The book A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City, written by an anonymous woman, focuses on the social history during the capture of Berlin by the Red Army in 1945 and how this led to violent acts of rape against Berlin women. The end of World War II left much of Germany, including Berlin, in chaos. This left German civilians, who were mostly women, alone and struggling to survive in the most basic ways. This story focuses on the women of Berlin, who were at the mercy of the Red Army and faced rampant rape by Soviet soldiers. The author, along with many other women, had to devise plans to both survive and cope with the difficulties placed upon her in the conquered city. As the progress of the text demonstrates, the author's choice of anonymity adds to the book as a historical source, thanks to its ability to collectively represent the experience of the other hundred thousand [1] women raped in Berlin. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The end of World War II left Berlin destroyed but, more importantly, lawless. Women were defenseless against the Soviet military, which embodied large numbers of men who chose to engage in violent sexual acts. In her diary, Anonymous illustrates the magnitude of the problem and how most women were able to relate to it. She states, “we are dealing with a collective experience, something predicted and feared many times in advance that has happened to women on the right and left.” [2] Anonymous uses her story to illustrate the sadness, loneliness and absolute fear that women in Berlin felt as a whole. Essentially, the author chose to remain anonymous to represent all Berlin women. Her diary serves as a mirror to the emotions and experiences of every Berlin woman who was raped by Soviet soldiers. Through anonymous eyes the harsh realities and events of all women come to life. She often describes the difficulties women faced in protecting themselves and trying to avoid rape. Anonymous states that “the pathetic figure in front of me reports in a monotone that no, she has not yet been raped, she and some neighbors managed to lock themselves in the basement”[3] The use of anonymity allows one to realize that all her observations and thoughts could be those of any woman at the time. Throughout her book, the author continually explores her own inner thoughts, reactions, and feelings to everything that is happening to her and those around her. In these deep thoughts he often uses the word “we”. This consistent usage can be seen as a symbolic way to represent the masses. At one point, Anonymous expresses through his internal dialogue how he is starting to come to terms with the rapes he is experiencing. However, he states that "slowly but surely we are starting to view all rape with a sense of humor: gallows humor."[4] The symbolic use of the word "we", along with the use of anonymity, demonstrates the author's purpose. was to create a piece of literature that collectively represented the women of Berlin and all their experiences. The author's choice to remain anonymous in the hope of representing the masses adds to this book a respectable historical source. The portrayal of a woman's authentic life in Berlin is greatly enhanced by the use of anonymity. The widespread cruel reality of women in the conquered city is highlighted by the impression that anyone can be anonymous or those she describes. Being without, 2005, 121.