FREE ESSAY ON CABARET

CABARET

Cabaret
Cabaret provides for its audience an animated and a uniquely exciting dramatization of
Berlin, Germany just before the Second World War. The story of many Germans living in an
uncertain world is shown through just a few characters. Life is a cabaret, or so the
famed song goes. After watching Cabaret, you'll agree to an extent, but also realize how
unsettling the assertion is. Taking place in the early 1930s, a portrait of life in
decadent Berlin, is both uplifting and grim. Not your typical musical, it is comedic and
dramatic, realistic, very tasteful, and ultimately thought provoking. 
An American named Cliff is traveling by train to Berlin Germany and seems to be quite
weary and tired. He meets a German man named Ernst who seems to be quite pleasant and yet
just a tad mysterious in his ways. By a stroke of luck Ernst offers him a good name and a
place to stay. He even invites Cliff to take in the scene and enjoy himself at a Kit Kat
club in the heart of Berlin. Cliff being a somewhat reserved man he is a little reluctant
to accept the offerings of his new friend, but realizes he has nowhere else to go, and
accepts kindly.
Cliff asserts himself as being a struggling writer, along with being an English tutor.
Not only struggling financially but creatively. He seems to have lived a sheltered life,
even though it being quite evident that he is a well-traveled man. His goal in going to
Berlin is to find some inspiration, to find something worth writing about. He is quite
distraught with knowing he is stuck in a situation that isn't getting better at all. He
finds himself living in a one-room apartment in the home of Heir Schneider, who rents out
a few rooms to make ends meet. 
As Cliff walks into the Kit Kat club he enters the world of promiscuous uninhibited
dancers, and people of the like. Men approach him to dance, and women entice him with
their charms. He obviously wasn't all that accustomed to this kind of happening, but he
didn't shy away from it. The first night he lived this almost unreal experience, he met a
woman. Sally was a one of a kind woman of her time, being on her own, making her own
living, whether that living be on stage or with a man who suits her interest for a while.

As the Wilkommen theme plays in the background, the spirit of the people of Berlin in
soon to be nazi Germany, comes alive. Berlin is in a state of extreme change, struggling
to overcome their inflation and poverty problems. The people are unsure of their own
government and yet outgoing and comfortable in their surroundings. As Sally sang "Don't
tell Mama" it gave an impression of oppression, she wasn't really singing to the people
in the club, but to the world, the world she sees. 
Once Cliff realizes he's agreed to let Sally move in with him, he realizes he's in for a
whole new experience. Cliff, who finds himself fitting into her ideals, and Sally
imposing herself in her seducing, yet manipulative ways, the two of them found themselves
needing each other. Neither of them accustomed to ever really needing someone before find
themselves interestingly happy, and content. 
Sally soon finds herself pregnant leaving a moral question to the both of them. She also
reveals her promisequities of past experiences. Cliff is very uneasy of the idea that she
was alright with simply getting rid of their child, and talked her out of it. He wanted
the world for her; he fell in love with her. He knew he had responsibilities, and yet
didn't want to leave his novel. He thought that giving English lessons would keep him
financially strong, but that fantasy was quickly taken away. He knew no one really in
Berlin, and well, customers would be hard to find. 
After sometime, Sally convinced him to go and work with Ernst and his business dealings.
He went to Paris to pick up a suitcase and bring back to Berlin, to Ernst. He thought
that the suitcase consisted of simple jewelry and stockings. He was sadly mistaken when
realizing he was smuggling in money. He was involved in a scam, and hated it. He found
the idea irritating, and frustrating. He refused to do it again, no matter how large the
reward. He was an honest man, who needed to make an honest living. Sally on the other
hand, just wanted the money. 
With the strains of living together and the idea of a baby and marriage the situation
changed and got much tenser. Sally wanting to go back to work, singing in the club, and
Cliff wanting to go back to America, the two fought, and left each other mad. Cliff left
and Sally went to the club. She began her number, and Cliff ran in, and just grabbed her.
He desperately wanted to get out of Berlin with her, when she revealed her devious act.
She had aborted the baby and sold a fur coat to do it. Cliff was devastated and confused.
He just left. He left her the ticket, and walked out. She never went after him. Funny
what people who are in love do. 
It's very funny what people who are in love do. Sally had the opportunity to live with a
man who did love her and could have had a loving relationship. Cliff came to find
something to write about, but fell in love. Which is a lot to write about, but Berlin's
politics got in the way, along with Sally's trickiness. 
Berlin's politics finds itself getting closer to the beginning of the war and the start
of Hitler's run of things. The segregation of the people begins, especially with Herr
Schnieder and Heir Shultz. Shultz rents a room from Schnieder, the two being of the same
age, and both having a little in common. Shultz finds himself courting Schnieder a
little, and enjoys his time with her. They began spending most of their time together,
and Shultz keeps trying to keep the affections of Schnieder. And one evening they find
themselves in an uncomfortable position, and Shultz finds himself proposing. He convinces
her that people need people, and they have enough in common to make such an idea work. He
really did have a soft spot in his heart for her, and so did she. She was an outwardly
stubborn woman, but easily swayed by most everyone. She was happy with her life position,
at the very least content. She knew that what she did have, she earned and she wasn't
about to find herself throwing it all away. 
Politics got in the way of that marriage too. Shultz was a German, but also a Jew.
Schnieder was convinced that a Jew would only bring her down, and ruin her. She also knew
that the Germans were turning on the Jews, and other outcasts. She then ended the
relationship, and Shultz was taken away quite abruptly by the Nazi's. 
Germany's politics changed everything, and got in the way of everything. The people of
Germany are on the edge of change and devastation. After the break up of Sally and Cliff
and Shultz and Schnieder, it all represents the break up of all the people of Germany.
The unity of the country is gone along with the morality of a government. 
The beating of both Cliff and Shultz shows the non-tolerating government. All four are
left alone in the end, and no one seems very happy. Cliff goes off to live his life in
Pennsylvania again, and Sally goes back to her conniving ways for as long as she can, I
suppose. Schnieder will most likely continue to keep renting out her home, and never
change her ways. The end of the play brings a realistic representation of Nazi Germany,
and the happenings of the time. Hitler's hopeless loveless devastating rule brings
nothing good to the people of Germany or the world.