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.
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.
Due Wednesday Evening. NO POSTS will be accepted late.
36 comments:
I am answering the first question of this blog. After watching the movie, Goodbye Lenin, and also observing the characteristics of Christiane as a mother and citizen of the GDR, I have come to the following conclusions. Christiane can be considered a loving and compassionate mother, as well as a devoted and passionate patriot. These roles intertwined in many occasions, for her patriotism and love of her children prevented her from leaving her homeland to live with her “treasonous” husband in West Germany. Because of her infatuation with the ideals of her country, her children had to deceive her when she recovered from her coma. Alex and his sister had to change their capitalist lifestyles in order to persuade their mother that her country had not changed during the years when she was incapacitated. They had to wear their old clothes, get rid of any product that did not seem to be of communist quality, and even had to place new, foreign food into old jars. It is my opinion that her affection for the GDR makes her seem more sympathetic than odd. As was mentioned by Alex during the movie, his mother had to become a patriot in order to cope with the fact that she wouldn’t be able to see her husband again. Her patriotism was a source of catharsis; when she was teaching the small children to sing songs about the greatness of the GDR, she seemed to be at peace. Additionally, when she learned of the West German immigrants that were moving to East Germany (a lie that was told to her by Alex) she was so proud of her country and wanted to adopt to help one of them. Her behavior doesn’t seem that odd to me; I have witnessed American patriots doing similar things in my country that Christiane did in hers, such as host dinners during the forth of July or help with community service activities. Ultimately, I feel compelled to say that the movie Goodbye Lenin was an appropriate way to say goodbye to this school year.
Andras
1.
As a citizen of the German Democratic Republic, Christianne can be perceived as an almost ideal devotee of the Communist state- perhaps, as her former employer stated, too ideal. Assuming devotion to the State as an effective surrogate for her departed husband, and also most likely as an initial means of allaying the suspicions of the Stasi with respect to her loyalty given the defection of her husband. Throughout the film, she is witnessed committing herself constantly to the GDR, organizing and supporting the Free German Youth, enthusiastically attending Party arrangements, assuming a position of leadership and trust in the community with which to maintain and uplift the lives of her peers, and generally embracing ideologically the Marxist-Leninism of the GDR. Such is the depth of her devotion that she seems to willing immerse herself in Alex's deceptions, embracing the prospect of taking in a West German refugee and evincing consistent , apparently genuine loyalty to the state until her former nurse reveals to her the truth just prior to the conclusion of the film. As a mother, she proves to be of uneven composition. On the one hand, her patriotic activities in the GDR enable her to maintain highly consistent contact with and support of her children in the form of her role in organizing and supporting the mandatory Free German Youth groups maintained by the GDR. Her affection for her children, the sole remaining vestiges of her immediate family, is furthermore evidenced by her supportive conduct with respect to Alex's developing romantic interests (following the coma), as well as the overall tone and warmth of her conduct throughout the film. The fact that one of her primary motivations in remaining in the East rather than fleeing with her husband was her fear of having her children confiscated is a further illustration of the degree to which she was devoted to the institution of motherhood. However, her failure to disclose anything as to the true nature of her husband's flight and subsequent life constitutes a grievous deception on her part. Her inability to effectively care for her children for the period immediately following her husband's flight is also rather curious considering that she should have had some awareness of her husband's defection prior to being informed of it by the Stasi (considering that the greater plan was for her to flee the GDR with the children). Christianne's involvement in the Free German Youth is an illustration of the manner in which she melded her role as mother and her devotion to the state. Meanwhile, Christianne's status as a highly patriotic citizen of the GDR meant that, in order to preserve the life of this mother, Alex was forced to maintain the illusion of the GDR's persistence and vitality and, to the end, play the role of a faithful citizen of the GDR. Given her circumstances, Christianne's devotion to the GDR is understandable. Her husband's defection would have put her under immediate suspicion, which could be best neutralized through vocal and active commitment to the GDR and its policies. Furthermore, the fact of these circumstances would have conveyed quite forcefully her utter inability to escape the repression and poverty of the GDR. Given this exceedingly grim scenario, one of the only viable avenues of psychological self-preservation would have been to blindly, optimistically embrace the Republic and its ideals, no matter how flawed or neglected- better to maintain a nationalistic idealism than to wallow in self-pity, despondence, and hatred( especially given her most likely permanent isolation from her one object of romantic affection). While there is nothing admirable in blind, dogged loyalty, her situation and psychological state are ones that can certainly be understood and emphasized with.
Christiane seems to have very strong beliefs, and this plays a significant role in her decisions as a mother and a citizen of the GDR. She showed much compassion towards her children, and used what she believed to be her best judgement in raising them. Her decision to not explain to her children the truth about their father was her idea of protecting them. Maybe it was a good idea, maybe it wasn't. She was a devoted woman, and that led her to do the things that she did. She was very active on the political front, and believed in the GDR. She had the option of possibly leaving to join her husband in West Germany, but could not risk her children which led to her decision. This was definitely a sign that she was more sympathetic than odd. She could not bear the fact that her son was a part of a protest against the GDR, which may have been the cause of her heart attack. Her children knew that after she awoke from her coma, she could not know that the GDR and West Germany were one in the same. They showed the same devotion and compassion towards their mother that she showed towards them. It was best that she didn't know, because if she had, maybe she wouldn't have lived as long as she did. Christiane's devotion to the GDR made her more sympathetic than odd, as she showed love towards her children in not leaving the GDR with her husband, and supporting the nation that she is a part of instead of what she wishes it would be. That sort of devotion is seldom seen, and it made her a good citizen and a good mother for her children.
