Part 2, Chapter 11: Work in the Camps—Summary

The central function of life in the camps was work. Daily life revolved around work and the camp administrators were preoccupied with it. Still, as with other areas of the Gulag, it is difficult to generalize about this aspect across the camps because of variances within the system. There was a huge range of economic activity across the camps, from cutting trees to mining gold to establishing chemical factories to building of airports. Generally, prisoners were assigned to perform either as a general worker or a "trustie" that was given more specific tasks. Brigadiers led each brigade of workers and were responsible for overseeing the work.

For the most part, whether prisoners suffered wasn't a concern. What mattered was the fulfillment of the norms. Norms could be anything related to the work...