left and decided to hide the letters sent by him, because she was trying to protect them. Ironically though, by not revealing the truth initially, Christiane hurt her children more in the long run. Towards the end of the film, Christiane learns from Lara, Alex’s girlfriend, that Alex and Ariane have contrived events to convince her that life is normal in the GDR when in reality it hasn’t been. Christiane doesn’t reveal this secret to them, because she considers her children’s deception a reciprocal effort of love to cover up, protect, and shield their mother because her health is so frail. The fact that Alex and Ariane go to such extremes to protect their mother, is testimony to their devotion to her which they learned from her. Both Christiane and her children sought to protect one another from the truth.
Once Christiane made the decision to remain in East Germany, she was loyal to the Socialist party. Her involvement focused on improving life for the common people, especially the most innocent ones, the children. Christiane took on another nurturing role, teaching children. This helped to fill the void that was left in her life after her husband’s departure. Christiane strived to be a good role model for her children and she succeeded, as was apparent when she received a medal for her citizenship.
While Christiane became an activist for the Socialist party, she also criticized the shortcomings of the system in her own way. She wrote letters complaining about the poor quality of East German goods, but her criticisms were
Ultimately it was because Christiane loved her children so much that she became such a model citizen of the GDR. Her roles as a devoted mother and as a loyal GDR supporter were intertwined because both were motivated by her love for her children. Without her positive influence within the GDR, both Alex and Ariane wouldn’t have matured into the motivated individuals that were portrayed in the movie. Christiane knew that in order to preserve her family, she had to demonstrate her loyalty and commitment to the GDR.
How would you characterize Alex's mother, Christiane, as a mother and a citizen of the GDR? In what ways are these two roles intertwined for her and her children? Does her affection for and devotion to the GDR make her seem sympathetic or odd (or both)?
Christiane is a mother and a citizen. As a single mother, she dominates the role of protectorate, the ‘top of the social order’ within their household. As a citizen, she strives to reach the ‘top’ of the equal society made by Communism, but as a citizen, she also plays the ‘child’ role within the GDR, looking up to figures of Lenin and other Socialist greats, as well as the omnipresent government. Christiane is a devoted mother—hardworking, protective, and resilient, overcoming the loss of a husband and nudging her children down the path she believes will truly make fine citizens out of them. On the other hand, as a loyal Communist, she strives to set an example for the rest of society, and for herself, to convince herself the socialist order is the exemplar and the opposite of her unfaithful husband’s capitalist whims. Perhaps, upon the husband’s departure, propriety and communism were first and inevitably linked. As a mother who upholds ‘righteousness’, and as a devout citizen who believes Communism and righteousness and order to be linked, it would make logical sense for Christiane to be drawn to her orderly household and children just as she is drawn to GDR’s ideological political system. Her children, with great respect for their mother, as well as her sense of ‘right’, are pressured into accepting and consequently ‘prolonging’ Communism even after its downfall—thus, the role of family and Communism are intertwined. Ironically, it is through the mingling of the two, family and communism, that the first lies are spread that would eventually taint both facets of the characters’ lives.
Her affection and devotion to GDR does make her a sympathetic character, especially, perhaps, in cultures not as saturated with anti-Communist historical tendencies as ours. There was nothing wrong with Communism as a way of life in GDR. To promote the ‘way of life’ that was correct in her mind, Christiane was the optimal, kind-hearted mother in being devoted to both her country and the upbringing of her children along the ideals of her country. Sympathetic? Surely. Her heart was in the right place.
Her mind, on the other hand… well, if being ‘odd’ refers to the question of the complex workings of the human brain, and any deviation from the norm, I would say that Christiane was ‘odd’ in the Western non-pro-Communist sense. The common propaganda of the era in the U.S. was of Communism as the deconstructing force of American families: the Red Scare and a sort of deadly contagion. However, I wouldn’t label her as being ‘odd’ in GDR. Communism was the force that separated her from her husband, perhaps. She leaned on it initially as much as she leaned on her children. Is it odd to harbor patriotism and nationalism with the same love you harbor for your (extended) family?
Question 3:
Alex Kerner’s main objective was only to protect his mother, mostly out of guilt. By having this motive, I don’t think Alex was able to fully enjoy and embrace the idea of the West and the East coming together. He viewed his life as a struggle in this decade and a half by trying to keep his mother protected and sheltered from the Western life that was creeping its way onto the Eastern side. He spends his time trying to find thrown away Eastern pickle jars and furniture and taping news casts that avoid telling the story of the new society for fear of bearing too much on his mother.