While watching Goodbye Lenin, I found that I liked the character of Alex’s mother, Christiane. At first, I believed her to be somewhat of a weaker character due to her mental breakdown caused by her husband’s departure (I am not saying that I believed her to be weak because of her reaction. I understand that what she went through was incredibly taxing upon her emotionally. I am merely stating that I did not expect her become the strong character that she was). However, my opinion soon changed once she returned home from the mental institution. Her actions as an advocate for the Socialist party displayed intelligence, fortitude, and a deep and genuine caring for the welfare of the commoner. While watching the movie I came to the conclusion that her burning desire to better the lives of those around here originated in a need to immerse herself in a large and fulfilling task in order to get her mind off of and move past her husband. Regardless of the reason, her actions display great strength and sense of duty, making her an admirable figure. Her positive character is displayed at many times throughout the film, such as how as soon after she returned home from the hospital after suffering an eight month coma she was already trying to decide how she could continue her community work while confined to her bed. As a mother, the same characteristics of compassion and strength were displayed through her desire to do what was best for her children even in the face of raising them as a single mother. Even while she worked for what seemed endless hours at a high energy level in benefit of her Socialist party, at the same time she needed to raise two young children. Because of this, her son and daughter did not see her as just their mother but also as the political force she worked to be. Life in the home often mixed with life at work, a fact which I believed had a strong impact on her children. It appeared as though Alex’s sister (cannot remember her name) suffered slightly from the lack of a father figure, a stable home, and a mother who could devote the time to her a typical family situation would allow for. As a result, she made a bad choice or two, married a man she was not truly compatible with and ended up as a young single mother with a small child to care for. Being oldest, she may have developed a need to oppose her mother and her beliefs and set off on a path of individuality, which would explain her strong desire to become westernized when the wall fell. Alex, on the other hand, seems to display characteristics closer to his mother’s. He was involved in a movement for free speech, an action which displays a desire to aid those being oppressed. While the manner in which the movement was developed was not something his mother would approve of (and he really didn’t look that interested in participating to begin with), the characteristic alludes to those of his mother. Alex’s fierce compassion for his mother also reflects his mother’s desire to aid those in need. Alex went to extreme lengths to preserve his mother’s well being. His actions displayed a great deal of love for his mother and a desire to insure her comfort and well-being (though I strongly believe his fervor was in part a product of the immense guilt he must have felt for causing his mother’s heart attack).
I do not think that Christiane’s great love for the GDR should be viewed with either sympathy or oddity. She threw her entire being into a cause she believed in. If anything, she should be admired for her efforts.
It is evident that the German film, “Goodbye Lenin,” contains several dynamic and important characters; however throughout the film’s entirety it is clear that the plot revolves mostly around Alex’s mother, Christiane. As a mother, I would characterize Christiane as very protective and loving, for it is clear that her children mean everything to her and that she wants nothing more for them then a great life and a great future. I would say that as a mother, Christiane can be a little too protective however, because she does not always support her children when they are acting in opposition with her socialist values. This is most evidently seen when she faints after seeing Alex being arrested for participating in a protest. Finally, it is clear that while her children respect her, they are quite concerned with how their actions will affect their mother’s opinions, as seen when Alex tells his mother that his girlfriend’s father worded with disabled children when in reality he was just an industrial worker. As a citizen of the German Democratic Republic, Christiane is very hardworking and loyal, and most of all she takes great pride in her country and everything that it claims to stand for. She is clearly an active participant in fundamental activities of the country, and she was even awarded a prestigious honor for being an excellent citizen. The movie shows her participating in numerous community service activities such as teaching children to sing patriotic songs, a task which she is very passionate about in result of her undying nationalism. These two roles that Christiane plays are definitely intertwined for her and her children. Despite the fact that she was planning on leaving the GDR with her children, she backed out, lied to her children, and went on to devote a large portion of her time to the republic to keep busy. Also, after she woke up from her coma, much of the approval she showed for her two children was connected in some way to their GDR “Patriotism”, which of course was faked in order to keep her from becoming too flustered. In my opinion, her affection and devotion for the German Democratic Republic, even after she woke out of her coma, was not completely odd. Obviously she was in tremendous pain after she did not leave the country with her husband, and the activities of the GDR were an outlet for her where she could feel like she was making a difference in people’s lives. From that point, Christiane obviously grew accustomed to the ways of the GDR and learned to enjoy the new life that she was living. During various parts of the movie, you can also see that while not everyone supports the ideals that Christiane was so passionate about, she truly believed that they could make a difference and actually acted upon this belief. For example, when her son told her that there was a flux of immigrants from Easter Germany coming to the GDR, her first thought was on where these people would stay, and how she could help them.
In watching “Goodbye Lenin,” I found I had a lot of sympathy for Alex’s mother Christiane. At the beginning of the movie she went through a trying time due do what was happening in the world and decisions she had to make in regards to her family. When she later revealed what had actually happened with her husband, that he did not leave, and that she had chosen to stay behind because she felt it was going to be the best for her children, I could understand her need to do so. I know mothers are protective and never put themselves first. Christiane acted as a mother to protect her children, though she knew she would have to hide the fact that their father had not left them. When looking at what Christiane did for the GDR citizens, I also noticed a compassion for others and she also put them before herself just like she did her children. When sitting in her bed she still had the drive to write letters to try to help the citizens of the fake GDR that her son created around her. Though she was sick and could essential die of a heart attack she still wanted to help the citizens. She has a passion and cared for her country. With this passion for both her country and her love for her children it did become very intertwined since she put both things before her own happiness. The roles of mother and citizen of the GDR were greatly highlighted when Christiane was confined to bed after coming out of her coma. Her son and daughter realized how devoted she was to her country as well as to them that they became devoted to making her happy. They pretended nothing had changed and went to great lengths to make sure she believed the country was still as it was when she went into the coma. This is a key point that shows how her two roles became interweaved in her life. In general I think that the affection and devotion for the GDR made her seem sympathetic and not at all odd. When you believe in something it is easy to become swept up in the hype. I do not see it as odd at all that she decided to create a false tale of her husband leaving to try to protect her children after she decided to stay in the country for them. She seems like she did what any other mother would do, which I do not see as odd at all.
