On his first visit to Germany, Bremen, Christopher Isherwood stayed with his uncle Mr. Lancaster. As described in his novel Down there on a Visit it was this uncle that persuaded him to return to Germany, namely Berlin. “Is Berlin so bad?”, I [Isherwood] asked, trying not to sound too interested. “Christopher - in the whole of Thousand Nights and One Night, in the most shameless rituals of the Tantra, in the carvings on the Black Pagoda, in the Japanese brothel-pictures, in the vilest perversions of the oriental mind, you couldn’t find anything more nauseating than what goes on there, quite openly, every day. That city is doomed, more surely than Sodom ever was. […] And then and there I made a decision - one that was to have a very important effect on the rest of my life. I decided that, no matter how, I would get to Berlin just as soon as ever I could and that I would stay there a long long time.” 1 Norman Page wrote in ‘Auden and Isherwood. The Berlin Years’ how the German capital became the “the most exciting city in Europe, perhaps in the world, for anyone sympathetic to experiment and innovation in a wide variety of art forms, high and popular, pure and applied: a vital city that in a surprisingly short time had become a magnet for gifted young artists and artistes.” 2
After Isherwood left London by the afternoon train for Berlin on March 14 th , 1929 he moved in a room next to the Hirschfeld Institute for Sexual Science - and thus did take a close look at the famous Berlin ‘decadence’. But not only did Isherwood explore his own sexuality while being in Germany throughout the years 1929 to 1933. He also observed a good deal about the changes that were happening in the capital: the political turmoil and the beginning of what later became the darkest of Germany’s historical chapters. Especially in his Berlin novels Goodbye to Berlin 3 and Mr.. Norris Changes Trains 4 does Isherwood describe the change from a sexual Mecca to a city of doom 5 . Traces of this change can also be found in Down there on a Visit 6 , Exhumations 7 and Christopher and his Kind 8 . This term paper will take a look at all these novels. How is the downfall of a society portrayed?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. „Berlin meant Boys“: Christopher Isherwood’s “sexual mecca”
3. „Charlie Chaplin ceased to be funny“: A changing society in stylistic devices
4. „The City is ultimately doomed”: The Characters and their Role
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how Christopher Isherwood portrays the transition of Berlin from a perceived "sexual mecca" to a "city of doom" across his selected novels. The analysis focuses on the interplay between the author's changing stylistic devices, the evolving social atmosphere of the inter-war period, and the roles of characters who either struggle with, adapt to, or fall victim to the encroaching political turmoil of the Nazi era.
- The literary construction of Berlin as a space for exploration and decay.
- The evolution of narrative style from light-hearted observation to grim political reflection.
- Character archetypes as representations of political indifference, victimization, or ideological adaptation.
- The influence of historical political events on the atmosphere of the fictional setting.
- The dichotomy between personal desire and the external "doom" of German society.
Excerpt from the Book
„Berlin meant Boys“: Christopher Isherwood’s “sexual mecca”
In the 1920s Paris was the centre of the universe – or so it seemed. Artists, wannabe-artists and other bohemian people tried to go there. “The list of people who lived and worked there included Pablo Picasso, Apollinaire, Igor Stravinsky and a young Ernest Hemingway.” But not only did people go to Paris to promote their careers, they also enjoyed being in one of the most liberal places in Europe at the time to party and to take part in various sexual adventures. But all of this meant hardly anything to Christopher Isherwood and some of his fellow friends. He had come to find his homeland in Germany, namely Berlin. It was there that he could explore his homosexuality thoroughly. After all: “Paris had long since cornered the straight girl-market, so what was left for Berlin to offer its visitors but a masquerade of perversions?”
When Christopher Isherwood wrote a review about Stephen Spender’s World Within World he remembered that he “was living mostly in Berlin at the time, which seemed especially romantic to Spender; for Germany was then pre-eminently the country of the wandervogel movement, of nudism, hiking-trips, leather shorts, accordions and free love.” These dreams about the permissiveness of the German society are reflected in Isherwood’s novels, especially in the ones that were later published. The sex life described in Goodbye to Berlin (1939) is definitely frivolous, nevertheless it is of a heterosexual kind and only a few hints to homosexuality are to be found.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the initial attraction of Berlin as an exciting center for innovation and exploration and establishes the scope of the paper regarding the downfall of society in Isherwood’s Berlin novels.
2. „Berlin meant Boys“: Christopher Isherwood’s “sexual mecca”: This chapter explores how characters in the novels sought personal and sexual freedom in Berlin, highlighting the contrast between the city's permissive reputation and the eventual economic and political commodification of this freedom.
3. „Charlie Chaplin ceased to be funny“: A changing society in stylistic devices: This section analyzes how the author's narrative style shifts from humorous and light-hearted to dark and ominous as political tensions and Nazi influence increasingly permeate everyday life.
4. „The City is ultimately doomed”: The Characters and their Role: This chapter examines the diverse array of characters, assessing how they represent different reactions to the rise of the Third Reich, ranging from political ignorance to calculated adaptation and victimization.
5. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the thematic progression of the work, emphasizing how the initial "sexual mecca" of Isherwood's experience was ultimately eclipsed by a political nightmare.
Keywords
Christopher Isherwood, Berlin, Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, Fascism, Sexual identity, Goodbye to Berlin, Mr. Norris Changes Trains, Down there on a Visit, Literary space, Political turmoil, Decadence, Sally Bowles, Social change, Historical trauma
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper explores the representation of Berlin in Christopher Isherwood's novels, specifically focusing on the city's transformation from a site of sexual and personal liberation to a doomed space overshadowed by the rise of Nazism.
Which specific novels are analyzed in the text?
The primary works analyzed are Goodbye to Berlin and Mr. Norris Changes Trains, with additional references to Down there on a Visit, Exhumations, and Christopher and his Kind.
What is the core research goal of the work?
The goal is to determine how Isherwood portrays the downfall of a society through his characters and his changing narrative style, moving from a "sexual mecca" to a "city of doom."
What methodology does the author use?
The author employs a literary analysis approach, examining stylistic devices, character development, and autobiographical elements within the novels to trace the historical and social shifts of the era.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main sections cover the themes of sexual exploration, the shift from humor to political tragedy in the narrative, and the symbolic roles of various characters in relation to the political climate.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
The research is characterized by terms such as Berlin, Isherwood, political turmoil, decadence, social change, and the transition from a "sexual mecca" to a "city of doom."
How does the author interpret the character of Sally Bowles?
Sally Bowles is interpreted as an egocentric and ephemeral figure who, due to her detachment from politics, remains largely unchanged by the growing tragedy until it directly interferes with her personal life.
What does the "Janus" comparison regarding Mr. Norris and his secretary Schmidt signify?
It signifies the dual nature of the characters—one appearing harmless while the other reflects the darker, sinister manipulations of the Nazi regime—ultimately mirroring the two faces of Hitler’s influence.
Why is the year 1933 significant in the final conclusion?
1933 marks the turning point where the political atmosphere shifts from a state of amateurish chaos to a controlled, terror-filled regime, serving as the ultimate contrast to the light-hearted tone of the early novel chapters.
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- Judith Forysch (Autor:in), 2006, From a sexual Mecca to the City of Doom - Signs of a lost society in selected novels by Christopher Isherwood, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/69261
