Germany just before Hitler comes to power
The stories are set at the beginning of the 1930s when the tensions between the communist and Nazi party are high and commotion and fear of war is tangible. This narrative shows the slow build-up of hatred towards the Jewish people, and how respectable individuals lose everything over a small period of time. The narrator/author is a neutral observer of this change of Berlin and Germany, observing some of his acquaintances losing even their lives, while others (like his tenant Frl. Schroeder) quickly get accustomed to the change of times and adapt.
“Already she is adapting herself, as she will adapt herself to every new regime. This morning I even heard her talking reverently about “Der Führer” to the porter’s wife.” -about Frl. Schroeder and the change of Berlin
Friendship
The theme of friendship plays a large part in the stories about Berlin, where the author wanted to portray the lives of semi-regular people during a time of extreme change. The author/narrator forms some interesting friendships with people of various background. His friendships with Mr. Norris and Sally Bowles are based on cruel frankness and honesty, where pretenses are put aside. With other characters, like Peter and Otto, he is a passive observer of their fate. The characters portrayed in the stories are all representations of those whose sole existence is in opposition with the ideas of Nazi Germany.
Femininity
Femininity as a theme can be observed through the character of Sally Bowles. Sally is a representation of exaggerated femininity, with her obsession with her appearance and in finding a path towards a comfortable luxurious life. She is frank and cruel in her honesty, leaving little to the imagination. Sally is a character that intentionally defies the idea of submissive femininity, being the complete opposite of it and aware of that fact.