In most stories, comas are used to interrogate those in the story who are living their lives. As the mother is in the coma, the story follows Alex and his expeditions while his mother is asleep. Since he attended the anti-DDR demonstration, he obviously was thrilled to see that capitalism was now flowing throughout the country and socialism was finally done for. His sister started to work at Burger King, a primarily Western restaurant, and is dating a Western boy. Things were turning around for Alex’s family and all of this was happening while the mother was sleeping. Once she awakes, Alex’s struggles begin by trying to keep her comfortable and sheltered like nothing ever happened.
I think most of his struggle comes from finding all the Eastern food supplies and decorations, but also the guilt he has to bear from knowing that it was his fault that she had the heart attack. She was a die-hard socialist and supported the DDR all her life. She has won awards for her dedication to the community and now she saw her son pretty much protesting everything she has ever stood for. They are family and of course, Alex feels terrible about his mother’s condition. Because of this accident, I don’t think Alex really had the chance to truly enjoy the West as it was breaking out. He was worried about his mother and trying to keep her alive so he never had the chance to truly experience the West in the beginning. As for bringing back the Eastern culture, Alex relives his nostalgia for the earlier times and notices that he enjoyed the old ways when the country was separated. As he looks through that old house with Lara and finds the pickle jar, he releases this unknown happiness that we’ve never seen thus far. Even when he is putting the old labels on the jars or making the old news reports, he’s smiling when he’s doing it. If he didn’t enjoy it, he wouldn’t keep doing it and would just tell his mother. In one scene, Lara says that she thinks it’s sick what he is doing for his mother and even when she says that, he still keeps up the act. He finds enjoyment in this act and that can be a struggle for understanding what he truly wants in a society.
In my opinion, Alex's mother, Christiane, represents what’s “good” about East Germany, that the West fails to recognize. Although it may look as if she is indeed insane at times and extremely radical, I have came to the conclusion that she is an extremely strong will driven mother that in the end exemplifies a traditional and strong woman. Christiane is a supporter of the East Germany’s communist government, and in a way she was and is being prejudiced for it. It may seem to the West Germans, and the Americans that the ways of the East were backwards and in the end unethical, but too many patriotic East Germans, their governments were doing the right thing. As a loyal and patriotic woman, thus Christiane remained faithful and supportive of the East German government, which to her was the righteous ruler. As a mother, Christiane also showed qualities of an enlightened and a dedicated mother. Had she not done everything a mother would have done? Protect her children from what she thought was “wrong.” And preventing what could have potentially taken away her children from her, or influenced them in what she thought was a negative way? In the end, I believe that Christiane’s actions were a natural repercussion of the traditional conservative and patriotic woman that she represents. With so many old traditional ethics, and morals being washed away by the new commercialization, she was a true compatriots to all those who rejected a world of opulence and wealth, and instead sought for what was truly important, which was the strive to maintain the traditional value of his/her government and in the end provide what they thought were the best future for their children.
I would characterize Christiane as an extremely dedicated mother and citizen of the GDR. After her husband defected she became married to the socialist movement. She did whatever it took to pass on her love for the government to younger generations. She taught younger kids about how wonderful society was, and she was eventually fired for being too much of an idealist. She was also completely devoted to her children because she tried to protect her kids from the outside world. She tried to push her beliefs onto them because she thought that was the only way they could survive.
She proved how much she cared about them by not defecting with her husband. She was too afraid that the government might take them away from her, so she decided to sacrifice her relationship to save her kids. She tried to make sure that her kids stayed in favor of Socialism because she knew how bad life was for non-believers. The government treated her husband poorly for not being a party member and wanted to make sure it did not happen to her kids. This is why she had a heart attack when she saw Alex rioting against socialism.
These two roles are definitely intertwined for her and her children. Since she is such an extreme member of the GDR it dictates her relationship with her children. She is so involved in socialism that her kids fear she will die without it. This is why they go out of their way to keep the lie going about socialism still existing. They were obviously so intimidated by her when they were younger that they felt they needed to do whatever it took to keep her happy. It became clear that without socialism and her children there was no way she would survive.