It is interesting to examine character traits in Christiane, Alex’s mother in he movie “Goodbye Lenin”. A lot of the plot is centered around her. As a mother, Christiane is loving and protective of her children, as are most parents. She wishes for her children to succeed in every possible way and to have bright futures ahead of them. However, she is also very protective, particularly when her children are not acting in agreement with her socialist beliefs. This is seen when she collapses and suffers a heart attack after seeing her son, Alex, taking part in a somewhat radical protest. Another aspect of the film that makes her perhaps too protective is reflected in the relationship with the children’s father. Because he could escape Germany but the rest of the family could not, Christiane lied to the children that he had run off to the west with another movie. This protection from the truth proved to have a negative impact, as it essentially ruined any possibility of a relationship between Alex and his father. Furthermore, Christiane went as far as to hide letters written to the children from their father. This protective aspect, then, is portrayed as somewhat of a character flaw.
As a citizen of the German Democratic Republic, Chrisiane shows undying patriotism, enthusiasm, and loyalty. An active participant in GDR activities, she was awarded a prestigious award for her services. An example of a task that shows her patriotic views is when she teaches a chorus of young children nationalistic German songs.
The two roles of mother and active party member are definitely intertwined in the movie because they both show the element of caring. As a mother, caring is basically a natural instinct. Chrisiane evidently cares about her children and wants them to be met with great successes. After her husband was gone, Christiane seemed to have found the GDR as a means of caring for others as best as she could. For example, when Alex tells her about new immigrants coming from East Germany, Christiane’s first thoughts are concerned with who will help them and where they will stay. She cares so deeply that she even suggests they be able to stay at her summer cottage. Through such community service type activities, the element of caring was strongly present in Chrisiane’s life as both a mother and as a GDR party member.
I would characterize Alex’s mother, Christiane, as just that; a mother. Christiane exhibits compassion and benevolence towards both her children, and her country, causing the two to intertwine. As a mother, Christiane clearly thought the world of her children and only wanted what was best for them. Later in the movie it was established that Christiane made the choice of staying in East Germany, rather than moving to the West with her husband, not for her country, but for the fear of possibly losing her children if the process did not go smoothly. Christiane was a very protective mother throughout her children’s youth, as well as through their adult years, just as most mothers are. She was acting protectively when she hid the letters from her husband addressed to their children because she didn’t want them to know that possibility. Though I did believe it was mostly out of motherly protection that she did this, I also feel that it had to do with her pride for the GDR. I understood that she did not want her children to know that they actually had a father who would love to have stayed with them and who was in West Germany waiting for them, but because it was not possible for them to cross the border, it would be a pointless pain to put the children through. But I also feel that she did not want her children knowing the drastically different way of life that took place in the West, because she believed the GDR was providing the people of East Germany with everything they needed. I don’t feel that Christiane’s affection for and devotion to the GDR made her either sympathetic or odd. I think those two words are an interesting choice because I don’t feel that they fit the situation at all. There is nothing odd about supporting one owns country and being an active member in it. Though to outsiders, like us Americans, it may seem odd to be happy to live in a Socialist society, but if you were born and raised to support such a society, there is nothing odd about it. And as far as sympathy goes, I definitely do not think that Christiane would look at her actions and beliefs and think of them as acts of sympathy. It was her life now, after she accepted the fact that she would not be moving to the West with her husband, so she was going to make the best of it.
1. As a mother, Christiane can be characterized a number of ways. She stayed in East Germany even though her husband left for West Germany so that she would not lose her children. This shows a dedicated and loving mother. However, she stayed in East Germany even though that may not have been the best thing for her or her children. She also went farther and told her children that their father was an adulterer to explain his absence. This act ultimately shows cowardice and immorality. Therefore it is difficult to classify Christiane as simply a good or bad mother, as it is easier to classify her as a mother who tried to do the best for her children while making a few errors along the way.
As a citizen of the GDR she can be characterized as motivated, dedicated and consumed. She was depicted as a totally dedicated citizen, one who followed and regulated the rules of the party without a second thought. She was shown to have written petitions in efforts to make East Germany a more positive place for her and the rest of the German Democratic Republic. In this she seemed taken over by her party loyalty. The movie can be quoted to stating that after their father left Christiane had married a new partner, but this time it was the GDR.
These roles are intertwined in the fact that after her coma her children spent every waking moment trying to hide the changes of Germany from her so that it still represented the GDR she had left when she had had her heart attack. Her devotion to East Germany's previous way of life consumed her children, in which caused a slight role reversal; in which she became the child. In this way it becomes obvious that her role as a mother is not so much intertwined with her role in the GDR but overtaken by it. She was first a party member and second a mother, as it is what took most of her attention, love, and effort. Also; the fact that Alex was worried his mother would have another heart attack if she found out about the collapse of the GDR shows just how strongly she was attached to the party.
To me, this uncanny devotion to the GDR seems odd. I find it difficult to imagine being so wrapped up in a political party that its collapse would send my heart into failure and perhaps even cause my death. I also find it strange that she was able to let it consume her life, becoming even more important than that or her children. Overall I found this movie a very good representation of the GDR and its collapse.
Christiane on more instances than one, allowed her dedication to the GDR overshadow her dedication to her children. Her love for her children is not by any means being brought into question. Rather, a matter of where her priorities lie is a subject matter to ponder. Her love and devotion to both her children and the party intertwined on many occasions. Christiane’s fear of leaving East Germany permanently removed the father figure in Alex and his sister’s lives, an influence that unquestionably had a negative effect on their lives. Although this decision, in and of itself, was unwise her reaction to the situation leaves even more to be desired. Instead of catering to the needs of her children, who were now one parent short, Christiane sends Alex and his sister off to live with their aunt, virtually abandoning them. Alex, in later years, is seen to be notably effected by these decisions. Christiane’s devotion to the GDR led to undesirable side effects for her children. Following her coma, her unceasing passion for the GDR led her children to go to great lengths to maintain her ignorance of the GDR’s collapse. Alex abandoned his capitalist lifestyles in order “to protect his mother health.” He went as far as to wear their old clothes, refurnish their apartment, and transfer food into old jars. Christiane’s devotion to the GDR in many ways hampered her ability to provide for her children.
Christiane’s affection for the GDR, though odd in many ways, makes her a relatively sympathetic character. The audience can sympathize with her initial motives in throwing herself into the cause, to cope the fact that she had openly chosen not to join her husband in West Germany. She needed to engross herself in a role to get her mind off of and move past this decision.
