Berlin Calling

In the movie Berlin Calling, we watch the main character, Ickarus, deal with an incredible addiction to drugs and how he is consumed by the fast-paced Berlin night life. This is partly due to his career of being a famous DJ. Ickarus's drug use is his way of having fun and dealing with his issues of stress, problems, or strained relationships. 

Ickarus's drug use is influenced by the atmosphere of his job and many of his fans. Through the movie you see many of his fans taking drugs while they are out partying or in the clubs. The drugs range from ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, PCP, Ketamine, to even meth. The drugs are so easily available to the club-goers and helps them to have higher levels of sensations, "more fun," and to help them stay up all night to party. The drugs can be snorted, ingested, injected, etc.

Compared to my standards and how I was raised, to the lives of the party-goers and Ickarus's, is very different. I am from a very small northern Minnesotan town where there are no clubs and not an abundance and array of drugs like in the movie. It is very unacceptable in my town, where it is very common in the culture in the movie. 

In the movie it makes it seem that much of Berlin's youth is lost in the partying and drug scenes but through Mathilde's character you are able to see that there is still youth with work ethic and level-headedness. Alice is also hard-working and does decide to give Ickarus a second chance with the label once she sees his change and listens to his new work on his album. There are some movies that I can think of from the U.S. that are somewhat similar to that of Berlin Calling. One is the movie Thirteen. The movie is different in the sense that the characters are younger and it doesn't revolve around the fast paced club life but the girls' characters are experimenting with drugs, risky addictions, and other unhealthy relationships. In the end, one of the characters pushes for a better lifestyle. 

My reaction to the movie Berlin Calling was that it was sad to watch Ickarus struggle with such a deep addiction and that it was also shocking. It was shocking to see how much of the youth was partying and using drugs as if they were just candy. I know in the U.S. there is much partying and drug use as well but I know that the club scene is much more different in the U.S. compared to Berlin. Berlin's clubs are more trendier and play music that is house and techno. The U.S. will combine techno with more rap. The movie was very good and I was so happy in the end to see that Ickarus could change his dangerous lifestyle and still continue to do what he loved. 

The German Literature Expansion on the 18/19th Century

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe had many famous titles to his name, such as: poet, lyricist, and writer, to name a few. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is considered, in the field of literature, as one of the most influential Germans. He lived to be an old man (82 years old) and carried his success in the later half of the 18th century and into the beginning of the 19th century.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe had a nice upbringing. He came from a wealthy family and had private tutors for his education. He was well-rounded with activities such as: fencing, horseback riding, and dancing as well. One thing that I found surprising was that Goethe had a persistent dislike of the Roman Catholic Church. He also had interests in drawing and theater. He then developed his great interest in literature and reading later on. He did have a former career in law but when that did not turn out as successful as planned, he continued his writing.

Goethe was a very diverse individual whose many interests went beyond literature, law, and fine arts. I found this out while doing a little extra research on him. I came across that he had done some scientific work. It was some standard scientific work but it did involve research with prisms and light.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a very influential individual and unique non-the-less. His personality and writings prove to have set a new mold in history and to his German name. His literary ways were bold (such as his erotic pieces of work) and yet significant. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was clearly more than just a historic German writer but also a name to go down in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Wolfgang_von_Goethe

Women in Nazi Germany

After listening to all of the presentations in class, my reaction to the women in Nazi Germany was that they differed from the roles of women in the United States during the era but also had some similarities.

Hitler had specific ideas for the roles of women. He wanted the women to stay home with the children, since it was a man's work to provide for the family. Hitler had also passed a law in 1933, The Encouragement of Marriage Law, which had many aims for the German civilians. His goal was for German couples to produce as many children as possible and newlyweds receiving a salary. The lifestyle for women was very strict in Germany. The Marriage Law was not similar to the US but the idea of women to stay home and take care of the children was more similar to the US.

During Nazi Germany the women had many rules to follow. They were only allowed to wear flat shoes. The women were also expected to be more "plump" and to not wear make up or trousers. There was more rules and laws for women in Germany.

The presentations made me realize that Germany during the Nazi era was very different from the US but did have some similarities at the same time. Under the Nazi rule, the German women were more restricted to rules and freedoms than women in the US.