Her devotion to the GDR definitely makes her seem sympathetic, but it also makes her seem a little odd. She lived such a difficult life just to try to make the GDR better . She sacrificed herself to make life easier for future generations which makes her seem very sympathetic. However, she is a little odd because she stayed so dedicated to a cause that was obviously not working. She loved socialism so much even though it was only making citizens' lives miserable.
Alex's mother, Christiane is overall a strong character, her dedication to the Socialist cause and to the welfare of her children is very apparent. Her apparent change towards the socialist cause was brought upon by the leaving of her husband. This action then prompted a severe psychological and emotional shift towards both her country's ideology and towards her own children. As viewers can tell it was apparent that she was extremely attached to the Socialist cause and did everything in her power to make it grow and prosper. While this "obsession" began to affect her, attachment to her children by forcing them to see the world that she sees. Still her love for her children did not die out and she still protected them up until the end. Thus, during the course of all this, while the mother was in bed, the director uses irony and sarcasm to expose the truth of GDR. For example, to prevent another heart attack through the shock of the fall of communism, Alex produced fake newsreels of GDR. This action in itself is sarcastic of how accurately he portrayed state run news. Moreover, the director uses irony to say what was once famous is now nothing without the state, like the former GDR cosmonaut. In the end, Alex learned what it was like to experience life in the East and difficulty it was to keep it. While everyone around him rejoiced at the fact that communism failed, he tried to keep it together for the sake of his mother. Moreover, Alex gets a chance to not just compare capitalism to communism but also create a communist state where everyone is "happy". Thus, for Alex he views the West as just another entity in which certain things remain the same.
While watching the movie, "Goodbye Lenin" it is obvious that Christine is very devoted to her country. She constanly sends in letters of reccomendations that she feels will help improve the citizens ways of life. She is very proud to be a part of the GDR and she wants her children to follow in her footsteps.
Along with being devoted to the GDR she is devoted to her children. She wantes them to grow up to be smart and follow in her footsteps. When she sees Alex that one night protesting against communism sxhe is eart broken and confused to why her son would do that.
In class we discussed why Christine has such a passion for the GDR. We concluded that her husbands abscence made her want to focus on something else so she devoted her time to politics. Although her devotion to her country was a bit odd at times, she is very sympathetic towards the people and she only wants what is best. When Alex starts to show her how communism is coming to an end and the people form the West are coming to the East, she wants to help them so they can have a btter life.
Question 1-
I would say that as a mother Alex'ss mom was torn between her country and children. Although she loved her children very much and I do think part of the reason she never left was fear of having them taken away, she also chose her country over them by helping. She loved the work she was doing and in a way let it take over her life. I think this kind of devotion is somewhat odd only because to most people their children come before all else, icluding their jobs. I just thought she would have thought about making a better life for her children first and helping her country second.
After watching the movie, Goodbye Lenin, it is clear to the audience that Christiane is a devoted mother, but that she is also a devoted socialist party member. Early on in the film, it is assumed that her husband left East Germany to live with another woman in West Germany. Christiane tells her kids this to protect them from the reality of the socialists. Later on, we find out that her husband actually left East Germany because he did not join the socialist party. Christiane was supposed to follow him with the kids, but because of her fear of the socialists, she stays behind.
Part of her devotion to East Germany’s government and the socialist party was out of fear. She witnessed what the other party members did to her husband to try to get him to join. If she had attempted to follow her husband to West Germany, her children could have been taken away. Christiane did not want to risk that, so instead she made the decision to stay in East Germany under the socialist’s reign. Christiane was definitely torn between the socialist party and her children.
She represented was the life in East Germany was supposed to be like under socialist control. Christiane believed in what the country could be, and she believed that the ideals socialism was supposedly about would eventually be seen. Because of this, she tried to carry out what she felt was necessary to make these ideals reality in East Germany. While at times it seemed like Christiane cared more for East Germany and the socialist party than her kids, Alex and Ariane were her main priority. She taught them all, and many other young children, about the ideals of socialism. Christiane wanted them to realize that socialism was a good thing and that it would benefit everyone. Christiane was a devoted member of the GDR, but at the same time she was a dedicated mother to her children.
Christiane Alex's mother plays a very interesting role in the movie as a mother and as a member of the GDR. I feel that her actions and and her devotion for the GDR were to keep her children protected from the government. I feel that because her husband fled the country, that she was fearful that she or her children would become separated from each other, which would be her greatest fear.