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In the beginning I found Christine to be a very weak and vulnerable character due to her health. She came across as someone who was under a lot of stress and loved her country deeply. She was someone who was patriotic, and felt very attached to her country. She was devastated and heartbroken when her husband left her with the children. Then, she actually took charge and decided to be strong for her family and kids. When she saw Alex in the streets, she completely lost it and went into a comma. She was very loyal and held a great deal of pride in her country, she did a lot of patriotic things for her community. She had a lot of love , devotion and passion for her country. After she woke up from her comma things were obviously not the same, but Alex and his sister both took drastic measures to make Christine think that everything was the same and that nothing had changed at all. I do not think that Christine’s character was odd or behaved abnormally towards the changing and trying time. Her feelings and reactions were appropriate because that is how everyone felt at that time. She was also a very loving and a protecting mother at the same time, she did everything she could to make sure that her kids were safe and secure. She was able to take care of her kids and make sure that she could give time to her country as well. I felt a lot of sympathy towards her because she was a very devoted character. She made sure that everything was balanced in her life. The only reason her kids kept the truth from her was because of her health, she would not have been able to take it well and cope with the new conditions. Over all I found her character to be strong from inside and appear vulnerable from the outside.
Question 1:
In the film Goodbye Lenin, I believe that Alex’s mother, Christiane, was both a compassionate mother and a devout supporter of the GDR. These two roles that she held were in constant conflict with each other throughout the movie. She watched her husband flee to West Germany while she remained in the East with her children because she could not bear the betrayal to her government that she loved, even though she hated that she had to break apart her family. Her decision to keep this information from her children was to protect them from what had happened, as she did not wish to upset them. The climax of this conflict occurred when Christiane witnessed her son protesting her beloved GDR, resulting in her heart attack. It was likely at this moment that she realized that her love for both the GDR and her son could not continue together. I did not find Christiane’s actions odd; rather I understood them very much. She followed her patriotism for her government as many other Americans still do today, and her heart attack is very understandable. Even while her two loves were held in conflict, she remained a very good person. Her almost immediate reaction after leaving the hospital and her eight month coma was to continue with her community service that she did before the heart attack. She even wished to assist the West Germans, as Alex claimed, who were moving into East Germany. She did not care about their past conflict; she just wanted to help. Christiane remained positive in this situation when most others would have fallen apart. It was necessary for Alex to keep the fall of the GDR from her no matter what the cost in order for her to have a sustained life.
I sympathized with Christiane, and she was my favorite character throughout the film. The two roles that were essential to her person, mother and member of the GDR, created a life of discord because she had to make decisions choosing one role over the other. It hurt her and her family to remain in East Germany while her husband fled to West; she remained loyal to her country, not to her family. However, although it was arguably not the best thing to do, she tried to protect her children, weaving a story of lies to shield them from the truth. Most would see her as weak, because of her admittance into hospital after her husband left, but would fail to see the struggles she faced in trying to do what was best for both her children and her party. In most cases, she was able to do both.
I don’t find it odd that she was devoted to the GDR, because it gave her life purpose and accomplishment after her husband left. I also find it really interesting the type of work she did, trying to improve the small injustices of life, which ordinary people take notice of everyday. It was especially admirable for her to return immediately to her community service after her release from the hospital. Although I don’t agree with the ideals of the Socialist party, her devotion to it showed that she was compassionate and genuinely cared about the general welfare. Her children admired her because, unlike some parents who are too absorbed in making life better for others through their careers they hardly pay attention to those directly around them, she cared deeply about them and for them. And her children cared deeply for her as well, Alex especially. They put on this enormous façade to make it seem as if nothing had changed since before her coma, is if the wall had never fallen down. This instinct was strikingly similar to what their mother did to shield them from the truth of their father’s leave.
Christiane’s actions should not be seen as odd, it is almost natural for a person to want to make change after their life has gone through so much of it. It was admirable for her to throw herself into a meaningful cause, instead of becoming a shell of a person as some people would do after such trauma.
Although Christiane loved her children dearly, as can be noted from her decision to stay in the east partly to avoid having her children taken away and the difficulty she had in relaying such information to her children, her main priority lies in her loyalty to the GDR. For instance, before she stated that she might have lost the children, she first stated her urge to remain faithful to the GDR. Not only did she remove their father from the family (and also causing hatred toward him by stating that he left with another woman), she also removed her own maternal role as she sent both children to their aunt’s house to live. Though both children still loved their mother dearly, they understood their mother’s devotion to the GDR. Such can be noted when one examines Alex’s behavior after his mother’s coma as he wears eastern clothing and only presents his mother with eastern-looking products. All in all, the GDR always came first in her mind, and, because of that, she could not provide for her children as a normal mother should have.
Christianes’s loyalty and near-obsession with the GDR is not surprising at all due to the massive propaganda campaigns that must have taken place as the Russians took hold of power; therefore, the audience and definitely sympathize with her love for the country. The fact that she refused to forget her decision to stay and allowed the decision to control her life and worsen an otherwise decent life for her kids is a concept that is definitely odd to any audience. To any normal person, it would seem as if her loyalty the country would allow her to move on with her life without nearly as much difficulty as she had had. Somehow, the combination of leaving her husband and deciding to turn her children against her husband had stuck in her mind and build up every time she would see a new letter come in the mail from her loving and caring husband.
