Journey Into the Whirlwind / Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg

 Word Count: 246

Parker Greene

From Journey into the whirlwind by Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg

" Greta was describing to her friend the ravishing dress which she had worn to the last First of May party at the Bolshoy Theater, and Klara's eyes were sparkling with curiosity. She too was talking about a special dress, drawing its shape in the air, tracing it with her blue fingers with their crushed nails. " (pg. 308)

When reading other narratives about people being in prison we have mostly seen them talking about how terrible treatment was while living in prison. While Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg's narrative talks more about the connections and interactions with other inmates, she definitely still talks about the negatives of prison. The quote above shows more of the personal life in prison, compared to the other narratives we have read. I think that it is a more interesting approach to writing a narrative about being in prison and talking more about your personal life inside and people who have become friends or were past friends. Going for a more personal approach rather than focusing on all of the negatives of prison gives a much more uplifting tone that with the mix of talking about torture gives a not so negative tone all of the time. Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg definitely gave a much different look on her time in prison trying to convey more personal connections while also highlighting the negatives at the right time to create a good narrative.