Her job as a mother and as a member of the GDR become intertwined from the fear that was mentioned above. She wanted the best life possible for her children, so in return she would have to become a completely subordinate member of the GDR. She then tried to add the GDR into her children's life as well making sure they understood the importance of being a good citizen under the GDR. She clearly tries to combine both the GDR and her children, to make sure her family is happy.
Her affection for the GDR makes her more sympathetic than odd. When her overall goal was to keep her family happy and improve her kid's living condition, its hard to say that her love for the GDR was really odd, because it was an extension of her love for her children. If she only cared about her position in the GDR and was hungry for influence within it that her love would be considered odd and selfish. Compared to that view, she was by far unselfish and was driven by her kids to succeed within the GDR. This might all have been different had her husband not defected. Christiane was a good member of a the GDR and an extraordinary mother. She went to extreme levels to have her kids live normal and happy lives.
How Christiane acted as a mother and as a member of the GDR stems from when her husband left and never returned. I’m sure that while the family was still intact, Christiane was a wonderful mother. But after her husband left and her not being able to follow him, a hole was left in her heart. In the beginning of the movie it shows her not speaking or reacting to anything because she was so depressed. Eventually when she came back from being hospitalized she regained some of her normal self. Unfortunately there was still that hole in her heart, and she thought that the only way to fill that hole was to get her involved in something, and that’s where the whole GDR thing came into play. Before she joined the GDR her family came first, but after she became such an active member the GDR seemed to consume her completely. Video clips would show her teaching kids how to sing songs and was constantly writing complaints.
She was such an active member in the GDR that when she came out of her coma, her children had to ease her back into the new life, and everything had happened while she was asleep. Whenever she heard something that was from the west being talked about or being seen she would get so surprised and anxious wondering what these things were doing in East Germany. She wouldn’t have been able to handle the shock that the two countries became one.
Because of her being in a coma for so long, her children had to take care of her, so the roles were reversed now. Some people may think that she was a bad mother and that isn’t true. Just because she was consumed with the GDR doesn’t mean that she didn’t love her children. Saying that Christiane was a bad mother, when there are mothers who don’t love their children and abuse them is ridiculous.
Because she was such an important member of the GDR, her children had to accommodate her needs. When Laura was telling Christiane that the countries merged and etc. Alex made one of those fake news movies to easily tell his mother of the mergence. Christiane had already known of the two countries becoming one due to Laura, so when Alex showed her the tape, she knew that movie and all the ones before it, were in fact fakes. And at that moment I think that she realized how much of a burden she was to her family and how much her family cared about her. So in that sense it made her look sympathetic. In the end she was a good person, maybe just with mixed priorities.
Alex’s mom, Christine, has very complicated role in the movie. Her relationship with her children and GDR are intertwined in such a way that Alex was forced to put up a façade to please his mom. As a mother, she seemed to be very competent as a single mom and under the situation she raised two good kids. After the initial shock over her husband, he settled down and started to raise her children right. I would say that her first priority in life was her children. This is exemplified in the scene where Alex is arrested. His mother immediately fainted and ended up having a heart attack.
Her relationship with the GDR is a bit more complicated. At first glance, she seemed to be a big supporter of the communist regime. However, as you see more of her life and her past, you begin to see that it was more of a survival mechanism. She needed something to do to take her mind off the hardships of life and the loss of her husband. The complaint letters she wrote made it seem like she liked the regime and wanted to help improve it but suggesting certain things. However, the letters were filled to the brim with sarcasm and an underlying patronizing tone. I believe that she didn’t really approve of the government, however she realized there was nothing she could do so she adapted to it. This influenced her children’s view of the world and her world and would eventually lead to Alex’s crazy plot. Her devotion to the GDR was second to her children and though it may seem as she was sympathetic to the GDR, it was a front used as an adaptation and survival mechanism.
