Goodbye to Berlin: An Introduction

'Goodbye to Berlin' is a novel by Christopher Isherwood set in 1930s Weimar Berlin, during the period when the Nazi Party was gaining power and the glamour of the past was being lost to the grip of Adolf Hitler’s regime. The story itself is partially autobiographical, detailing the experiences Isherwood had of pre-Nazi Germany; the characters he builds within this work are based on real people Isherwood encountered at the time. The focal characters of the story are all, to some degree, outcast by society; Peter Wilkinson and Otto Nowak are in a homosexual relationship which they are struggling with due to the prejudice in Germany at the time. Sally Bowles is a singer in the local cabaret who battles with her own identity, sometimes appearing flighty and at other times dark; as we progress through the story, she succumbs to the latter following an abortion. Finally, Bernhard Landauer is a wealthy Jewish man, his daughter Natalia forms an unlikely friendship with Sally Bowles but the family, though influential, are marginalised due to the increasing power of the anti-semitic Nazis. Though the novel itself is inspired by real people, Goodbye to Berlin has also inspired many adaptations itself; the play and subsequent film adaptation titled ‘I am a Camera’ and the stage musical Cabaret which was also adapted into an award-winning film in 1972.

Throughout the course of this project, I will be looking at all of the characters within this story and exploring the social, economic, political and environmental factors which impact upon them. Once I have established the background of each of the main characters, I will choose two to inspire my final designs- one to be produced in the style of the 1930s and the other to be reflected in contemporary design. My designs will be informed by my research into Weimar Berlin as well as the period leading up to this. I will look carefully at use of colour throughout the time, as well as in the film adaptations of the novel and I will use what I find to inspire my final outcomes during timed assessments.

I feel that this project presents a challenge in that the characters have been so thoroughly covered in previous adaptations of the text but I believe that with the full and proper use of research, I can create original interpretations of my chosen characters. I think it will be much more challenging to remain original with the authentic 1930s design because I will be more restricted to the techniques, colours and styles I can use; however, this could be to my advantage as with the contemporary incarnation of a character, it is easy to get carried away and lose much of what has inspired the design. Ultimately, I am hopeful that through fully understanding the text and its adaptations, I can achieve a fine balance between sticking to the boundaries set by the text and keeping my designs original.