Alex’s mother, Christiane, was equally as passionate for her country as she was for her family. She exhibited her strong devotion and patriotism for her country throughout the movie. The fact that her children had to shield her from the changing Germany in fear that it would cause her to have another heart attack shows how strongly attached she was to her country. She noted that she was happiest when advocating the greatness of the GDR, and teaching children about supporting it the same way she had. For example, when Christiane learned that East Germany was adopting West German immigrants (as told to her by Alex), she was overjoyed and immediately wanted to “adopt” one to help out her country. In addition to her strong love for Germany, Christiane proved to be immensely loving and compassionate toward her children. Faced with the toughest decision of her life (whether to leave for West Germany to be with her husband), she made the choice that would guarantee her children’s safety and not put them at risk of being taken away from her. Also, she was extremely protective when she kept from her children the real reason why their father left, and the letters he had sent them. It is this example in which her love for her country and her family perhaps intertwine. Christiane not only didn’t want her children to be hurt when learning about their father and the reason for his absence, but she probably also didn’t want them to long for West Germany, and rather remain loyal to the only country they knew. This exemplifies not only her caring nature for her family but her intense support for her country. I feel that Christiane was more so odd rather than sympathetic in her devotion to the GDR, but wasn’t all that out of the ordinary. Although it is rare to find someone who is as extremely patriotic and loyal to their country as Christiane, there are many Americans that do show a great attatchment and love for their country. Though not as extreme, these people show the same support for their country. Other than her two children, it was the one thing Christiane could believe in after losing her husband. I think it was very good for her to have something that she supported so strongly, and therefore her passion does not make her odd but simply a strongly patriotic citizen
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In the movie Goodbye Lenin, the character Alex’s mother, Christiane can be characterized as a very nurturing, caring, protective figure. Though out the movie she is constantly doing what she feels is best for her children. For example out of fear of being separated from her children she keeps them in the GDR instead of having them move to West Germany, even though their father was here. Then in order to protect her children from having to bear the emotional pain that they could not be with their father who loved them, she told them that he just left them and hid the letters that he was writing to them. While this ultimately caused her children to suffer from lack of a father figure, she believed that she was just doing what was best for her children, which is something that every mother tries to do. Also like almost every mother, Christiane is very proud of her children and always wants them to succeed. These same attributes carry over to how she feels about being a citizen of the GDR. After her husband moved away she took a great interested in her country and even won an award for being an outstanding citizen. In addition to being extremely patriotic, she also taught small boys songs praising the GDR and got great joy out of this. She enjoyed helping them, the same way that mothers enjoy helping out others. Also when she heard that a couple from West German fled to the GDR her motherly instincts made her worried that they would not have a place to stay and she offered her summer cottage for them. These are just some examples of how Christiane’s role as a mother and devoted GDR citizen are intertwined throughout the whole movie.
Christiane was an avid supporter of the GDR and made many efforts to show her complete dedication. At the same time, she managed to raise her son and daughter alone. Christiane was most definitely a strong and independent woman who, no matter the obstacles, strived to protect the people around her and considered her self second to other people’s needs. At certain times, it seemed like she was more dedicated to the GDR. After all, she allowed her family to be separated—with her husband on the East and the children and her staying in the West.
Regardless, her fierce desire to protect was intertwined in her roles.
Even though she was in a coma for a long time, she was the one who had molded the type of characters present in her daughter and son. The audience was aware of this; they saw the amount of effort the son contributed to make sure that his mother was healthy. He created a fictional world and succeeded despite a few slipups. It was only until the end did Christiane find out from Lara that her world had changed when she was in a coma. Alex loved his mom because of her comforting presence in his childhood. That was why he wanted to protect her from current news about Germany, which he believed would kill her.
The audience should not feel any sympathy towards Christiane. It was clear that her love for GDR had helped her through the toughest of times. After she allowed herself to be separated from her husband, she completely surrounded her self to helping society. It was an admirable thing to do because she knew that sitting in an institution, selectively mute and unresponsive, was no contribution to German society or her children.
I very much enjoyed the bits of social satire that were evident in Goodbye Lenin!. Most importantly, they were funny, second most important, they were intelligiant. They made what could have been a painful melodrama into a wonderful tragicomedy.
There are two very important things in social satire. The first is humor. After all, if it's not funny, I don't care what your joke is, I don't want to hear it. The majority of the comments were quite humorous, which is all one can hope for.
The second most important thing to a social satire is intelligiance. Almost anyone can make a fart joke (though a good portion of those stink), not everyone can make a joke with intelligiance. For example, the constant remark of "no they're from Holland," for the origin of almost every single product that Alex asks about shows the sudden love of imported goods in East Germany. If I had known that this would have been an option for a blog response I would have paid more attention to specific examples, but other things like the humorous remarks of Ariane's boyfriend the scene in which Alex's friend isn't wearing pants for the news broadcast, and the plastic diaper scenes all break the tension a bedridden communist usually create. The atmosphere even allowed the ending, death (whcih is usually a completely HAPPY topic), to be toned down enough so one finished the movie still smiling.
19:34 Hours East Coast, USA
Chilly Basement
Response on Goodbye Lenin-Topic 1
Last Euro Blog
Transmission Commencing... Excitement Commencing...
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Failure to Excite
Proceeding as Scheduled
Subject: Christiane – Case Report 27299-737766
Characterization:
Subject known as Christiane can be described as a woman who has been distressed, both emotionally and physically. Yet it is her emotional distress that leads to her subsequent behavior. Her first (known) disturbance occurred shortly following her spouses supposed abandonment. After a brief period of time acting like a mute, she returns to her old self… at least, to a semblance of her former self. She develops a fanatic devotion to the GDR, most likely to fill the emptiness that was left behind when her husband left. This devotion is shown by numerous video clips of Christiane participating in activities glorifying the GDR, and also from peers who acknowledged that she may have been ‘too’ fanatic. As a mother, from what we know she was able to raise two children as a single mother, both apparently normal. She was caring, and definitely loved. The job of being both a citizen and mother eventually would shape the movie. The children ended up having to create an alternate reality for their mother. Her heart attack and following coma made her vulnerable to any excitement. Conveniently, the Berlin Wall had been toppled during her slumber. Learning about the fall of the wall, and how east and west were now not at odds, was considered to be knowledge that could do great harm to her. The plain fact that she was so involved in the GDR and a patriotic citizen of the GDR, she could probably die. Her being a mother, the children would try to keep that from happening. The role of citizen and mother were therefore related.
Her affection for the GDR in opinion of this knowledgeable person, would be classified as more odd than sympathetic. She could be considered a devoted patriot of the GDR, practically believing everything the government told her. Didn’t she know the west was superior to the east? Or was she blinded by her faith in the GDR? Her comrades did suggest her patriotism was unusual.
