Post #15: Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg

 Word Count: 250

Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg lived a life full of strife and turmoil. She was originally a teacher and journalist who loyally followed the USSR Communist party. She was a mother and lived a normal life until she was arrested on the accusation of terrorist activity that was counterrevolutionary in nature. She was then imprisoned for a long time, expected to be sentenced to death later on but was luckily only given a ten-year sentence. She thought she would be released earlier as she expected to be proven innocent soon but was held for 18 years before she was freed.  She suffered through numerous trials and periods of captivity which she gives insight into in an excerpt of her book, “Journey into the Whirlwind”.

The text is developed through experiences and scenarios in which the writer puts herself in the first-person position as if these events are playing out in front of her and we as the readers get insight into what thoughts go through her head. Her struggles, fears, and expressions are conveyed in conjunction with the dialogue given. 

“‘You’re too trusting. Why did you offend Julia like that? You can see how fanatical she is - a person like that can easily be a stool pigeon, and why should you play into the interrogators’ hands?’. Natasha assured me that she, with her ‘fresh eye,’ could see more than the rest of us.’”. With her actions and interactions with other people, she illustrates her experience with people and her doubts in real time in the text.