Kyle Pan
Alternate Question Blog
The CNN documentary The Cold War episodes 23 and 24 gave insight on the time period of 1989 to 1991. During this time the world was going through a huge change. In Russia their was a dictator Mikhail Gorbachev who was against the ideas of his predecessors, Stalin and Lenin. Gorbachev did something that no one else thought would happen. Gorbachev is one of the underlying reasons for the change in the Eastern Europe. Gorbachev as I said before was different than Lenin and Stalin. Gorbachev did the unprecedented and let Hungary and Poland decides their own fates. When Poland and Hungary choose to be democratic instead of communism Gorbachev did nothing. Gorbachev did nothing when they declared their impendence. Gorbachev also allowed the Eastern Germany to rejoin Europe and become an NATO Country. If it wasn't for Gorbachev then a lot of the reforms wouldn't be allowed to happen. The Cold War might've continued on for a longer time.
Even though Gorbachev brought many freedoms to Russia and the other nations the everlasting want for more didn't stop. In Russia Gorbachev wasn't the popular person he was in Eastern Europe. People wanted the reforms like the countries in Europe. In hopes to please people Gorbachev loosened many policies allowing food chains like McDonalds and other companies into Russia. Gorbachev was constantly trying to reform and make the Russians happy. Gorbachev pleaded with the western nations for loans to help Russia. In the end the Russian people wanted something new. They wanted democracy the one thing Gorbachev couldn't give them.
Jilian McGreen
Goodbye Lenin Blog
May 14, 2008
Throughout the movie, Christiane is portrayed as a strong, courageous character. At first, however, her actions are very difficult to understand. It seems unclear and even irrational that any mother should be such a strong supporter of the GDR. Didn’t she know that this corrupt government was oppressing her and her family? Didn’t she understand that the political tides of the East and West had torn her family apart? Didn’t she seem to care that she and her children would never experience the freedom they craved solely because of this organization she so fervently supported?
As the film progressed and several key details were revealed, it became clear that Christiane understood all of these things. She never chose for her family to be torn apart, or for her children to be raised under communism. She simply chose to survive in the only way she knew was safe.
Chistiane’s husband had deserted the GDR for the west. Upon questioning from the police, Christiane knew she would never be granted an exit visa. She also knew that, should she express any interest in the west or disloyalty to the GDR, her children could be taken away from her. It becomes clear to viewers that Christiane is not a party enthusiast, or a political devotee. She is a mother.
Alternate Response:
Throughout the Cold War, the role of Russia was undeniably important, so much so that Russia did not necessarily have to be proactive in order to make an effect. By watching the CNN videos, it is clear that Russia had an equal if not larger effect on the course of the Cold War when it was stopped taking action as when it was involved in every action. Before 1989, Russia would involve itself in the actions of many other countries in order to protect and be an advocate of communism. However, in the year of 1989, Gorbachev allowed Russia to watch as other countries changed. He did not call for Russia to become present in Hungary or any other countries as they shifted from communist regimes to more democratic structures of government. He did not call for military force or violence to subdue political uprising, as did the Chinese government. He did not interfere, but just let the change run its own course. This had a positive effect on Eastern Europe because that was what the people of Eastern Europe wanted. They wanted democracy; they wanted choice; they did not want communism to hold them back from westernization. However, by keeping Russia out of these actions, the Russian people did not get what their neighbors were able to achieve. The Russian people did not get democracy; the Russian people did not get choice; the Russian people continued to be held back by communism because they had become unconnected with the change that was driving the rest of Eastern Europe into the direction of western culture.
ALTERNATE ASSIGNMENT
An important factor in the success of the 1989 revolutions was the new reforming attitude of the Soviets leaders. Mikhail Gorbachiv and the Moscow leaders were willing to discuss a transition to democracy in the former Soviet Bloc. Through Perestroika, a gradual liberization, Gorbachev wished to democratize his own country as well as the fomer Bloc. Other hardline Warsaw Pact leaders such as Honecker were alarmed by such change. Nevertheless, the will of the East German protestors was inspired and strengthened by Gorbachev and his policies. A turning point for the East German cause was the demonstration of 70,000 at Leipzig. The military was forced to pull back, and peaceful negotiation ensued. Soon after, hardline Honecker was voted out of power. The will of the people was inevitable and by November, 1989, the travel restrictions between east and west were lifted and the wall came down. Gorbachev’s reaction was key to the success of this peaceful upheaval: “[The guards who lifted the gates] did the right thing. How could do you shoot at Germans who were walking across the border to see other Germans? Obviously the policies had to be changed.”
The transition in Prague, Czechoslovakia, was peaceful. The revolution in Romania was little more violent but once again, the overpowering will of the people could not be suppressed. The time had passed when an autocratic hardline leader could suppress the will of thousands.