Enjoy your Summer
Transmission Terminated
Christiane seemed to be the ultimate mother, who had a good sense of balance between work and her family. However, she did prove that a career can ruin a life; before her heart attack, she seemed to always put her family on the backburner. Her odd obsession with the GDR stemmed so far as to lie to her children about their father leaving, when in reality he left for a better life and invited their mother, but she didn’t want to be a disgrace to the GDR. This is extremely unhealthy and caused pain for all party’s involved. Anger surged throughout her children’s lives, especially when they find out that their father was writing letters, but Christiane hid them. She tried to cover up her life for a government that did nothing for its people, but hurt them; just like what Christiane did to her children. All her life she had been keeping the truth from her children and towards the end of the movie her children kept their secret from her that the wall fell down and Germany was now united. Both her children and she were shocked when each other secrets were revealed, which caused Christiane’s death. Overall, there is no way to tell if what Chrisitane did was of benefit her children or harmed them by keeping them from their father for the good of the communist government. Both reasons are sick, cruel, unthinkable, and unforgivable. She tried to be a good mother, like a good citizen of the GDR, but there was no way that she could be both because both are jobs that need full attention, for most of the time, she took the government route, thus straining the relationships with her family, which is the most important thing in the world.
I found Alex's mother, Christiane, to be and interesting character. It seemed to me that she was a person living two roles, which blended seamlessly together in her case, the role of both mother and GDR citizen. She was not only a citizen of the GDR, but rather became quite actively involved with the local legislatures and sections of government. Her devotion to aiding her people and improving society was similar to how she appeared to take an interest in her children. She did not appear to take much direct action in guiding their lives, but rather urged them gently to become productive members of society. Whether she was successful in that venture, it is entirely debatable, you could say she failed in that her daughter ended up as a single mother with a child at an early age, and her son became diverted from his once high ambitions of becoming a cosmonaut, to simply living day by day working in local television repair shop. But one could also argue the other side to that saying she did the best given her situation, and protected her children from the harmful hands of the government by intercepting their father's letters and remaining in the GDR, whilst pushing for small improvements in the government to make society better. Her situation with Mr. Kerner certainly paints a sympathetic picture in that it seems designed to make one feel sorry for her, and sympathize with her as a grieving mother, who has to raise two children alone in a communist nation with an oppressive government. For the good majority of the movie it seemed as if this was the case, up until she revealed that she had been intercepting the letters, and in fact the father had not left them, but rather she had become frightened and remained in the GDR, fearing for the lives of herself and her children. But her continued devotion, and for that matter even gained zeal for the GDR seems extremely odd given the revealed plot twist. Overall she comes off as a very odd character in the end, but for a while she appeared to be a sympathetic character. The whole I fear for the lives of my babies, and then hold on let me switch and become devoted to this oppressive government and take a fairly active role in it mindset was just confusing. It makes her seem in many ways both a mother and a citizen of GDR first, it is hard to tell which she appears to be more of. In my opinion she is more of the mother due to her decision to stay behind to protect the lives of her children, her apparent care for children in general with the Pioneers groups, her constant willingness and eagerness to help with problems, as seen in her letters which she once again began writing again after being bed-ridden. The director seemed to blow some things out of proportion in some of the situations. It may be that there literally were piles of old junk out in the streets, that up until a few weeks prior, were common household items found throughout the GDR. The switch as presented in the movie seemed to be way to fast. The director painted it as if it were quite literally and overnight switch from communism to capitalism. Now this may have been, but the way in which it was presented in the movie seemed almost unreal. Especially the scene of the helicopter flying Lenin's statue around. That was just so odd to include. He is effective in showing that there was a rapid and drastic change in the economy and socio-political situation of East Germans during the time, but quite frankly he seems to exagerate far too much. Overall he just seems to make everything too exaggerated to be believed, although it does effectively send a message.
Christiane Kerner is a strong supporter of the GDR, but she is most definitely a stronger mother. Christiane’s devotion to the GDR is shown through how much she is willing to help the party and how much of an idealist she is. Indeed, she follows the Marxist socialist system and throughout the movie attempts to live in it to the best of her ability. She is seen doing things such as sending letters to government leaders and coordinating the choruses of German youths. Even when she wakes up, she still is drawn to Alex’s lies, and wants to take up refugee. I strongly believe that perhaps Christiane’s strongest reason to improve her homeland is because of the lives of her kids. She had the opportunity to leave to the West with them, but did not because of the fear that they might never return to her again. Her love for them made her unable to give them up, and likewise, it seems as if the only way she could improve her children’s life is to make their communist homeland the best it could be. Christiane is also shown to have a large amount of interest in her children’s life even despite waking up half alive. She takes great interest in Alex’s interest in Lara, and Alex’s niece. This is of course not because of her love of her idealist communist homeland, but because of her love for her children
I do not find Christiane odd or sympathetic regarding her devotion to the GDR. This is because I feel that she truly believed in the ideology taught to her and wanted to make the system work. If anything, I am proud to see someone do something they believe in. It is honorable to do your country’s work even it means devoting your entire life to it. Likewise, in Christiane’s case, her state(and ideology) did collapse but her support of the GDR in order to improve her life is neither odd nor tragic.
I believe that Alex’s mother, Christiane was a caring and passionate mother who made a very difficult decision. Her only wrongdoing was lying to her children about it for that long. She made them think they’re father was a liar and cheater, when he wasn’t. For that she let her pride in the GDR and the action of her husband going to the “enemy” West Germany in the way of her judgment. But for making the decision to not to go to West Germany with her husband is completely understandable. Everything she had worked for was in the GDR. She was an extreme advocate and truly believed in the mission of the GDR, and going to West Germany would be essentially throwing that away. Also, if she left and the GDR found out, they may have taken her children away from her, which is not an option for a parent as compassionate as Christiane. It is also apparent throughout the movie that her role as a GDR citizen and activist and mother are related to each other and one in the same. You see this in her decision not to go to West Germany. She was too involved in her children and her cause to leave the GDR. Also, the movie shows how compassionate Christiane is for the GDR and her children, as she has a heart attack at the mere sight of one of her own children protesting against the cause she worked so hard to enforce. This role as loyal GDR citizen shifts to her children after she wakes from her coma. Alex’s and his sister become immersed in the GDR cause and it takes over they’re lives in order to protect they’re mother from the truth. Christiane’s passion for the GDR makes her sympathetic. Her actions were only to fight for a cause she was strongly devoted to and to protect her children. She was the product of a socialist upbringing, and projected those ideals on her children and on anyone she met, and so anything but leaving the GDR would be odd for her.
