Genre
Memoir
Setting and Context
Berlin, April-June 1945 under Russian occupation
Narrator and Point of View
The un-named narrator tells the story as an eyewitness and recounts events from her point of view
Tone and Mood
Violent, depressing, life threatening
Protagonist and Antagonist
The Berliners are the protagonists and the occupying Russians the antagonists
Major Conflict
The major conflict is World War Two
Climax
The occupation ends and the occupying army leave Berlin while the deployed German forced return home
Foreshadowing
The realization that rank means nothing to the Russian soldiers foreshadows the fact that her relationship with Anatoli will not keep the narrator safe from the other soldiers
Understatement
To say that the Russians were threatening is to totally understate the atrocities they committed and the way in which they sought out women to rape
Allusions
No specific examples of allusion
Imagery
The narrator described in great detail the ruined city of Berlin and the reader is able to visually imagine the fear that was palpable among the women in Berlin
Paradox
Talking about her rape is vaguely cathartic for the narrator but the opposite for her returning boyfriend
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the way the Russians see the Berlin women as nameless sexual encounters and the way in which the narrator remains nameless out of fear of retribution for speaking about the rape. Both see her as nameless.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The cave dwellers describes the individuals who are all hiding out in the basement and creating their own underground community
Personification
Berlin is personified as the city is said to be suffering, a human trait