As the CNN Specials illustrated, unified Germany faced many problems. East Germans faced difficulties in integrating with their western counterparts. Factories were hopelessly outdated and millions of jobs were lost. Basically, the East faced a struggle to assimilate into a modern, capitalist West. Troubled youth roamed the streets and often turned to lives of crime. Drug use and alcoholism skyrocketed. The immediate challenges of unification were daunting. However, in the long run, unified Germany has emerged as a successful, industrialist superpower. The pattern may not be as drastic but is similar in the other democratized nations of the former Communist Bloc.
Alternative Assignment:
The ideals of the political leaders of Russia played an important role in the success of the 1989 revolutions. Leaders such as Gorbachev were willing to transform the former communist country into a democratic country, while other communist areas were not as willing and ready to change. Gorbachev was able to listen to the people, and push for a better country, rather than only focusing on the communist leaders. Gorbachev realized that the will of the majority was more important than the will of the individuals. He understood that change was going to happen no matter what, so he embraced that change.
This change however, did not come without its troubles. The unified Germany had to assimilate to the standards of the West. Eastern Germany was painfully behind technologically. It’s economy was nowhere near that of Western Germany, and this caused many problems. Though these changes were challenging, and in the beginning, seemed near impossible to accomplish, in the end, everything fell into place.
Some other communist leaders were not as accepting of this change, causing more violent revolutions. However, the will of the people prevailed, and the result was the end of the communist rule for many countries. Peaceful regime changes ensued, and democracy began. In the end, it has been found that democracy will win the fight, as long as it has the support of the people.
Question 1
Christiane is a very complex character whose beliefs are the center of the entire movie. While in a coma for approximately 8 months she misses probably the most epic change in the history of Germany. The Berlin Wall fell and communist East Germany meshed with the west for the first time in over 30 years. Christiane was a devoted mother and a very patriotic citizen of East Germany. Her kids meant the world to her; they were her top priority and next was her country. She taught all the children patriotic songs and was an active member in the political scene. The roles are intertwined because to her, part of being a good parent is being a good citizen of the GDR. By instilling the beliefs of her government/her beliefs in her children she is successfully being a patriot of her country. I think her strong devotion to the GDR makes her seem very odd. However, as the movie progresses the viewer realizes that this is more of the only way she knows how to keep her family together and safe, by being a patriot. It’s sort of like the saying “when in Rome, do what the Romans do.” She is in a hostile nation, therefore she does whatever she can to appear normal and thus keep her family safe.
Christiane is a complex character. Although she appears to be extreme and radical at times, ultimately she is a very devoted mother who is looking out for the best interest of her children. When her husband was defected to West Germany she tells the kids that he left them for another woman, but that was not the case. She chose to not have her children defected as well, because she feared that the government would take them away. Christiane sacrificed her own relationship with her husband to protect and care for her children. Obviously her first priority was her children.
After being left by her husband, she became married to the GDR. As much as Christiane despised the GDR, she pretended that she liked it, because she knew how unmanageable life was for non-believers. To her, being a mother and member of the GDR were intertwined, because she had to be a good member in order to help her and her family survive. One false move and the government may have taken her children away from her. Since this is something she feared so much, she tried incredibly hard to be the perfect member. Once again there is the theme of children coming first in Christiane’s mind, because she focused so much time and energy on her choir children, sometimes too much time, and how to make them good socialist members. Ironically though, she ended up getting fired for being too perfect. When Alex and Adriane were younger, they felt intimidated by her mother and resented her devotion to the government. Once they were older, Christiane was devastated when she discovered Alex was taking part in an anti-government protest, because she had always taught her children to believe in socialism. She ended up having a heart attack and slipping into a coma.
I believe that once Christiane woke up from her coma, Alex tried so hard to hide that the country was no longer socialist, because he felt guilty about putting her into the coma. Alex and Adriane realized that their mother could not live without socialism and her children, and they wanted to make sure that she thought she had both.
Her devotion to the GDR is both sympathetic and odd. A viewer feels bad for her; because she has to force herself to pretend she is a passionate member, because if she doesn’t she fears something worse will happen to her family. How can someone not sympathize for her? However, she becomes so consumed in the movement you would think she truly is passionate. It was odd how she would send letters to the government recommending ways to ameliorate the economy.
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