Photos on Rental Website

The photos of Anna and Tom's apartment, described in the first chapter before the characters are introduced, symbolize the contrast between appearance and reality that pervades the novel. The pristine, carefully curated images—showing sleek furniture, bright light, and minimalist design—present an idealized version of their lives, one that is aspirational and unattainable. These photographs set the tone for the narrative, emphasizing the theme of surface over substance. They foreshadow the ongoing dissonance between Anna and Tom’s carefully constructed outward image and the deeper dissatisfaction and disillusionment that lies beneath, both in their living space and their lives.

Apartment in Berlin

Anna and Tom's apartment in Berlin symbolizes the disparity between idealized appearances and the messy reality of their lives. While the apartment looks immaculate and aspirational in the photos, representing a dream of modern, urban perfection, its true condition—dusty...