It’s been in an interesting year in Modern European History, Period 3, although I am ecstatic to say this is my last blog. Goodbye Lenin, Goodbye Euro. PEACE.
1) I think that as a character, Christiane makes a great effort to be a good mother. As she explained to Alex, her reason for staying in the East was that she was afraid her children would be taken away if she applied to move to the west. She was so afraid for her children that she decided to stop contact with her husband and instead stay and focus on keeping the rest of her family safe. This decision clearly came at great personal cost - her mental breakdown highlights how emotionally traumatizing this decision must have been for her. However, her fear for her children outweighed her personal feelings.
I also think Christiane felt guilty about her breakdown and how it affected her children. In fact, I believe that her involvement with the GDR rises from her belief that she has to compensate for having been a bad parent. It seems that initially, Christiane was mostly involved with socialist programs targeted at children, like the choir, for example. I believe that this involvement was initially triggered by her desire to do more for her children, as well as the desire to put to rest her fears that the state might take her children away from her because she was too capitalist. While doing so, it seems that she fell in love with the ideals (not the reality, which the movie shows to be less than pretty) of communism, which focus on hard work and equality, values central to many families. As time wore on, I think she also discovered that she wished to act as a caretaker for more than just her children, and therefore took on an active role in the GDR - writing petitions for those “in need” etc.
Therefore, I think Christiane’s affection to the GDR arises from a wish to be a better mother - first for her children, and then for others as well. This makes her affection for the GDR somewhat endearing, even if it is obvious from the problems shown in the film that her affection is misplaced. Christiane’s devotion to the GDR is rooted in maternal sentiment and idealism, which while proves her to be not the most intelligent character, makes her a sympathetic and lovable.
1). Alex’s mother, Christiane was a very interesting character to watch because of the close relationships that she had both with her kids and with the GDR. She truly was a dedicated and hard working individual who was willing to sacrifice herself just to accomplish the job for the many. Unfortunately I was not able to see this movie in full so while I do not know what happened in the end she stayed determined to do her best for her kids when she could. When the situation was reversed you could obviously see that Christiane was not comfortable being waited upon. Even when recovering from being in a coma for six or more months she still wanted to get right back to work on petitions and helping her friends. With her kids as well she tries to not be such a burden to them, although she has absolutely no idea how a simple request for some pickles could send her son on such a long and crazy quest. Either way her devotion to the GDR and in tandem her kids is understandable and while the severity of the devotion may come off as a little odd the effect does make her a sympathetic character. When her husband left her to escape into West Germany and then ended up marrying some other girl her response to side with the government is an understandable one. It seems like Christiane’s care for her husband before the break-up transferred over to her dedication to the GRD and the government in general. The transfer is not unsurprising seeing as how her husband left her and their family just to escape the communist government of East Germany so the overall feelings transferred over to the government which hadn’t abandoned her. By falling into the government she adopted many of the government beliefs so although she didn’t have a lot of direct time for her kids she was willing to work hard to make life better for them. It is true she cared deeply about the government, one must assume so since it is not often a person goes into cardiac arrest after seeing their son in a protest. This truth however must be balanced with the fact that she spent a lot of her time helping people by writing petitions and letters to the government in a call for change. She was always trying to make things better for her kids even after the horrible shock that her husband’s leaving her left her with. Christiane even said that it was Alex and his sister visiting her everyday even though she was in a doll like state that kept her from killing herself. By working towards a better government she was determinedly working towards a better life for her children which in turn she dedicated her life to. So the devotion to the government is not odd as she in reality used the government to balance and rebuild her life and psyche around. By using the government as a focal point she was able to hone in on what she cared about most, her family, while working past the painful blow that had just been delivered. The work she had done rings true in seeing Alex work and in turn dedicate much of his life to making his mother’s as comfortable as possible. While some of that dedication might have been Alex’s way of burning off his guilt for unintentionally giving his mother a heart attack he really did pursue the task once he had begun it. From remodeling the room she slept in to creating fake newscasts to trick his mother into believing the East German state still existed, Alex pulled every string he could to making his mother happy. This work shows his mother meant a lot to him and her hard work and dedication meant a lot to him even if it took his mother’s near death just to bring out his own strong abilities.
I fell like Christiane’s character is a little odd compared to the expected citizen in East Germany, especially at the time of the wall falling. Prior to her heart attack, you saw a woman that was on nearly every public committee, someone who was very invested in her country, to the point that it had a strain on her home life. So invested, in fact, that she fell of a heart attack when she saw her son at a free-speech rally. Like I said, I just see her as odd, maybe just because she is a communist. But I can’t really see a woman being a good mother to her children when she is both single mother and her first love is to her country. Even when she was in her coma, you had no sympathy for her because you knew that, as the wall fell, that if she woke up she would face a totally different country that she left when she fell due to her health. Even while her children tried to protect her from the reality that Germany was united, I couldn’t help but think that it was all despicable because she really would have had another heart attack if she found out that her beloved country had fallen to the west. I really did have no sympathy for her, because her children tried so hard to shield her from it, when in return she seemingly showed no gratitude. But it all turned out well in the end, for when they spilled the beans (rather subtly), she embraced the unification, and had no qualms about it until her death. As well, it seemed her death truly did bring a final end to the communism that gripped their family. With her death, communism was finally expelled from the newly reunified Germany.
The director’s use of sarcasm is mainly pointed towards the East German reaction towards material goods. The world was about to end when a Coke banner went up across the street. Something that would never faze Americans would have been truly devastating to the story that Alex was trying to portray for his mother. Again, the director’s sarcasm is used when the characters flock across the border to eat at Burger King, something that we would not bat an eye at. That was the part that I found very humorous, and it actually turned out to be very effective. For, capitalism is a huge thing that East Germans had to deal with when their country was unified. It was something that they had never witnessed before in their country, and really illustrated a tremendous change that came with the fall of the Berlin wall.
