A Woman in Berlin

A key signifier of the plight of the German residents of Berlin is the absence of food, alcohol, and ration books. When the diaries begin, Marta and her neighbors are running low on food. They eat their meagre rations and forage for nettles and dandelions in order to survive. These conditions lead to starvation and malnutrition, and soon, their clothes no longer fit and their bones become visible through their skin. The Russians change this situation when they introduce a barter system and exchange food for sex, a situation that reveals the lust of the soldiers and the desperation of the civilians. The food represents the stark differences between the forces who are winning the war and those who are losing the war. When the Russians eventually depart, they take the food with them, leaving behind the memories of food and the trauma of rape.

The Russians also have access to alcohol, which is a key factor in the overwhelming number of rapes. Alcohol reduces inhibitions, allowing the Russian soldiers to act on the basest of instincts. The mass rapes are fueled by alcohol like the army’s war machine is fueled by oil. Alcohol represents danger: whenever Marta sees Russians drinking or smells alcohol on her breath, she knows to be worried.