Artificial Silk (Allegory)
Silk is a fabric that represents affluence and exclusivity because of its texture, rarity, and value. Therefore the advent of artificial silk made it difficult to distinguish the real from the synthetic one. The protagonist has an obsession with appearing as one of the elite and affluent luminaries. She covers herself with lavish accessories and expensive attires such as silk and fur to hide her real social status. Thus, the title is an allegory to the protagonist since wishes to appear authentic and glamorous even though she is not.
Cinematic glamour (Motif)
The narrative is set during the Golden Twenties in Berlin when arts, cinema, and celebrity glamour were flourishing. Doris is a dreamer and yearns to be a famous cinema actress and enjoy the perks that accompany the status. Therefore cinematic glamour is a major motif in the story as she chases her dream though unsuccessfully. Through her adventures, she encounters prominent individuals and the theater scene in Berlin. The language and imagery she uses to describe the city and the scene embody the cinematic impression she glorifies.
Fur coat (Symbol)
The decision to chase the glamorous lifestyle and leave behind her banal job and life is prompted after stealing a fur coat. Thus the fur coat plays a significant role as a symbol of her journey. She desires fortune and fame and the coat symbolizes the idea of this prosperity. It signifies her choice to finally chase what her heart desires. It also denotes the motivation of her escapades that will take her through a downward spiral in Berlin.
Upward mobility (Motif)
Doris realizes that the path towards fame and fortune is not an easy one and it might never be. Therefore she chooses to climb up the social hierarchy by manipulating wealthy men for money. Her short stints at a law firm and a theater prove she lacks the work ethic to hold down a job. She purely relies on her beauty, charm, and wits to seduce the affluent to attain status and monetary rewards. Thus, she unconsciously places her dreams on the sidelines in order to achieve upward social mobility.
Promiscuity (Motif)
The tale explores the notion of sexual freedom and female desire through the protagonist’s adventures. Doris engages in extramarital affairs with married men and even falls in love with some of them. However to maintain the fake lifestyle she has to keep engaging in sexual intercourse with different male partners. With a life that oscillates between material comfort and poverty, she finds herself involved in prostitution.