Just wanted to say it was interesting year, to say the least. I had a great time in your class, Kirbdogg, and ill definitely be by to say hello as a...
SENIOR!!!
One love
Glancing at the large majority of comments on this blog I am going to have to answer the first question, I don’t want to be different from anybody else, so I guess peer pressure is extremely effective.
1. I would have to say that after watching the movie Goodbye Lennon, the character Christiane, the mother of the main character Alex, was both an extremely devoted mother and GDR citizen. She was as devout to the state as she was to her kids and her maternal duties. You could almost consider the state to be another of her kids. Her strong and idealistic beliefs are present throughout the beginning part of the movie. These progressive beliefs were apparent in all of the decisions she made throughout the movie. Christiane was extremely active politically and socially in the GDR. Her lack of a husband allowed her to channel her energy in to something that was both productive and prosperous for her children and her government. In some cases her dedication to the GDR surpassed her dedication to her children. However, the love that she felt for her kids is not being challenged. It was obvious throughout the movie that she would do anything possible in her power to make sure that her children lead a happy and successful life. This is evident when she hid from them the fact that their father really did not abandon them. She was simply trying to protect her kids, however, trying to protect her kids is precisely what separated them from their father. Her fear of leaving East Germany, and the commitment she felt to the GDR prohibited her from leaving. This in turn robbed her children of their father and perhaps a normal childhood. The decisions made by Christiane greatly affected Alex later in his life. Her one-minded views that East Germany could provide her children with everything they needed in a structured and relatively controlled environment. She felt that the GDR could provide the best life for her children, and in this sense her duties to her children and her government do intersect because at this point it becomes that whatever she does will be for the benefit of the state and her children.
Now I do feel that this unique devotion to the GDR does in fact make Christiane a tad bit “odd”. I feel that the almost insanely close relationship with her government was unhealthy and was in fact “odd”.
DONE
And I second that comment by my fellow SENIOR Jacoby….
It was definitely a great year…
Thanks a lot Mr. Kirby!
I think that the way to describe Christiane is a loving mother and passionate citizen of the GDR. She shows both of these characteristics when she fails to leave to the west. She didn’t want to risk losing her children, which makes the audience feel sympathetic towards her. Also, she shows how her country and children were intertwined when she teaches them all of the patriotic songs of the GDR. She also seemed to believe in the GDR, and was an active party member. This is probably why she had her first heart attack. She couldn’t bear the fact that her son was participating in protests against the country that she loved.
Her national pride was the main reason why her children had to try so hard to hide the changing ways in Germany. She was depicted as so dedicated to the party as to try and write petitions to help improve the GDR. She was so loyal to the GDR that Alex feared that she would have another heart attack if she knew about the fall of the Wall. This also shows how her passion for the country was of such great importance that her children had to slave in order to save her life. I was actually surprised at how she took the news of the unification. I thought that she would be quite disappointed, but she seemed to embrace the fact that Germany would be one country.
In the movie “Goodbye Lenin”, the character of Christiane is both a devoted mother and a devoted follower of GDR. Her devotion to both can be easily seen throughout her film; yet, many times, they conflicted. This can be evidently seen during the scene where Chrsitiane sees her son at the anti-government riot and immediately faints due to the shock of the sight. At this point, the conflict between being a mother and being an activist completely overwhelms her. This conflict of interest can again be seen with the decision to follow her husband to West Germany. This time, her patriotism and zeal for the GDR won her over despite extreme personal conflicts within herself, as evident by her period of silence after her husband’s leave. Immediately after, the role of the GDR in her life increased dramatically, almost taking over her role as a mother. She was no longer a mother taking care of only her children, she became a teacher, taking care of other children not her own. Yet, she still tried hard to be a great mother, as evident by the amount of devotion her children paid to her after her leave from the hospital.
From this scene, the blind devotion Christane shows throughout the movie can be seen as explainable, and makes her somewhat a sympathetic character. Her behavior is not odd at all; she merely acted just like every other activist in the world. However, what I believe is a bit odd is the reasoning behind her devotion. While her drastic turn towards extreme patriotism can be seen as an act of escape, she never completely deterred from her role as a mother. Rather she tried to hold on to both of her roles, and at the end, chose the path of her children. For her children, they felt her role as a GDR activist overpowered her role as a mother. Yet, I do not think that is the case at all. Rather, it was her role as a mother that finally was able to lead her to accept reality at the end. Thus, despite her initially conflicting roles as a mother and an activist, it was her role as a mother hat truly won.
That's it!!!! APEuroblog is closed for the summer!
I would characterize Alex's mom Christiane as a loving mother and a devoted patriot. After Alex's dad dies, she throws herself into working for her party, and becomes a true patriot in every sense of the word. "Married to their Socialist Fatherland", as Alex says, she speaks in public and becomes a crusader for the interests of the state and an activist for the public. Her role as a loving mother becomes more evident after her awakening from her coma. In her interactions with her family, we see clearly how she loves her children and her affection for them. These two roles become intertwined when Alex, due to his love for her, creates a fake reality for her, fooling her into believing that the GDR still exists. Her devotion to the GDR makes it more dangerous for him to reveal the truth, because since she was so devoted to her country, the loss of it would have come as an even bigger shock. It is also her loving relationship with her children that help her to improve her condition during her recovery at home (before it worsens again, that is). They watch TV broadcasts (albeit fake ones) together, for example, and she helps watch her grandchild. In fact, this almost leads to her finding out about the real Germany, but Alex is able to explain off what she sees when she ventures outside. I thought her affection for the GDR made her a sympathetic character, rather than an odd one, because you could sort of feel sorry for her. Alex, because he loves his mother, is forced to fool her. If she finds out, she will likely die from the shock, so you have to feel for her since she cannot find out the real truth without being in danger. Her ignorance is what is keeping her alive, so she comes off as a sympathetic character because she will never be able to find out the truth (she eventually does, but it can be argued that this is what led to her eventual heart attack). If she does, she will likely die.
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